California Sportsman Mag - Nov 2020

HUNTING

A healthy diet and constant exercise are critical for optimizing your dog’s health and in-the-field performance. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

MORE TO FEEDING DOGS THAN JUST FILLING A BOWL

By Scott Haugen

“W

ow, your dog looks great, and by dropping that extra 2 pounds, you just extended her life by a year or more,” my vet stated, looking me straight in the eye.

“One of the most frustrating parts of my job is seeing overweight dogs,” he added.

He was referring to my then-5-yearold dog, Echo, a pudelpointer who had put on too much weight following

waterfowl season. The statement was a compliment to me, not Echo, but in retrospect it also meant she was overweight, and that was my fault, initially. Overweight dogs are not to blame for their problems, owners are, and we owe it to our hunting companions to make sure they are in the best shape possible.

WHAT YOU FEED your dog and how often you feed them comes down to knowledge of food and knowing your dog’s metabolism. It also comes down

to consistent exercise. We exercise our dogs a minimum of one hour every day; 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes in the evening, and often another 15 to 20 minutes midday.

We have two pudelpointers, Echo, a female that is 6, and Kona, a 4-year-old male. Echo puts on weight much more easily than Kona. Kona’s metabolism is much higher than Echo’s and I struggled keeping his weight up. Once I switched their dry food from a boxstore brand to a high-quality brand, their lives dramatically improved.

calsportsmanmag.com | NOVEMBER 2020 California Sportsman

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