[nagdu] lots and lots of very overweight dogs.
Julie J.
julielj at neb.rr.com
Sun Jul 12 17:45:19 UTC 2015
A few things...
First, A dog turning gray is completely independent of their weight. Six
years is totally normal for a dog to show gray. Two of my dogs have started
turning gray at 4. One was 11 and never did have a gray hair and she was
actually the fat one.
About the being overweight thing...I honestly do not believe it's an issue
of education. Seriously even if you live in the hills, under a rock and
only get to town twice a year and have to use an outhouse, you know if you
eat too much and sit on your arse, you will get fat. Kindergarteners know
this stuff. We live in a society that is chronically overweight and
obsessed about it. It isn't an education issue. It is a motivation and
emotional issue.
People feed their dogs too much because they love their dogs. Yes, I
realize that's messed up. I said it was an emotional issue. You know your
dog loves food. You love your dog and want to make him happy, so you give
him a little extra or another biscuit or your pizza crust or whatever. He
loves it and that makes you happy. Everyone walks away with warm fuzzies.
Now isn't that nice? The consequences aren't immediate. It's a cumulative
effect, but by the time it's become a problem, it's also become a habit.
Then it becomes a motivation issue. You know it isn't healthy for your dog
to be overweight. You know you shouldn't feed him extra. You know you
should get out and walk that extra mile, but life gets in the way. Soon you
are right back into that same habit routine because it's what you've always
done and it makes you and the dog happy.
Food equals happy. No food equals no happy. That is our culture. Take a
second look at food commercials on TV. Even the dog food commercials are
selling happiness through food. It is such a fundamental part of our
culture, it isn't even something we consciously think about. It just is.
So maybe an educational seminar on nutrition and exercise would do some
good. Who knows? But perhaps showing people more healthy ways of
interacting and enjoying their dogs would be better.
Julie
Courage to Dare: A Blind Woman's Quest to Train her Own Guide Dog is now
available! Get the book here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXZSMOC
-----Original Message-----
From: Vivianna via nagdu
Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2015 12:06 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Vivianna
Subject: Re: [nagdu] lots and lots of very overweight dogs.
one man had a dog there, he was bragging that the dog weighed 102 pounds.
so, i asked if i could look at his dog. then i said, your dog is
overweight. he said, yeah, i know.
this dog is only 7 years old and already slowing down greatly. i was told
that his muzzle is completely gray.
my dog is 6 and, i hope to keep working her for several more years.
and, no, i was not sneaking around feeling everybody’s dogs. i asked to
look at the 102 dog, i asked to look at someone’s harness, i was asked to
teach someone something and felt the dog. then, i asked some sighted folks
to look around for me.
but, i am completely aware that most folks don’t want to hear that they are
making their dogs unwell.
Vivianna
> On Jul 12, 2015, at 11:57 AM, Becky Frankeberger via nagdu
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Thank you Viviana, and Raven, right on gals. I was in a wheelchair for a
> while so was up close to several dogs five years ago at a blindness
> Convention. A fat labby got between me and my guide. Folks she was easily
> able to put a dinner plate on the dog's back this little dog was so
> incredibly obese. I looked up and the lady wasn't fat who had this little
> piggy on a leash. Hey I was ready to take the dog from her I was so
> outraged. After we untangled and several people were grumping at us for
> holding up the line, she went one way and I went the other. But oh I never
> forgot how bad that dog looked. Wonder if her school reps were there and
> rolling their eyes at her. Hopefully one of those reps took her aside and
> educated her.
>
> Let's myth bust. Dogs who get spade or neutered aren't destined to gain
> weight. That is a total myth lie, something some sighted person told you
> to pat you on the head. You control the food cup. You control the exercise
> routine. You control medical care. It is you who needs educated. So yes I
> beg NAGDU to get serious and have several articles in your magazine. I
> also beg you all have instructors at convention give a seminar and you go
> to those instructors and ask them. teach how to keep your dog's slim and
> trim, so both can work as a team.
>
> I had a fat dog, my first. I know what fat is. My vet pat me on the head
> and I was so dumb I didn't realize it. Fed him a cup and a half a day.
> Walked him every day.
>
> So stand up handlers and face the facts.
