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Doxie fitness

J

jerrymg

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Feb 17, 2013
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Hi everyone
New to this site. I don't have dog but my grand daughter has a cute doxie.
My question is what is the biggest mistake Dachshund owners make when
it comes to fitness?
 
I think the biggest mistake is that they don't. lol
Many dachshunds I've seen need to lose weight, and that's very hard on their long backs which are already prone to spinal cord injury.

Very important is that there's no jumping off of stuff! A little ramp or stool for the couch for them, block off stairs so they don't go down. We had a couple of steps to our back door and our Basil often mistepped and slid down them and scraped his belly. It would have been very bad if he had done that on a flight of stairs. We kept the stairs blocked off and carried him up and down.

Hope your granddaughter has time to come by and join us, post pics! It's very exciting to get your first doxie!
 
Thank you Penny. I will pass this info on to my granddaughter.
 
I would say the same - lack of exercise is most common.

To warm up before all activities (even hard play) is important especially if its cold outside. Where we live we have winter for 4 months and we dont let them play outside in the cold for too long, and always warm up with a fast walk or something.
 
When you have an adult, the correct weight can vary because dachshunds can be 8 lbs or go up to 35 lbs. The best weight for your dog is when there is a waistline. The chest will come down, then the waist should rise and tuck up.

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If your adult dog looks like a tube, they are too chubby.

The chest takes some time to drop so in the first year they will look like a tube, and that's ok.

It's better for adult dogs not to be free fed. Dachshunds have a tendency to eat as much as you give them, so measuring kibble is very important. Treats don't have to be store bought, they will enjoy things like apple, strawberries, carrots etc, and those things are good for them. Store bought treats can have a lot of fat and calories so better not to get into that habit. There has been a lot of recalls on those treats too, just avoid them from the start.
 
Doxie weight

Penny, thank you so much for this post! It's helpful to have a visual! Will you clarify what you mean by "free fed"?
 
I agree,

I also see way to many Dachshunds overweight. And I'm guilty of this too. My Doxies sit up and as cute as it may be its really hard on there backs.

Matthew Plummer
{Kansas City, Mo.}
 
Free fed is putting kibble in a bowl on the floor and leaving it for the day.
It's better for bathroom habits too to feed them their measured portion, take out to potty. If they free feed during the day, the potty schedule isn't as predictable.

Free feeding often means they have access to more food than they need because the bowl gets 'topped up'. Although some breeds are fine with this, usually dachshunds aren't. lol
 
I abhor free feeding, and do my best to convince everyone to not do it! not only is it bad for weight control (over and under) but it's extremely hard on training. I train with food, so I need to know when my dogs are hungry, how much to give them, and, because food is so important to them (I've made my dogs food-hounds) I can use plain kibble for training treats, and I don't have to give them expensive treats! LOL
 
And Penny, I keep mine even skinnier than that :) I'm obsessed with keeping my Doxies thin :)
 
DeafDogs said:
I train with food, so I need to know when my dogs are hungry, how much to give them, and, because food is so important to them (I've made my dogs food-hounds) I can use plain kibble for training treats, and I don't have to give them expensive treats! LOL
Click to expand...

Very smart.
I use their own kibble too but it was because the first doxie I had was on a hypo-allergenic diet so right away we couldn't give the treats that most pet owners are so accustomed to. Fruit and veggies are so good for them so that was my thing to grab, with their kibble. It's nice when the dog is lean and they are very 'able', and not so sluggish. I could take a few pointers from them!
 
DeafDogs said:
And Penny, I keep mine even skinnier than that :) I'm obsessed with keeping my Doxies thin :)
Click to expand...

Sounds good. My 2 have been leaner than the photos but they get more yard time in the summer so it's difficult figuring out how much to increase their food and decrease in the fall. It's a balancing act.

Could you take a side view of your babies and post? I would love to see some lean mean bunny machines. lol
 
Well, I could, but I don't have a computer right now (I'm using the library's computers for awhile) But I could see if I could borrow a friend's computer to post pics.

Boo was overweight when I adopted him, so it took awhile to get down to "fightin' trim" But he's perfect now :)
 
ok here's side, and top views of my little munchkins... however the photos aren't great at showing how skinny Boo is, due to his funny coat pattern on his side....

Boo side view
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and top view
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Mouse side view
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and top view
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and a bonus... feeding time at my house :)

Ready... Set...
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GO!
SarasCamera414_zps4de75af6.jpg
 
Very nice and lean, 'fightin' trim'. It's nice to see. They are lean from exercise, not from neglect, which some people might think. Georgia looks very much like that at the moment too and when they get exercise, you can feed them more too. I like that! lol

Thanks for posting for us.
 
actually, their a touch chubbier than usual right now... they cant go outside much LOL But there's a layer of fat over the ribs and spine, and hip bones are properly covered. Mouse has gotten way too skinny on me a couple of times, due to too much exercise, so I have to watch her carefully!
 
It is a balancing act over the course of a year. That's why the 'look them over from the side' test is best for regulating weight.
 
Sara, they are all adorable - and yes, Boo & Mouse are just perfect! I love the side and top down views. Will have to do that & post Bree's physique pics tomorrow. My little boy Bree is in great condition, too!! Of course he's only fifteen months old, but still...perfect form! :D
 
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