Don’t Love Your Dog To Death

Dogs deserve all the care and attention their human pals can muster, but sometimes, dog owners take things a little too far. Don’t love your dog to death by making these four common mistakes. It won’t be easy for you, but you’ll actually do your pooch a favor.

"Even with the best intentions and all the love in the world, dog owners everywhere are doing things that shorten their dogs’ lives.

Believing the dog food hype.
Commercial pet foods have highly talented marketing teams. They promise their food will make your dog as happy and healthy as the ones playing happily in the ads. The packaging looks colorful, like the dried kibble is full of fresh ingredients, and makes bold claims. The truth is you have to dig much deeper to find out if the food can actually deliver what it promises. The vibrant colors? Artificial dyes included purely to appeal to you (dogs are mainly color-blind, so food coloring means nothing to them). Ingredient list includes “by-product meal”? Sounds like food, but it could be anything from bones to chicken feet. AAFCO approved? Meets minimum requirements, not necessarily exceeding them or optimal for your dog’s specific needs. There’s a difference between surviving and thriving. Make sure your dog’s food provides the nutrition your dog needs and quality of ingredients she deserves.
The remedy: Do your research to know your dog’s food gives her what she really needs.

Killing them with kindness.
It’s hard to ignore the sweet puppy eyes begging for a piece of your dinner. She's so good, she deserves a treat or two. But too many owners take this to the extreme and end up destroying their dog’s diet. The dog gets foods that are at best useless, at worst dangerous. The dog gains weight as junk food accounts for more of their intake. Weight gain leads to joint problems, heart issues, and more, slowly making their life shorter and more painful. Once those problems kick in, there’s no turning back the clock.
The remedy: Keep an eye on the junk food. Keep treats healthy and a small part of your dog’s diet.

Watching movies on the couch together.
It’s one thing to love snuggling with your dog. It’s another thing when your dog is a couch potato who doesn’t get exercise. Recent estimates say that over half of all dogs in the United States are overweight. Those are dogs who aren’t getting enough exercise and are carting around extra heft that is slowly wearing down their bodies. Much like junk food, lack of exercise shortens your dog’s lifespan. Exercise is great bonding time, whether you’re walking, doing agility, or swimming together. The couch may be cozier, but you’ll enjoy more years of snuggle time if your dog lives a longer life.
The remedy: Choose bonding activities that involve physical activity. Then relax on the couch together.

These mistakes are easy to make. That’s why so many of us dog owners have made at least one of them. But for the love of dog, we need to stop. Stop making these mistakes and our dogs will live healthier, happier, longer lives."  Read the original post here.
Your dog is part of the family and sometimes you need to do what you think is cruel to actually be kind to your dog. So don’t love your dog to death. Just love your dog.