>
> Becky and slender golden Jake
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Raven Tolliver
> via nagdu
> Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2015 11:49 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Raven Tolliver
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] lots and lots of very overweight dogs.
>
> Vivianna,
> I agree, the number of overweight guide dogs is very saddening. NAGDU
> should put on a presentation about canine weight control, or ask one of
> the schools to do it. The schools seem to be very assertive and adamantly
> opposed to overweight guides, so a guide dog program should be more than
> happy to put on a presentation or conference call about weight control.
>
> I lived with a woman whose guide dog is horribly overweight. I mean, her
> dog's target weight is 58 lbs, and she weighed about 70 lbs. I told her
> the dog might have a thyroid problem. And I also told her to stop feeding
> her dog all the treats and doggie-friendly muffins and breads. What is the
> point of that crap? She said that her dog just loves food, and immediately
> jumped to, "Well, I can't afford the testing." That was untrue for a
> period of time, and that is all I will say about that.
>
> So two problems should be tackled:
> 1. I don't think people know what their options are with testing or
> alternative approaches to reducing weight.
> 2. I also think some people show their dogs love and appreciation by
> feeding them goodies to their detriment. People don't know what
> constitutes healthy or appropriate dog treats, or even what is an
> excessive amount of treats.
>
> The schools should have no problem talking about the issues of recognizing
> weight gain, the health challenges caused by excessive weight gain,
> options for testing and reducing weight, appropriate exercise routines,
> and appropriate type and amounts of treats. They cover it at schools, so
> they can take it to the streets.
>
> I think weight gain is so prevalent now that it is the norm. It's normal
> to be fat and sick. That was not polite or diplomatic, but that is the
> truth. If people were encouraged to and taught how to educate themselves,
> they could research and understand how to get off those meds that cause
> weight gain, or ditch that diet that is only fueling the fire brought on
> by weight gain, and adopting proper diets that help the body heal itself
> and throw off the extra weight. Also, people spend way too much time on
> their butts, and in turn, dogs do too.
> The hot new thing to say is that sitting is the new smoking. And it really
> is. People want to eat large servings of food, snack all day, and feed
> their dogs the diet of an active dog, while they do little activity each
> day. Then people want to give their dog all these baked goods, chips,
> cookies, and extra canine crunchies, and just don't care that their dog is
> overweight. Someone should let people know that food intake should
> decrease with activity level.
>
> Some guide dog schools will take the dog back for being overweight.
> They usually try to work with the client, providing them with information
> on exercise and diet for a period. If their efforts are ineffective or not
> adopted, then they will take the dog back, get the weight off, and
> consider returning the dog to the graduate, or just return it if this is a
> first time offense, so to speak.
>
> There are a number of reasons why many people and their pets are
> overweight. That doesn't mean we shouldn't say something about it, point
> it out, and actively promote and circulate ideas to stop this state of
> ill-health. Too many people say live and let live. I can say that so long
> as people aren't negatively affecting those around them and the ones they
> take care of, but that's not the case here. This is not an occasion to
> pity, explain, or justify, this is an opportunity to educate. The first
> step to dealing with a problem is pointing it out. If people feel that
> that is being critical, offensive, or rude, that is unfortunate that they
> are missing the over-arcing issue at hand. Vivianna was not measuring
> people's dogs, and she didn't rudely approach anyone and accost them about
> their dog's weight, according to her post. She is just showing that she
> was disturbed by the abundance of overweight guides at convention, and
> understandably so. It is also good that she is posing a solution rather
> than solely focusing on the problem.
> --
> Raven
> Founder of 1AM Editing & Research
> www.1am-editing.com
>
> You are valuable because of your potential, not because of what you have
> or what you do.
>
> Naturally-reared guide dogs
> https://groups.google.com/d/forum/nrguidedogs
>
> On 7/11/15, Tami Jarvis via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Well, if I were at a convention, I would hope other handlers wouldn't
>> be feeling up my dog! With Mitzi, I was fairly casual about letting
>> people interact with her, compared to a lot of handlers I know, but
>> that didn't involve poking her ribs! Muscle weighs more than fat, so
>> now that she's retired and not as active in general, she weighs less
>> than she did at her youthful ideal fitness level but is a bit pudgy. I
>> can still tell she has ribs, but I need to do better at being sure she
>> gets exercise.
