Does Your Doodle Tend To Put On Too Much Weight?

[Camilla and Darwin]

This is probably more for the older doodles, but does your doodles love of naps and lounging attribute to weight gain? This is supposed to be Darwin's most hyper age, yet he is pretty mellow. I wonder if when he grows up and calms down even more, it's going to be hard to keep him fit.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack definitely tends to put on weight, he is older (almost five and a half), and he has a very quiet, mellow personality. I don't know what he was like as a puppy, or what training he'd had before I got him at 14 months, but he has never done zoomies, and never, ever jumped up on people, doors, windows, counters, etc. His front feet never leave the ground unless he's running outdoors or playing fetch. Unless there is a ball being thrown for him, he never runs or plays. Getting enough exercise for him is definitely a problem.
When I first adopted him, the intake paperwork showed his weight at 68 lbs, and he was too thin. He was 64 lbs by the time I got him to my vet, he was depressed in the shelter and not eating. Since then, his weight has steadily crept up. Last week the scale at the vet's office said 90 lbs, which I don't think is right, since he's been hovering around 85 for a long time. But I think that even 80 lbs is too much for him.
We have started getting out every day to play ball where he can really run offleash. Food is not an issue with him, he definitely needs to move more.

[Camilla and Darwin]

I anticipate the same type of problem when Darwin is no longer a puppy. He doesn't fetch. He will run around with dogs for a bit if we take him to a dog park, but will ultimately come lay down after a bit. Not to mention, I don't want to have to take him to dog parks constantly. He tends to do less running and more wrestling/biting when playing with other dogs, which I don't think exercises them as much. When we take him somewhere off-leash on his own, he doesn't run. He just sniffs around, then plops down. Lazy dog! I wish I knew a good way to get him nice and tired, without the dog park.

I wish I had the drive to take him on runs every day... but I'm lazier than him. Got to work on that... :-)

[Lynda Kamrath]

There is some saying, "If you are fat, your dog is not getting enough exercise" or "If your dog is fat, you are not getting enough exercise", something like that and it seems to work both ways. Both of my dogs are over 100 lbs. and none of us are getting enough exercise. They will go any time I take them, but we have not been going that much. Great places for walking dogs around here (on leash and off leash) and they will also run after me on my bike. They are good for about 7 miles, so I don't think the weight is a function of exercise for my boys. Hondo has had liver failure twice and surgery, so he has an excuse for his loose belly, but it is not from lack of exercise.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

In our case, the saying doesn't hold true; it's only Jack who doesn't get enough exercise and/or needs to lose weight. I'm still a size 2. Our walks are great for me, but not enough for him, since he has to go at my pace, and I'm 53 years older than he is, lol.

[Ann Kendig]

So far my guys are doing pretty well and the vet is happy with their weight. But, they are both a little over a year old so time will tell. I would guess that if one of my dogs would have a weight problem it would be Duke. Sheba is a machine when it comes to playing fetch. Duke plays for a while then he lays down and watches.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

My Ned is too young to put on weight and he is a light eater, but he has learned his mom's bad habits and sits around a lot while she is on the computer. Ned does like to zoom and has happy dance time when he gets excited but I don't think he burns off too many calories.
Now Clancy seems ..... I haven't had him long enough and though he supposedly the exact same age as Ned, I would imagine I will have to watch his weight. Currently he is 19" tall and 55 pounds! He has these short legs and huge stocky body. He loves food, craves food, wants yummy edibles, but it can't be from needing to eat. I suspect he takes after his food loving lab ancestors. The behaviorist at the shelter said Clancy was low energy and he does lounge. He can fetch though and seems to enjoy it.