31/07/2026
I'm about to ruffle some fur...!
If you stop reading halfway through because you don't like what I'm saying.....then maybe this post was written especially for you.
Have you heard your dog say- "No thanks, I'm watching my weight...! Hmm... NO... that's because it's YOUR job!
Your dog doesn't need another treat-bit!
Your dog needs a healthy weight. Healthy joints. A healthy heart. A healthy future.
Love isn't measured by how often you feed your dog.
It's measured by the difficult decisions you're willing to make for their long-term health.
Sometimes the kindest word your dog needs to hear is...
"No." ❤️🐾
Your dog will never choose its long-term health over another snack. That's your responsibility- not theirs.
They need us to make better decisions for them.
Here's the science...
Dogs are MEAL eaters- NOT GRAZERS.
The canine body was never designed for a constant supply of food.
It evolved to cope with cycles of eating, digesting and resting.
After a meal, the stomach secretes acid, digestive enzymes are released, the pancreas becomes active, hormones regulate nutrient absorption, and the body shifts into processing and storing energy.
Once digestion is complete, the body naturally enters a fasting period- a normal physiological state where it is no longer processing incoming food.
This rhythm of "feed, digest, rest" has been part of canine biology for thousands of years.
Yet today, many dogs rarely experience that natural cycle. Instead, they move from breakfast... to treats... to chews... to snacks... to dinner... with their digestive system repeatedly asked to respond to food throughout the day.
While modern dogs have adapted to life with humans, their bodies are still built for meals—not for a continual stream of calories.
They were never designed to have food pushed under their nose every hour because someone thought they 'looked' cute... or 'looked' hungry...
even the 'healthy- natural' treat..!!!
Then we wonder why so many dogs are overweight.
Here's the uncomfortable truth...
Your dog isn't opening the treat cupboard.
You are.
Those "little extras" that don't seem worth counting are often the very reason the scales keep creeping upwards.
To a 10kg dog, one treat isn't "just a snack." Relative to body size, it can be like a person eating several chocolate bars.
If you wouldn't feed your child six chocolate bars between breakfast and dinner... why do we think it's okay to do the canine equivalent to our dogs?
"But I use treats for training!". You may say..
Great!
Here's a simple way to train without adding extra calories.
Measure out your dog's entire daily food allowance first thing in the morning.
Instead of dipping into a bag of treats all day, use their own food as their training rewards.
If they earn it throughout the day.....they don't need a full bowl waiting for them that night.
No extra calories.
No guessing.
No accidental overfeeding.
Here's another thing I often suggest:
Most dogs are far more active during the day than they are overnight.
So rather than feeding a tiny breakfast and a huge dinner, consider whether your dog would benefit from having more of their daily food in the morning, when they're burning energy, and less in the evening, when they're settling down for the night.
The important thing isn't adding more food.
It's using the food they're already eating... more wisely.
For the love of your dog ❤️🐾
Ps...Of course, puppies, working dogs and dogs with certain medical conditions may have different nutritional needs.
This post is about the average healthy adult pet dog who receives a constant stream of unnecessary snacks throughout the day.