>> Even when she was perfectly fit, people would ask if she was getting
>> fat when her coat was grown out, especially if I had just done a real
>> thorough brushing. Then I would get her to a groomer and she would
>> look as trim as she was, at least for a couple of weeks. /lol/ Loki is
>> a gangly adolescent, so to people who miss the obvious signs of
>> puppyhood, it probably looks like I'm starving him even when he's
>> fluffy. /shrug/
>>
>> There do seem to be a lot of guides on regular medication these days,
>> and some of those meds can cause weight gain. Turns out a lot of blind
>> people have additional issues requiring medications which cause weight
>> gain, too, even though they and their dogs get tons of exercise and
>> eat healthy diets. That's true of the able-bodied population, too, as
>> are variations of metabolism without other influences.
>>
>> Meanwhile, even an observer with good vision couldn't make an accurate
>> evaluation of a group of dogs with varying coat thickness, muscle
>> density, build, age and gender. To decide there's a plague of obesity
>> due to negligence would require getting case histories, lists of
>> medications, and a bunch of other information even once you've
>> determined a given dog is carrying excess fat. Maybe there are
>> handlers out there who will volunteer that sort of information to
>> someone met at convention. Hi, how's it going, my dog is supposed to
>> weigh 72 pounds but weighs 92 pounds, what about those Mets...
>>
>> Anything I've read lately talks about BMI (body mass index) and
>> dismisses weight as a general indicator of whether the dog is properly
>> fed and fit. Of course, I've mostly been looking for information about
>> growing puppies, so that may have something to do with it. If you know
>> your adult dog's weight when it's at a good BMI, then you know the
>> weight range that is healthy for your dog. That will be consistent
>> during the dog's prime barring other health factors.
>>
>> I'm sure there are handlers out there who simply overfeed their guides
>> and don't get them enough exercise. Programs that routinely track
>> weights and other health factors might provide statistical data
>> showing whether or not there's an epidemic of overfed, underexercised
>> dogs in the populations they track. I would bet the programs include
>> education about the health risks associated with obesity. Which is not
>> to say more education wouldn't be both useful and interesting, and it
>> may inspire a lax handler or two to do better with their dogs' weight
>> management.
>>
>> Meanwhile, I sincerely hope there doesn't get to be an epidemic of
>> handlers checking out all the dogs to find out if they're fat or fluffy.
>>
>> Tami
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 07/11/2015 11:59 AM, The Pawpower Pack via nagdu wrote:
>>> Valerie,
>>> Very well said. I think it's most important to mind our own business.
>>> None of us is perfect and I personally prefer to work on my own
>>> issues or my dogs than to point fingers at other teams.
>>> I was not at the convention and anyway I can't see well enough to
>>> know if a dog is fat unless I touch them.
>>> There could be reasons for a dog being overweight. Thyroid disease
>>> is very common among labs and goldens. Some dogs are very fluffy,
>>> and the fur can look like fat. Some dogs, like my Soleil, are extremely
>>> musculer.
>>> I think it's good to have perhaps a presentation or discussion round
>>> table from handlers with different lifestyles.
>>> For example an active handler who walks miles daily, a handler which
>>> is less active and maybe a person who only goes for leasure walks or
>>> with a sighted person in the car. It would help people perhaps get
>>> ideas about ways to work and exercise their dogs to keep mind and body
>>> healthy.
>>> As for the rate of blind people being overweight, once again, that's
>>> not my business. It's pretty objectifying if you are looking at
>>> people and making judgements about their physical wellbeing. Weight
>>> is a very personal issue, and a person's weight does not determine
>>> their physical health.
>>> If people would like to become healthier, that's their decision and I
>>> know the federation has workshops on exercises or sports you can do
>>> if there is interest.
>>> And yes, programs, I'm especially thinking of GEB here, have taken
>>> dogs back because of being overweight.
>>>
>>>
>>> Rox and the kitchen Bitches:
>>> Mill'E, Laveau, Soleil
>>> Pawpower4me at gmail.com
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>>> On Jul 11, 2015, at 1:11 PM, Valerie Gibson via nagdu
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hello,
>>>>
>>>> First allow me to say that i believe your post was a bit ill worded
>>>> and came across as somewhat rude. The person(s) that you spoke of
>>>> are probably on this list, and many people get touchy when you
>>>> criticize them or their dogs like that.
