Thursday, February 7, 2013

Show off your dog's waistline!

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of hearing about health and obesity. Mostly because I could stand to lose a few myself, but hush now. I'm working on it.

Elka's weight, to date, has not been a problem for us to maintain, and well. The fact that she's oversized (i.e., taller than she should be) is added incentive, as I don't want undue stress on her joints. Those need to last her a good long while, you know!

Pet obesity can be a problem, though, especially because dogs and cats are ultimately at our mercy for food. We can feed them adequately, or too much, or not enough. Adequate is the goal, obviously. A dog (or cat) in a home setting isn't necessarily hardwired to stop eating when "full". What does "full" mean to a dog, anyway?

So:

Name: Elka
Sex: Female
Breed: Doberman
Age: 3


Of course, looking at her like that from top down (and she kind of hunched, I admit, and turned around a bit to see what exactly I was doing back there), she doesn't look all that skinny. You can see the tuck in, certainly.

Here's another angle, though:


And of course the side view, for the tuckup:



Elka does not have as much "bone" as some Dobermans people see, and she's been accused at least once of being a Greyhound mix (sigh) (though somebody else once leaned out of their top floor window and asked if she was a Greyhound, I think they didn't really know anything about dogs).







24 comments:

  1. I can completely relate to what your saying. Because of the potential problems Winston could get with his breathing and his back if he were to gain too much weight I am very cautious of not over feeding. However, he is very lean for the breed so people sometimes think he isn't getting fed enough. It's a pain in the bum!

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    1. Some people do exclaim things like "Oh, she's so skinny!" Nope, she's fit. It's one of those things ^^ It can be hard not to give them treats and extras when they want them so!

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  2. My thick coat tends to hide my waistline, but it is there. It's important not to let pets become too heavy.

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    1. I believe you, Clowie! I think you look very fit.

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  3. We are fitness freaks at our house so it is nice to see a dog that stays in shape!

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    1. Honestly, I need to use Elka as a role model. It's so hard when it's cold and icy, though!

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  4. Very nice and trim. Our pugs are actually a good weight but often look a bit bigger due to the pug build our vet is always happy ours are thin, so many people let their pets get huge

    urban hounds

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    1. It is rare to see pugs of a nice weight! They are kind of barrel shaped in build, but there is a such thing a as a fit pug.

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  5. We are going to show it off cause we are proud of it!
    Snorts,
    Benny & Lily

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  6. Elka looks magnificent...for a Greyhound. ;) I can't believe someone actually thought that!! She's an excellent example of a Doberman with no room for error if I ever saw one!

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    1. I am frequently perplexed by what people don't know about dog breeds. I mean, Dobermans are kind of one of those iconic ones; it's why they're so often villains in things, people know what they are! Ah well, I guess not everybody can be dog nuts.

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  7. Elka is a flawless greyhound! I've never seen those colours on a greyhound. Definitely makes her more unique ;)

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    1. Hah, I know, right? She's a sooper rare one ;)


      (truth be told, I don't know what colors greyhounds come in. But I daresay black and rust isn't one of them)

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  8. Elka is looking great! Thank you for participating in the campaign!

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    1. Thanks for running the campaign! I think it's a good and worthy cause.

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  9. A greyhound? Really?

    I think that it can be hard to tell weight from a photo. Sometimes it depends on how the dog is standing. I usually feel my dogs to check weight. :)

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    1. A greyhound, and more than once. Totally bizarre.

      A lot can affect getting an accurate visual (and her occasional roaching and too-long croup don't really help). I can feel Elka's ribs and spine just enough!

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  10. I'm glad to see you joining in on the campaign! I have always thought that Elka looks fantastic. Bunny is being gracious and exercising me every day, even though she has a perfect figure! *sigh*

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    1. Aw, thanks!

      I definitely need to let Elka influence my diet and exercise better. I worry more about her feeding and weight than mine (well, I worry about mine, but am less proactive....). But spring is almost here, right? Why do we do New Year's resolutions, anyway? It should be spring ones!

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  11. She looks great! I worry about their weight and their joints especially as they age. I want them to be happy, healthy and enjoy themselves as much as possible.

    Keep up the good work. :-)

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  12. She looks wonderful and athletic. Sampson is the same, too tall and a tad skinny, in fact he has lost a kilo lately, I can't seem to keep his weight on :(

    Slobbers

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