{"id":6594,"date":"2019-04-09T20:06:39","date_gmt":"2019-04-09T20:06:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.diamondpet.wearewoodruff.xyz\/?p=6594"},"modified":"2024-01-25T08:42:12","modified_gmt":"2024-01-25T14:42:12","slug":"7-tips-to-help-your-dog-walk-away-the-pounds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/blog\/health\/weight-management\/7-tips-to-help-your-dog-walk-away-the-pounds\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips to Help Your Dog Walk Away the Pounds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overweight and obese dogs are a big problem for pet owners (pun intended<\/em>). Fortunately, regular walks and other forms of increased activity can help your overweight dog shed some of the unwanted pounds. Because walking is frequently a key element of canine weight loss efforts, we\u2019ve pulled together seven tips to consider when helping your dog to walk away some extra weight.<\/p>\n

1. TALK WITH YOUR VETERINARIAN FIRST<\/h3>\n

If your overweight dog has been rather sedentary, you\u2019ll want to make sure your best friend is healthy enough to start a regular exercise program. Some underlying medical conditions can cause weight gain in dogs. Plus, carrying extra weight can stress joints and other body systems, making exercise uncomfortable. Your veterinarian will want to rule out any health issues first, and then can help you get started with a walking routine.<\/p>\n

2. USE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT<\/h3>\n

To help keep the walk enjoyable for both of you, be sure to use the right equipment: a walking harness or head halter, a 4- or 6-foot leash (non-retractable), portable water bowl and water. For walking an overweight dog on-leash, your safest choice is a head halter or walking harness with wide, soft, padded straps and made from breathable materials. Regular collars can put too much pressure on your dog\u2019s windpipe (trachea), which can cause difficulty breathing or injury if your dog pulls too much.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll want to use a shorter leash when walking your dog for weight loss. This will help you keep the dog close to you and maintain a steady pace.<\/p>\n

Depending on the weather and the length of your walk, you\u2019ll want to have some other supplies on hand. For winter walks, booties can keep your dog\u2019s paws warm, protect them from ice and de-icers, and improve footing. If you\u2019re walking during warm weather or for more than 30 minutes, you may want to bring water and a portable water bowl to help keep your dog cool and from becoming dehydrated.<\/p>\n

3. TAKE IT SLOW<\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t expect your overweight and out-of-shape dog to walk for miles or up big hills right from the start. Take your time and start slow to avoid injury. How far, how fast and how long you walk your dog will depend on your dog\u2019s starting condition. One approach recommended by the American Animal Hospital Association for starting obese dogs with no joint or mobility issues on a walking program is to start with a 5-minute walk three times per day<\/a>. Gradually work up to longer times until a total of 30 to 45 minutes per day has been reached.<\/p>\n

4. SET THE RIGHT PACE<\/h3>\n

Walking your dog for weight loss or to improve fitness is very different than walking for pleasure. The average dog-walking pace is around 25 minutes per mile. That\u2019s a slow stroll and isn\u2019t fast enough to reach an aerobic state. Instead, you\u2019ll want to leash your dog and get them moving fast enough to increase their heart rate into the fat-and-calorie-burning zone. At the right pace, your dog should be trotting along next to you, with a short stride and rapid stride turnover.<\/p>\n

Since you\u2019ll be setting the pace, pick a speed you can comfortably maintain \u2014 ideally between 15 and 20 minutes per mile (or 3 to 4 miles per hour). You should feel like you\u2019re taking a brisk walk and you should even break into light sweat. Again, how fast you and your dog walk will depend on your dog\u2019s current condition and fitness.<\/p>\n

5. MONITOR YOUR DOG\u2019S BREATHING<\/h3>\n

Your dog will pant if you\u2019re walking briskly enough. That\u2019s completely normal. But there shouldn\u2019t be any labored or noisy breathing or coughing. If your overweight or obese dog seems to be having difficulty breathing or starts coughing, stop or slow down, take a break and assess the situation.<\/p>\n

6. DEVELOP A ROUTINE, COMPLETE WITH TIME GOALS<\/h3>\n

Start with 30-minute walks at least five times per week if your overweight dog is generally healthy \u2014 that is, your dog has normal heart and lung function, normal blood pressure and no pre-existing medical conditions. If you and your dog have been couch potatoes, you most likely won\u2019t go for 30 minutes at a brisk pace. Build up to it.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no need for a warm-up if your dog is healthy, although you do want to give your dog time to urinate and defecate before starting the \u201cfitness\u201d part of your walk. Ernie Ward, DVM, CVFT, recommends the following schedule as one way to develop a fitness walking program.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

INTRODUCTORY FITNESS WALKING SCHEDULE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Week<\/strong><\/th>\nTotal Time<\/strong><\/th>\nBrisk Pace<\/strong><\/th>\nCasual Pace<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/td>\n30 minutes<\/td>\n10 minutes<\/td>\n20 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\n30 minutes<\/td>\n15 minutes<\/td>\n15 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\n30 minutes<\/td>\n20 minutes<\/td>\n10 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\n35\u201340 minutes<\/td>\n30 minutes<\/td>\n5\u201310 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5+<\/td>\n20\u201330 minutes twice daily<\/td>\n15\u201325 minutes<\/td>\n5 minutes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

7. TRACK YOUR DOG\u2019S PROGRESS<\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t forget to keep track of your dog\u2019s walks, including the number of minutes of brisk versus casual walking. Not only will this help you to stay on top of the schedule, but you\u2019ll also have a reference point to see how far your dog \u2014 and you \u2014 have come along the road to health and fitness.<\/p>\n

For additional ideas for boosting your overweight or obese dog\u2019s activity levels, check out Start Boosting Activity to Help Your Overweight Dog Lose Weight<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

RELATED POST: 5 Reasons To Go Take a Walk With Your Pet<\/a><\/p>\n

RELATED POST: Seven Steps to Help Your Overweight Dog Slim Down<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Overweight and obese dogs are a big problem for pet owners (pun intended). Fortunately, regular walks and other forms of increased activity can help your overweight dog shed some of the unwanted pounds. Because walking is frequently a key element of canine weight loss efforts, we\u2019ve pulled together seven tips to consider when helping your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6599,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Healthy Dog Walking Tips: 7 Strategies for Weight Loss","_seopress_titles_desc":"Follow along for tips on helping your overweight dog lose weight through regular walking. Learn about proper equipment & pacing for a healthy exercise routine!","_seopress_robots_index":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28,241],"tags":[154,710,54,43,153],"class_list":["post-6594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-weight-management","tag-diamond-care","tag-dog-obesity","tag-dogs","tag-overweight-dog","tag-weight-management"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6594"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6594\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}