It's official - Callie's a pudgester

[Frannie & Callie]

Callie went to the vet on saturday to get her shots and yearly exam. I took Wilbur along to weigh him (ok fine, to show him off!). Since I got Wilbur, he has only gained 3 lbs. Callie on the other hand has gained 4 lbs.

Not so good. She is officially overweight.

I've tried feeding them separately and that doesn't seem to work. If anything, Callie is MORE active with Wilbur around.

I'm going back to trying separate feedings and hope for the best. I know Callie will lose the 4lbs again once there aren't two bowls of kibble hanging around.

(we can also examine why I am so good at monitoring her weight and knowing the ramifications of her extra poundage but am soooo not good about that when it comes to me!)

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Samantha has always had what I call 'the lab roll'. She is built like a Lab, short legs and barrel chest & not a poodle and will never, ever be thin. I can feel her ribs but I have to feel for them. I can feel her spine and hip bones more easily. My vet in NJ and here in FL both told me she needs to loose a few but I really can't figure out how. We play ball or she runs with Charli several times a day, she only eats about 1.5 cups of Calif Naturals plus some chicken (I did have her on the Low Fat but Charli needed the calories. Feeding 2 different kibbles just didn't work out for us. They start eating out of their own bowls but about 3/4 of the way in, they switch - guess they have to make sure that the other one didn't get a better dinner - WOL). I have cut down the snacks BIG TIME for Samantha. I don't know what else can be done.
Any suggestions happily taken!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I've heard so many people say their dogs have gained weight over the winter. As they get older it seems they get heavier, too, just like people.
Jack's weight was creeping up even before winter. He's really too heavy, and it isn't from food, it's lack of exercise. I'm taking him to a nearby soccer field for some hard running & retrieving every day now, weather permitting. After 15 minutes, he comes running back with his ball and instead of stopping in front of me, he continues past me in the direction of the car! LOL, I hoping to get his endurance up to 20 minutes by the end of the month!

[Kathy Spyker]

It was such a hard winter here Lilly and I put on some pounds too! Its been nice out now and we are walking every chance we get. Good luck on the separate feeding I hope it works out for you.

[Frannie & Callie]

I've been worrying about it with Callie - she looks thicker, but then I thought it was just a contrast to Wilbur, who is super skinny. Turns out that my first instinct was right! The funny part is that my sister has the same problem with her twin boys (humans) - one cannot seem to put on weight and the other gains too much weight while they're trying to fatten up the skeletal one! At least I don't have to worry about giving Callie a complex! Oy!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

My two also get different food. What I do is put the two bowls down on the floor and I sit right in the middle of them. When Murph first came home he would try to get Guinness food (home cooking - who could blame him). After the first couple of days when I didn't allow him to get to that bowl, he gave up. As long as I'm sitting between them they leave each others food alone. I think it's also helping to teach them "no resource guarding" because I put my hands in their dishes a few times through the feeding. When the bowls are empty they each get to go to the other's bowl and "check it out". Murphy goes to the Vet tomorrow, and I can't wait to see what he weighs. He's really looking huge now...way bigger than his brother. He "body blocks" poor Guinness all the time (and sends him flying). Isn't it great how they "exercise" each other? Do your guys chase each other around the house...mine will do it until one of them "drops". The weight thing is pretty funny. I never used to get on the scale. Now I have to to weigh the boys. I hold them and subtract my weight, so that means I have to know what I weigh. I was much happier when I had no idea. That's not going to work much longer for Murphy though....I can barely pick him up.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Feeding Callie seperately will do the trick! I have to feed my two seperately purely because they eat different food, but I now realize Taquito would starve if I fed them together and let them graze - Peri is a PIG!
It will get easier - you may have to put them in two rooms. We do that a lot.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Ha ha, I agree with you on your last statement. I keep very close watch on keeping Darwin at "optimal" weight. Me? Not so much.