My dog has had a hurt leg for the past couple of months. the vet said it would get better, but it has stayed about the same, sometimes a little worse to where she limps. she is a little overweight, but refuses to take walks. i think that a big problem is that she continues to crouch down and crawl under the bed, but my parents won't keep her from going under there. we are going to be taking her back to the vets soon. i'm just hoping she doesn't need a hip replacement
Dogs being overweight is VERY bad for their health. They don't have joints that can handle it. Dogs need long and frequent walks. I take my dog out everyday with her backpack on, it keeps her in shape and healthy.
yea i know but she refuses to go for walks. she is very anxious, and the slightest noise could scare her out of a walk. she has lost a little weight over the past 2 months, but it is hard to get her to exercise
Why is she so scared? My dog got hit by a truck and broke two legs but with constant work shes fine now. Shes only scared because you expect her to be, it's not easy to do it everyday, but its better.
Ever watch the "Dog Whisperer"? Make a point of it. You can also buy his DVD's at Walmart and other places. I suspect your family is feeding her this nervous energy. You need to be the pack leader and lead the way. Take her out in the car, put a leash on her and go for a walk in strange surroundings. She will most likely look to you for protection and to guide her at this point. SHORT leash, keep her right by your side no matter what. Be regular with this. Maybe offer a treat at the end of the walk as a reward. Dogs need incentive. They don't understand your concerns about being healthy. Be the pack leader. But take her back to the vet first to make sure she can do the walks. x
I have found that every journey with a dog is best started with small steps first and as they build self confidence derived from you, their guardian, they improve with every moment in your caring presence. A great option that has worked for me with my older dogs is gently massaging them before going out to walk or play. The most important thing with an overweight dog is to measure their daily amount of food and reduce their number of treats. I hope your dog is doing better each and every day!
