Ah, the ripe old age of 49 weeks! When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight for your dog at this point, it's all about finding the right balance. Just like us humans, some pups may experience a growth spurt around this age, while others may start to slow down a bit.
Keep an eye on your dog's body condition and adjust their diet accordingly. And remember, a little extra chub may look cute, but we want to make sure they're in tip-top shape for chasing squirrels and playing fetch. Even a little extra weight can put them at greater risk of developing health issues.
So, keep up with being active, and don't be afraid to consult your vet for expert guidance on portion control and appropriate exercise. Together, you'll keep your pup healthy, happy, and ready for whatever adventures lie ahead!
This week's focus:
Preventing excessive scavenging
How to train your dog to do anything in 4 steps
How many treats you can give your dog while training
How much and how often to feed your dog
When to switch to adult food
How often to clean your dog's toys, and more
How to Slow Down Your Dog's Fast Eating
Does your dog do their best Hoover impression when you put their meal down? Skip chewing and just inhale?
Slow down their eating by using slow-feeder bowls, using their meals for training time, or mixing their food with wet food or water and then freezing it in a stuffable toy to encourage licking instead of snarfing it down super fast.
While it is normal for dogs to explore the world using their mouths, it can become a big problem if they decide that they need to actually swallow those things. Dogs are natural scavengers, but scavenging can become obsessive.
Some dogs even suffer from Pica, where they compulsively seek out and ingest non-food items in the environment. This can be risky, as some things can be toxic or cause blockages – which get pricey to resolve at the vet!
One of the first things to do if you notice obsessive eating or scavenging behavior in your dog is to connect with your veterinarian to rule out medical issues (like Pica) and start to muzzle train them using a basket muzzle with a specific front-guard to prevent ingestion of things they may find.
You've likely got a good start on the basic training skills like Sit, Down, and Stay. Nice work! So, how do you take training to the next level?
Here's a dog trainer secret – you can teach anything by following the same steps. Just plug the new behavior into the "equation" (you may have to think through certain unique challenges of each behavior), and you're good to go!
Here's a basic breakdown of what it looks like: 1) Wait for or encourage the behavior to happen.
2) Reinforce and repeat.
3) When the behavior is happening consistently, and your dog understands that it's what is getting the reward, add in the verbal cue! 4) Start practicing in different places to generalize.
There it is! Who knew dog training was actually that easy?
Treats are usually the most powerful training tool to use to your advantage, but you don't want a super well-trained dog who is also super fat! When you're first training a new skill or practicing around distractions, you'll find that you're using quite a few treats. More than veterinarians would typically recommend in a day.
To balance this out, use healthier or low-calorie treats like fruit or veggies that are known to be non-toxic for dogs. Or, if your dog will work for kibble, mix that in with higher-value treats so it gets the "essence" of those turkey hot dogs on it too.
Reduce your dog's normal meal amount when doing lots of training to lower total daily calorie intake. But be careful that their whole diet doesn't consist of training treats – they need a balanced diet, which comes from their regular food.
There are many factors, such as age, sex, activity level, and type of food, that determine how much to feed your dog. It can be quite confusing to figure out how many calories your pup actually needs. The directions on the dog food bag are a 'guideline' and not an absolute. In fact, they're based on the higher metabolism of an unneutered male...which may not be what your dog needs.
You can start feeding your dog with that suggested food amount and then adjust the volume up or down based on what you see in their weight and body condition. It is always important to accurately measure or weigh your dog's food at each feeding. Plus, it's best to divide your dog's total food for the day into at least two meals.
The time to switch to adult food depends on your dog's breed. Toy and small breed dogs (less than 20 pounds) reach their mature size around 10 to 12 months and can be gradually switched to adult food at that age. Compared to large and giant breed dogs (those between 50 and 100+ pounds), who can take 18 months to 2 years to reach maturity.
It is best to consult with your veterinarian as to when the best time to switch to adult food would be for your dog. And you don't want to just suddenly switch up your dog's food! That's asking for upset tummies and diarrhea. Changes in diet should be done gradually over a week-long period (possibly longer for dogs with sensitive stomachs). For example:
While free feeding is considered by many pet owners as convenient and beneficial for several reasons, the majority of veterinarians and dog training professionals agree that scheduled meals are better than letting a dog graze throughout the day.
Letting your dog eat from a constantly full bowl can make managing calories tricky, which can result in weight gain. It can also cause some behavior issues, such as stress or resource guarding in multi-dog households, and makes potty training more difficult. Allowing your dog to free feed makes it difficult to recognize changes in eating and chewing habits, which can indicate a wide variety of problems.
When dogs are receiving medications, it is often recommended that medications be given at a set interval of time on a full stomach of food. This isn’t necessarily possible when dogs free feed.
Switching from free feeding to scheduled meals is as easy as determining how much food your dog should eat each day and then dividing that amount up into two (or three, depending on your pup's age) portions to be fed throughout the day.
Staying active isn't just about the ho-hum walk around the block each day. Try out different dog sports to see what your dog enjoys the most. Not only is this great enrichment for them and a way to meet their instinctual needs, but it can be super fun for you too!
There are lots of dog sports to choose from, from more independent options for your dog like nose work to the closer teamwork needed for agility or Rally. Does your dog love water? Check out dock diving. More of a digger? Try out Earth Dog. An easy-start sport like Fast CAT is a perfect match for dogs who love to run. There's an option for every dog!
And dog sports aren't limited to just young and athletic dogs. Nose work can be great for senior dogs, as you can see in this photo of 13-year-old Sookie, a Preventive Vet office pup practicing her nose work class:
When dog toys are not routinely and properly cleaned, they can harbor harmful germs, bacteria, viruses, fungus, mold, and mildew. Eeew! No wonder they are among the top 10 germiest items in the home per NSF International (National Sanitation Foundation).
It is a good idea to give them a good cleaning AT LEAST once a month. But in an ideal world, weekly cleaning is better. The type of toy determines the best way to clean them.
Having plants and flowers both indoors and outdoors not only helps boost your mood but also helps keep your air clean and lots of other benefits. However, many plants can be toxic to dogs. Instead of trying to research all of the plants you have to stay away from, sometimes it’s easier to have a list of beautiful pet-safe flowers to guide you into what you actually can let your dog get near, both inside or outside of your home.
We've reviewed products for safety, efficacy, and durability. What we recommend is veterinary and behavior-approved.
Best Choices for Dog Treats
With pet individuality in mind, we explore what sorts of treats are ideal for dogs – treats that are pretty good, treats to avoid, best treats for puppies, and best treats for senior dogs.
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