Complete Information Regarding the Pug Dog
Your Subtitle text
Fat Pugs
Fat Pugs
So many owners are concerned and worried that they have a fat Pug. They remember that round little cute puppy and the next thing that they know, they look at their older Pug and wonder if they somehow got out of shape and fat.
Let us first remember that the Pug is an unusual dog. This is true for many reasons, however the one that we are going to talk about here is the shape of the dog.
There are, of course, many different shapes... the lean sleek look of a Pointer or a short haired Chihuahua.... the shaggy look of a Sheep dog...the fluffy look of a Pomeranian....The breed of any certain dog not only dictates certain qualities such as length of snout or expected size....It also dictates the very body structure of the canine.
Now, the Pug has a barrel (or log) shaped body. And because of this, the Pug will never have a lean, sleek appearance. Even when the dog has a low percent of body fat and is completely healthy in every way, he or she is going to look like a Pug....And this means that they will be short, thick and stout.
This is part of what makes this breed so adorable looking. Some say that the Pug is so ugly that it is cute. We disagree! We, and many owners all around the world, appreciate this breed for what it is and can appreciate the beauty in that wrinkled up face, round body, short legs and curled up tail !
With this being said, it is true that there are some fat Pug who overeat and could certainly benefit from some weight loss. One reason why a Pug can become overweight is because it is difficult for this breed to exercise in comparison to many other breeds.
With breathing difficulties, short legs and not able to withstand high temperatures (and this includes a raise body temperature when doing cardio).... The dog can become overweight.
How can you know? It would be great to tell you the exact amount of weight that your dog should weight. However, there are many variables... gender, age, body structure (i.e. big bones, etc), and metabolism. Therefore, one of the best methods of checking yourself is to feel for his or her ribs. If you can feel the individual ribs in the ribcage, this tells you that there is not too much body fat.
If the ribs are sticking out and are very noticeable, this is a problem and it points to the dog being undernourished. If you cannot feel any bones at all, this is a sign that the fat layer is too thick and your dog may benefit from losing a few pounds.
And of course, a trusted and respected veterinarian can always help you determine any issues relating to the possibility of a fat Pug.
Losing Weight Safely
One of the elements that comes into play and makes this a bit of a challenge is that in order to lose, a dog should ingest less calories and exercise to burn more. With a Pug, exercise is not easy....With existing or potential breathing issues, it can be very dangerous to push this dog to run a mile with you... Or to play Frisbee for an hour. Not only can they have trouble breathing during these activities, they can also overheat very easily.
The answer is to expect this to be a slow steady progression. One should plan to add an extra 5 minutes to the daily walk for about 2 weeks. After that, one may increase this to an extra 10 minutes... The goal will be to increase duration and NOT increase the pace which leads to heavier breathing and increased heart rate.
The 2nd element will be to cut down on calories while still providing your dog with the same amount of food. This can be accomplished by slowly changing what he or she ingests. It often helps to begin with snacks. Carrots are a favorite of many canines and can replace higher calorie options.
One may also wish to replace manufactured dog food with a low calorie formula. However, we do suggest home cooking, not only for health but in today's economy, to save on money!
When you slowly increase walking and slowly decrease caloric intake, do not expect things to change overnight and do not expect too much of a change. When a Pug is fat, a loss of just 5-8 pounds can make a huge difference.
And lastly, never expect the shape of your dog to change! The Pug is supposed to be a barrel shaped dog and this will not change no matter what your dog weighs!
Let us first remember that the Pug is an unusual dog. This is true for many reasons, however the one that we are going to talk about here is the shape of the dog.
There are, of course, many different shapes... the lean sleek look of a Pointer or a short haired Chihuahua.... the shaggy look of a Sheep dog...the fluffy look of a Pomeranian....The breed of any certain dog not only dictates certain qualities such as length of snout or expected size....It also dictates the very body structure of the canine.Now, the Pug has a barrel (or log) shaped body. And because of this, the Pug will never have a lean, sleek appearance. Even when the dog has a low percent of body fat and is completely healthy in every way, he or she is going to look like a Pug....And this means that they will be short, thick and stout.
This is part of what makes this breed so adorable looking. Some say that the Pug is so ugly that it is cute. We disagree! We, and many owners all around the world, appreciate this breed for what it is and can appreciate the beauty in that wrinkled up face, round body, short legs and curled up tail !
With this being said, it is true that there are some fat Pug who overeat and could certainly benefit from some weight loss. One reason why a Pug can become overweight is because it is difficult for this breed to exercise in comparison to many other breeds.
With breathing difficulties, short legs and not able to withstand high temperatures (and this includes a raise body temperature when doing cardio).... The dog can become overweight.
How can you know? It would be great to tell you the exact amount of weight that your dog should weight. However, there are many variables... gender, age, body structure (i.e. big bones, etc), and metabolism. Therefore, one of the best methods of checking yourself is to feel for his or her ribs. If you can feel the individual ribs in the ribcage, this tells you that there is not too much body fat. If the ribs are sticking out and are very noticeable, this is a problem and it points to the dog being undernourished. If you cannot feel any bones at all, this is a sign that the fat layer is too thick and your dog may benefit from losing a few pounds.
And of course, a trusted and respected veterinarian can always help you determine any issues relating to the possibility of a fat Pug.
Losing Weight Safely
One of the elements that comes into play and makes this a bit of a challenge is that in order to lose, a dog should ingest less calories and exercise to burn more. With a Pug, exercise is not easy....With existing or potential breathing issues, it can be very dangerous to push this dog to run a mile with you... Or to play Frisbee for an hour. Not only can they have trouble breathing during these activities, they can also overheat very easily.
The answer is to expect this to be a slow steady progression. One should plan to add an extra 5 minutes to the daily walk for about 2 weeks. After that, one may increase this to an extra 10 minutes... The goal will be to increase duration and NOT increase the pace which leads to heavier breathing and increased heart rate. The 2nd element will be to cut down on calories while still providing your dog with the same amount of food. This can be accomplished by slowly changing what he or she ingests. It often helps to begin with snacks. Carrots are a favorite of many canines and can replace higher calorie options.
One may also wish to replace manufactured dog food with a low calorie formula. However, we do suggest home cooking, not only for health but in today's economy, to save on money!
When you slowly increase walking and slowly decrease caloric intake, do not expect things to change overnight and do not expect too much of a change. When a Pug is fat, a loss of just 5-8 pounds can make a huge difference.
And lastly, never expect the shape of your dog to change! The Pug is supposed to be a barrel shaped dog and this will not change no matter what your dog weighs!
All rights reserved. All text and all photos are protected by copyright laws. Contact@petPUGdog.com