>>>>
>>>> That being said, I understand where you're coming from, though I may
>>>> have worded it a bit more gently. To me, your post is just
>>>> screaming offensive, which might put people's guards up.
>>>>
>>>> I have a question for you though.
>>>>
>>>> Did you talk to the owners of the dogs in question privately? You
>>>> want the NAGDU to say something at next convention, but what about
>>>> us on an individual basis?
>>>>
>>>> The truth is obesity is a very sad and common problem among dogs,
>>>> and not just the guide dogs. One would think that guide dogs should
>>>> suffer from it less because they are supposed to be more active than
>>>> the average pet.
>>>>
>>>> Therefore I believe the more relivent question is, how often are
>>>> people working their dogs or giving their dogs adequate exersize,
>>>> which would cut down on obesity?
>>>>
>>>> Another thing, you don't "know" how much an individual dog should
>>>> weigh.
>>>> There is a breed average, but some dogs fall above or below that.
>>>> My akita is rather large for his breed, so to say he's overweight
>>>> would be highly offensive to me.
>>>>
>>>> If you're going by the method of looking at the ribs of the dog to
>>>> determine obesity, that's at least better.
>>>>
>>>> I know i'm stating something that everyone on here should know, and
>>>> maybe i'm the only one who had hackles raised after reading this,
>>>> but unless you talked with these owners of overweight dogs
>>>> personally, privately and with care and concern, I see no point in
>>>> going on a public list to point the finger at people who have
>>>> overweight dogs. We all may not know of whom you speak, but perhaps
>>>> the people with dogs remember you, and they might be wondering if
>>>> you've just insulted them.
>>>>
>>>> If I appear more defensive than is warranted, my apologies. I'm
>>>> running on hardly any sleep in the past two weeks. Perhaps I
>>>> misinterpreted your message.
>>>>
>>>> I do understand your annoyance with overweight dogs and guide dogs
>>>> who hardly work at all. I mean, what's the point of a guide dog if
>>>> the dog is not being used and is gaining more weight than is
>>>> healthy? At the end of the day, a dog is a dog, and if you are, for
>>>> some reason unable to work your dog, I'm sure you can gt a family
>>>> member/friend/serivce to walk your dog for at least 20 minutes out
>>>> of the day. But I'd say that for any dog, not just for guide dogs.
>>>>
>>>> Personally I don't think NAGDU should go out of it's way to step in
>>>> for something that is basic dog ownership because as I've said, this
>>>> is not a guide dog thing; it's a dog thing.
>>>>
>>>> I'm done rambling for now.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> On Jul 11, 2015, at 10:52 AM, Vivianna via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> hi all,
>>>>> well, i just got back from the national convention. i have to say
>>>>> that there were lots of extremely overweight dogs there. don’t
>>>>> people know that this is the worst thing that you can do to your dog?
>>>>> i am sure no school takes away dogs due to their weight or, they
>>>>> would have had to bring busloads of crates to take away all of
>>>>> those poor dogs.
>>>>> if your dog should weigh 70 pounds, for example, but, he weighs 92
>>>>> pounds and feels like a bowl of jelly, he certainly is not a
>>>>> healthy dog and, most likely he is not being worked very much either.
>>>>> i saw a woman feeding her dog potato chips during general session.
>>>>> maybe NAGDU should have someone speak about the dangers of being
>>>>> fat next year? not sure it will do any good, but, i would go listen.
>>>>> kevin wurly from WE fitness also said that, the blindness community
>>>>> has the highest percentage of overweight people of any group of
>>>>> people, 90 percent of blind folks are overweight.
>>>>> very interesting.
>>>>> regarding the ownership of your dog. i, frankly, don’t think any
>>>>> school will take a dog because it’s overweight.
>>>>> i actually called animal control on my neighbors and, they told me
>>>>> that they could not do anything unless the dog has no food, water
>>>>> and shelter.
>>>>> in this particular case, the dog had none of the above but, they
>>>>> still did nothing and, the neighbors still have the dog.
>>>>> unfortunately, if someone really wants to abuse their dog, they
>>>>> will be able to do it. all we can do is try and educate folks and
>>>>> hope they are nice responsible people.
>>>>>
>>>>> Vivianna
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
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