Doggy obesity is a very real thing. And I know this because my own dog is overweight. Let me give you a little background though…

I have a mixed breed dog. He’s part Chihuahua and something else. He’s a super cute pup, bigger than your usual Chihuahua and we used the “mystery breed” that he was mixed with as an excuse when he put on a few pounds, which over time turned into a lot of pounds.

When others pointed it out, I'd say “Hey, he’s a mix!” followed by “It’s not weight he’s gained. It’s that part of the other dog.” Plus, he was cute!

Then I took him to the veterinarian for an annual check-up. The doc was very polite, said he was in good health, but stated that Max needed to lose weight now or he wouldn't stay that way for long. I was given some simple suggestions to help resolve Max's weight issue and took them to heart.

While I'd never describe Max as a svelte dog, he is much more energetic and a sparkle has returned to his eyes. And that's what it's about, really. Dogs are cute. It doesn't matter what size they are! But a dogs health is far more important than being cute.

Look at it this way. If your vet told you that your “cute” dog was underweight and needed to gain in order to be healthy you'd start feeding them calorie rich food and work on a plan to bring them up to a healthy weight, wouldn't you?

Exactly. So if your dog is a bit chunky, it’s probably a good time to take their weight seriously and make a change. But how do you do that?

Head over to the next page for some tips and tricks for keeping your pup at a healthy, happy weight!

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