Ok, so i have a 5 year old Beagle, who NEEDS to loose weight. Don't know quite how much yet because we can't get a weight off her yet our scales are broken! :/
She is overweight/obese and has been for a little while.
We are stopping the little tit bits durning the day.
Trouble is she is ALWAYS hungry and is SO greedy.
I have read and heard from Vets/Nurses of how tohelp her loose weight, but i was wondering if anyone has actually found anything particularly successful?
Any help would be very much apprieciated
Thanks!
xxxx

Like humans, it's all about the balance of diet and exercise. Feed her only her meals, measure her food so you know you're giving her the right amount and no more, and make sure you give her plenty of walks so she can burn the weight off.

I give mine light dog food, half the fat so they can have the same amount but less calories. Don't believe what it says on the bag, they don't need half what the manufacturers would tell you!

Thank you!
Yup, trouble is exercise if so difficult because if we let her off the lead she completley ignores us and because she is a Beagle she just walks us when we are out!
But we have a big garden so will try harder!

And as for the food, we are putting her on 'Chappie' as many Vets and Nurses reccommended it to me

Thank you!

To weigh her, your vet surgery should have scales you can use. They may even have a free/cheap weight clinic to advise you.

While my dogs have never been very over weight, there have been times Murphy has carried a little extra weight and currently Buffy is a shade heavier than she really should be. I've gotten away with just upping the exercise and using lower calorie treats.

You need to know the calorie intake your dog needs - this would be less for a spayed bitch than entire. Then feed her slightly less. Any treats count towards the daily calorie total. Weigh everything out in the morning then spread the food over the number of meals & training sessions she needs.

As mentioned, a lower calorie food may give her a bit more food for the number of calories she needs.

As important, if not more, is the exercise. Can she go off lead? (I know some beagles can't because their recall is extremely selective) If not, invest in a 'long line' or extender lead. This way she'll get all that running around dogs love without the risk of loosing her. If you have a partner/relative/friend who can walk with you, you could play scenting games with her. Hounds love to follow a scent. But an adult beagle is going to need a good couple of hours exercise a day anyway.


Just seen your latest post - Don't know why vets recommend Chappie As main stream foods go, it actually isn't the worst (apart from the flatulence!!!!!) But there are much better foods out there. Burns, Orijen, CSJ, even Wainrights. Actually Wainrights (Pets@home own brand) light may be a good choice - low cal and not too expensive.

And garden exercise is nothing compared to walking. Get an extender/long line and get her to some country parks/fields/woods. Unless you walk her seriously, she will never loose weight.

Bottom line, reduce her calorie intake and increase her exercise.

Beagles are notoriously greedy and will eat anything, my parents have some and they have even been known to eat cat poo from the litter tray if not caught soon enough *barfs* .

I know what you mean about the ignoring when off the lead too - it's said that the reason for Beagles ignoring commands is that they are so intelligent that they think that they know best and just think to themselves "yeah yeah, but I know better - just off to do this/look at something - I'll be with you in a minute" .
I've seen this many times, and it's so true .

Being that they are food driven what we do when letting the dogs off is show them their favourite treats in our hands and tell them that they can have them when they come back to the lead.
Then when we want them to come back we can call them and "biccie/treat"(whatever we have for them) and it does work - the scoundrels come racing back .

Hope this helps a bit, do let us know how you get on .

As stressmonkey said try some scenting games. If you have a friend or partner make up a scent bag and get them to go off dragging it behind them...even on a bike. Give them a 5 min head start and then get your dog to follow. If you are fit then run with your dog or use a bike yourself...as if your dog picks up the pace she will be burning more calories. When she catches up and finds the scent bag let her play with it, give plenty of praise and maybe a very small treat. She'll then look forward to the next time as she is doing what she should be doing...using her nose and finding something at the end of the trail.

Combined with a good diet she should be able to get back to her proper weight without too much problem.

get her a jogging machine - you can both use it then

Thank you so much for all of that, i have taken all of it into account.
No she can't really go off the lead unless we take her to a certain place, but it is always a risk because she rarely listens to us. She only listens to my Dad!

Thank you! I may well save this thread and post on here in months to come the results of her diet and exercise programme!
Thanks for all the advice it was helpful!

Thanks for all the help.
What exactly is a Scent bag?

Ha as a matter of fact we tried her on our one, but she didn't like that much!