The Heavy Truth About Program Puppy and Working Dog Weight Gain

It’s a delicate situation. A volunteer puppy raiser or program graduate comes in for a visit, proud to report the most recent accomplishments, and as part of the conversation, you find yourself needing to bring up the “F-word.”

The dog is fat.

Nobody likes to talk about weight gain. Taboo or not, it’s important to help puppy raisers and graduates better understand the importance of keeping the dogs in their care, and dutifully working at their side, at a healthy weight.

Make Risks Known.

A 2019 study published in the Journal of Veterinary Medicine found the average lifespan of overweight dogs was up to 2.5 years shorter.  While that may not outwardly affect the dog until into its retirement years, obesity puts program dogs at plenty of risk for potentially career-ending issues such as bone, joint and ligament issues, heart disease, skin disease and anesthesia complications. 

Overweight Dogs are Disadvantaged in Training.

One consideration puppy raisers may overlook is the reality that an overweight dog will struggle in formal training. In a guide dog program, overweight dogs can lack the endurance necessary to drive into the harness and maintain pace when working. Regardless of the skills being trained, trainers of obese dogs will be somewhat limited in their ability to use food to reinforce an overweight dog, potentially slowing the dog’s progress. Bringing this fact to light can help puppy raisers be more mindful of preventing or reversing weight gain.

Help Raisers and Clients “Get Real” About their Dogs’ Body Weight.

Help puppy raisers and clients understand that maintaining a healthy body weight is just as important as consistently dosing preventatives, keeping on track with vaccines, and attending to any other medical conditions.  Make a habit of body-scoring program dogs at every opportunity – when they visit your facility and when staff meets with raisers or clients for training check-ins. If your puppy raisers gather monthly for regional group meetings, teach them to properly body score their dogs and require them to track results. Make body score as much a part of the conversation as how things are going with loose-leash walking, house manners and settling. It’s easy to overlook the pounds piling on, especially when many pet Labradors look more like Flabradors and society is used to seeing “thick” Labs. A literal hands-on approach can help keep raisers and clients accountable.

Teach Raisers and Clients about “Sneaky Calories.”

In many cultures, food is love and it’s easy to extend that mentality into dealing with our animal friends.  A bully stick here, a rolled rawhide there, a little peanut butter in a stuffed Kong toy… how bad can it be? Well, Best Bully Sticks estimates a 12” bully stick contains about 150 calories, depending on thickness. The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University estimates a rawhide chew that’s about 2 inches by 6 inches and about an eighth of an inch thick is between 50-100 calories. A tablespoon of peanut butter is about 95 calories.  If raisers and clients are relying on special chews and treats to help create “quiet time” with busy puppies and active dogs, or as a show of affection on top of feeding full meals and training treats, they’re likely to find their dogs on the way from fit to flab. 

Help Puppy Raisers Create a Food Budget.

If it’s clear a puppy raiser is struggling with over-feeding a program dog, consider challenging them to portion out the dog’s daily ration at the start of the day. If they want to offer a special edible treat, they deduct a quarter of a cup from the total daily amount of kibble.  They are free to feed those kibble calories however they’d like – as meals in a bowl or by hand in training – but once the daily container is empty, the dog is done eating for the day. Just like a spending budget can help us get a handle on our finances, a food budget can help raisers better understand the dog’s caloric intake and how best to leverage those calories to meet the dog’s nutrition and training needs.

As uncomfortable as the discussion about weight can be, the dog’s health and wellbeing should always take priority. Gentle education is an important first line of defense when working with volunteers and clients. Maintaining program pups and working dogs at a healthy, lean weight is as important to a sustainable working career as teaching and maintain assistance dog skills.

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Stephanie Colman is the puppy program coordinator at Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines in Sylmar, Calif. With a background in non-profit communications, media relations, and dog training, she leverages her skills to raise awareness of the organization and its need for puppy raisers. She attends multiple community events each year, and never hesitates to produce a business card and ask, “Have you ever considered raising a service dog puppy?” as people notice the dog at her side or the logo on her shirt!

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