Fat Dog

Oh, my, god. Becky, look at her butt.

It is so big.

Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot

What!? I'm just really Fluffy!

I'm ready to start building an ark, it has rained non-stop for about 2 months. Marley is so over walks in the rain. I took her to the park and she hid under the bench until I was ready to leave. Our walks have turned into sprints as she tries to rush though and get back inside where it is warm and dry.

To be perfectly honest I've indulged her because I'm not to keen on having rain blown into my coat. We have spent time inside working on foundation work and jumps. I've started shaping a new trick. While indoor training is great for stimulating her brain and making her tired, the increase in treats has caused Marley to gain two pounds.

Two pounds does not sound like a lot when talking about a large dog; however Marley is small and two pounds is a significant gain in weight. I'm totally horrified that my small athletic dog has failed the rib test. She still has a waist and her tummy is still tucked up. My vet is not concerned at this time, however she did mention I should keep Marley at about 12 pounds for optimum health.

I've started to incorporate the following changes to help Marley lose her winter weight and prevent problems in the future.

• I've cut all treats until she loses weight. I normally give her a tiny taste as opposed to an actual treat while shaping tricks; however, these last few months I actually gave her an entire treat. I measure her food and I'll take a few bits of kibble from that amount and use that as a treat.
• I've increased our walks. The ground is incredibly saturated and mucky right now, which has rendered our favorite areas un-walkable. I'm looking for find fun places to walk in the the city.

I'm glad I noticed her weight gain before it started to restrict her activity level and affect her health.

I forgot Marley was a dog

Yep, I totally forgot she was a dog and now she is sick. After a trip to the park, I thought it would be nice to pick up some chewies for Marley. I purchased some treats and some rawhide wrapped in chicken. Since I was parked in a nice shady spot, I thought it would be a good idea to pick up dinner at the grocery store.

Marley curled up in the back to take a nap.

When I came back I found the bag of treats in the back seat and Marley had consumed all the chicken from the chicken wrapped rawhide and she was trying to hide the rest of the treats. I cleaned everything up and threw away the rawhide.

Marley usually just naps in the car and waits for me to come back. She has never eaten any treats I've provided in the car. I so did not expect her to feel comfortable eating in the car when I had a bag full of treats. I have to be more careful and not leave enticing items in the front seat. I don't think I'll forget she is a dog for a long time.

Hartz Recalls Dog Treats

I have not purchased any Hartz products after a friend had a horrible experience with their flea products, and I was not really surprised to see this article.

Hartz is recalling nearly 75,000 bags of dog treats.

Salmonella was found in 8-ounce bags of Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs stamped with the lot code BZ0969101E, according to the FDA.

If you have any questions you should contact Hartz at 1-800-275-1414.