I was once told by a trainer that dogs sweat through their paws, and if that's the case Willow and Dakota must have awfully soggy paws. I've been working with Willow on leash and she has been a pleasure, but now that we're in the middle of a heat wave, I can barely coax her outside.
Just like me, Willow needs her exercise or she'll start to pack on the pounds. Pre-pregnancy, if I went a week without exercise, not only did my mood suffer, but the numbers on the scale were sure to creep up. I don't have a veterinary scale installed in the home, so I have to judge her weight visually. Apparently I hadn't been doing a good job because at her recent vet visit she tipped the scale at 80 lbs. 80 lbs! Last year she was down to 65 lbs. Even 5 lbs is a lot of extra weight for a dog to carry. So you can imagine the guilt I felt as I saw the numbers illuminated on the digital reader. We went for a walk that evening. But she just crawls along once the temperature hits 85.
So without exercise, trust me I know how important it is, I have to rely on food management. She was getting 3 1/2 cups of food; enough for a 60 to 80 lb dog. I cut her back to 2 1/2 cups, but the hubs is having trouble following that. He thinks she isn't getting enough. I'd prefer to give her 3 cups and make sure she gets plenty of exercise, but it doesn't seem to be an option at the moment. She's just a girl who doesn't like sweaty paws.
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