Weight Loss Tips For Dogs (and their people!)

Doga! All the benefits of Yoga, suppleness, flexibility and muscle toning and dogs can join in too. Take your dog with you on that journey for internal peace. You can both hold the ‘mountain’, ‘lotus’ or ‘cobra’ position, but don’t forget to warm up first .

An excellent work out for both human and dog is a good old ‘tug-o-war’. Although usually spontaneous, a five minute session will burn off as many calories as a brisk fifteen minute walk. Use an old rag or t-shirt and go for it. It is best if you crouch down to start with to avoid bending the back improperly. Your dog will love this one, but make sure you win, or you could be saddled with a very cocky young pup!

Short and often beats once a day. Walking the dog should never be a chore. Frequent, shorter walks are often more beneficial to you both than one long stroll a day. Bringing your heart rate up regularly, increases cardio-vascular fitness. A two minute jog completed by a five minute stroll four times a day will get results pretty sharpish.

Make minor diet adjustments. Replacing fizzy drinks with cordial will benefit a weight loss programme. Small changes that do not overhaul your lifestyle are easier to stick to. Changing an overweight dog’s portion size beats re-designing his whole diet plan.