My dog is overweight. I have another dog and they both have the same parents, but different litters. Each litter had about 4 bigger dogs and 4 smaller dogs. The first one we got was a runt, she doesn't eat much, just nibbles throughout the day. We left food out almost 24/7 cause it wasn't a problem.
Then we got our fat dog. She was chubby from day one. I shouldn't have expected her to be like our first one, but she does nibble throughout the day. I was thinking she was maybe naturally going to carry a bit of extra weight, but now she is at least 10 lbs overweight. She would like to get up at night and eat.
So we took up the food, only leaving it down for a period of time in the day. We stop feeding fatty treats, got more healthier, vet recommended treats and some baby carrots. We started longer walks as well, much more exercise.
Even as a puppy she was lazy; she spent most of her time sleeping. She was never very active; she never wants to play fetch and while my other dog will play chase with you, she doesn't.
Well it seems she is getting fatter! Can a dog just naturally be bigger, like humans are bigger boned? Is it as simple as less food and more exercise, or is there anything else I can do? She gets regular vet visits, and so far there doesn't seem to be a problem.
Hopefully this doesn't seem stupid; just thought any extra tips would help.
