Keep the Peanut Butter Dog Treats Away from Overweight Dogs
Michalis 'BIG Mike' Kotzakolios
Kotzakoliou, SSA

Over half of the population of the United States is considered overweight. Unfortunately, the problem doesn't stop there. For many people, the problem extends to their dogs. Well-intentioned owners who like to indulge their pets with snacks such as peanut butter dog treats often have a hard time saying no to Rover. To complicate matters, the dog has figured out how to get you to hand out peanut butter dog treats. As the dog's master, it is important not to succumb to his attempts at peer pressure. Giving in is doubly harmful - the peanut butter dog treats make him fat while you end up being dominated by the dog. If you have a dog that has a dominant disposition, he can use his dominance at treat time and carry it into other areas as well.

Instead of peanut butter dog treats, try feeding your dog popcorn, raw carrots, pretzels, or even fruit. Leave the calorically-dense peanut butter on the shelf. Also, never feed your dog people food such as ice cream, cake, French fries, doughnuts, pastries, pizza, and other rich and sugary food. It might take a little work to get him to stop the treat-begging routine, and it might take you a little while to get used to saying no. To make things easier, have the dog sit in the corner or in his crate whenever you handle food. That includes food preparation, meal time, and post-meal clean up. It is much easier not to have him in the same vicinity as the food than to try to use will power to resist your temptation to feed and his temptation to beg.

For more advanced cases, you will have to dog-proof your house, almost like child-proofing it. However, instead of trying to keep them safe from exposed electrical outlets, you want to keep them safe from exposed food. Never leave food out on the table or on the counter. Make sure that the trash can is hidden or secured. If you have children, keep an eye on Junior to make sure he doesn't feed the dog.