Ideal Amount of Exercise / Weight Help

[ilovespirit]

Hello, I joined here a while ago, but have not been on in a while. I think this should go here, but sorry if it is in the wrong place.


So to start off, I have an almost 2 (turns 2 in February) male Golden Retriever named Spirit. This is my first dog (Well, that is mine alone) and I have trained him myself. I think (and of course I am by no means an expert) he has a normal energy level. He is currently around 82 pounds (or more ). He is slightly chubby and I think his ideal weight (where I felt he looked best and I could fell his ribs,but not see them) was at about 74 pounds. We have just moved over the summer (July-ish) and we now live in a small townhouse with no backyard, which we moved to from a large house with a huge backyard and pool.


Anyway, he is fed 2 and a half cups of food twice a day. We feed Eukenuba Large Breed Adult (He was just switched from Large Breed Puppy). We tried many food brands and he has a sensitive stomach so switching foods is not an option, but do you guys think this is an okay amount of food for him?


Now on to the exercise part of things, I try to take him for a walk every day and we occasionly take him to the dog park. I would like to know how much exercise he should be given a day to lose some weight and be in his best and ideal condition, because I love him and will do anything for him.


Now, if you finished that you get a cookie. Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[Moo]

FIVE cups a day for a Golden sounds like a lot, then again, Euk is a filler food, so that may be about right.

Just to site...

Originally Posted by RoughCollies

My NINETY POUND German Shepherd gets 2 1/2 cups of food a day....

How long is "a walk" for you?

Your dog will tell you when he has had enough excercise. Every dog is different, and dogs can definitely be conditioned to take more. An unfit dog will at first not be used to walking for long distances, but you can gradually work up the length & intensity of the activity.

My two pupplers.... A five and a half year old 15-pound he man, and a 23 month old nine-pound girly girl. Both have different tiring points. He can basically go forever, and she can go fast for short distances, or trek along at her pace for a longer walk. I have worked her up to walking up to 5-6 miles at a time. I have yet to find his breaking point, but I went on an hour and a half hilly hike with him, and he loved every second of it. Bascd on my walking speed, that was probably about 10 miles.

[agilitydog]

I agree about the amount. My 86 pound active lab gets 3 to 3 1/2 cups per day an we train several days a week, go for a few mile walk at least once a week and compete on weekends. And he still only gets 3 1/2 at most.

I would definitely cut his food back. There are many foods out there for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Don't rule out not changing his food. If he has been on Eukanuba his whole life, I would think you can't completely rule that food out as the cause of his weight either.

If he is no as active, a food that he will use better without as much filler, would probably be a better option. He will remain fuller without having to eat more

If you cut his food back and he seems to be starving, add green beans to his meal. Green beans are a great, heakthy filler that can fill your dogs up without adding any weight.

[FourIsCompany]

I would cut back on the treats, too, if he's getting any. They are usually pretty fattening. You can use his kibble for training treats, but subtract it from his daily ration.

If possible, get him to the dog park every day. Does he play? Fetch? Frisbee? Those would be great exercises, but work up to it.

My 83 lb GSD gets 4 cups a day of premium food and he exercises a LOT. I would cut your dog's food down 1/4 c a day and see how he does on that for a month. Then go down another 1/4 cup if he's not losing, so you're feeding 4 cups a day.

Plus 2-45 minute walks every day.

When you cut down on his food, he's going to think he's STARVING!! LOL But hang in there.

[sandvand]

Wow, my 70 pound lab gets 2 cups a day and he was called fat today at the indoor dog park!!!

[Maliraptor]

Well, my dogs eat a lot because I work them alot- but when I fed Eukanuba a few years back (The Performance not the Large Breed) my VERY large GSD maintained working weight and condition on 4 cups a day- so 5 cups for a sedentary dog does seem like a lot!

[groominglady]

I have a rule of thumb that if I want to reduce a dog's weight, I feed for 15% less than the weight I want and go from there. That is, if my dog is supposed to weigh 75 pounds and the package recmmends to feed 3 cups (per day) for a 75 pound dog and 2 1/2 cups (per day) for a 60 pound dog, I feed the 2 1/2 cups and see if my dog loses weight on that.

I wouldn't have an obese dog exercise with hard, pounding type exercise. The joints are already at risk with the extra weight. I would consider swimming for your dog, if you have access to a pond/pool. If not, I would walk one mile per day, increasing the distance by ten minute increments until your dog is walking three miles. You can break this up into multiple walks, of course. When your dog is close to an ideal weight, start jogging in 1 minute increments until you both can jog for a mile on top of a mile walk. Goldens have boundless energy, so this is a good baseline. Your particular dog might need more exercise.

My toy dogs walk/trot for a mile or two at a time, and are quite happy with that. Moo's dogs are nuts...

[Moo]

Originally Posted by groominglady

My toy dogs walk/trot for a mile or two at a time, and are quite happy with that. Moo's dogs are nuts...

Guilty, as charged, and love every bit of it- but not based on excercise capacity.

To cover five miles, an average person only has to walk for about an hour give or take. Granted Holly has tiny legs, and is long in the back, so she has a reason to get tired faster.

[Bclover92]

My 90 pound Golden (he is very tall), gets 4 cups a day. Somedays by his choice he only eats one meal. He doesnt get a ton of excersize(we are working on getting him more now) but he is nowhere near fat. He gets fed Chicken soup for the dog lovers soul. He also has a VERY sensitive stomach. My border collie does too and he does fine on innova, he also did good on the chicken soup. My 40 pound Border gets about a cup and a half a day. He is slowly getting his food cut back though cause he is putting on some pounds he doesnt need as a working/active dog.

I am acctually watching a show right now abotu fat pets and it needs to be controlled now. These dogs and cats are litterally dying because of the extra pounds. I know your dog isnt to that point but it can get there fast. I would say cut back to 2 cups twice a day then see if it needs to be cut back anymore. Also start walking at least 2 30 minute walks a day. Or one 45 minute walk and trip to the park.

If you need you can feed carrots as a treat. They fill him up without adding pounds.