| Re: Fat Pets (science channel)
About 2 years ago I adopted an elderly lab to help out a co-worker. This poor dog weighed about 85 lbs and could barely walk. The vet said she needed to lose 15 lbs. It took about a year to get her down to 70 lbs, but the vet says that she's where she needs to be.
This dog learned that she would get fed if she continuously pestered people. She would stand there and paw at you and whine and bark until she got a biscuit. Then she'd do it over and over again. When she thought it was time for a meal, she'd start picking up her bowl and would fling it around while whining and barking until soemone would give her some kibble. I had to ignore her for a couple of weeks until she learned that she wasn't going to get any handouts from me. It was REALLY hard.
Some people have the mistaken notion that they are showing their dog love by feeding them often and feeding them food that isn't good for them. They don't seem to understand that you show love to your dog by setting limits and by keeping them healthy. I'll get off my soapbox now......
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