A few months ago, when the whole world was behind closed doors to fight with Covid-19, many of us got deviated from our fitness regime. Eventually, that resulted in packing on a pound or two.

The same thing happened with my GSD, Leo. At first, I couldn't understand that all these flabs can lead him to huffing and puffing all the time. His outdoor play and exercise sessions were stopped completely, as I couldn't take him out during lockdown.

Leo used to get bored throughout the day while sitting idle. I tried some fun exercises indoors, but nothing seemed to cheer up his mood. So, I just harnessed the easy way to make him happy. Yes, I started offering him treats frequently. And that's where I made the biggest mistake of my life 

My dog's agility is completely gone. Now he prefers sitting on a corner rather than running, jumping, or playing. Being left with no other option, I had to take advice from my vet.

She told me that no matter how much I like my chubby cute pup, that plumpness is not going to help him any way. In fact, I got to know, Leo may suffer from pancreatitis, diabetes, heart disease, or even hip dysplasia very soon.

So, if I want my buddy to be fine, I have to make him shed those extra pounds. Now that's a difficult task because Leo isn't even in the mood to move an inch.

Hence, I asked my vet how to keep my dog healthy and make him lose weight? She told me about 5 effective ways, and that I'm going to share below. If you're also dealing with the same issue, scroll down and know how to get your dog in shape. Here you go! 

How to Keep Your Puppy Healthy? 5 Easy & Effective Ways

Be it humans or our pets; obesity is not good for anyone. A study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention shows that almost 54% of dogs suffer from either overweight or obesity.

These statistics were published in 2016; since then, the obesity percentage within our canine friends have increased only. And after this coronavirus pandemic situation, the whole world, including our pets, are staying under lockdown.

So, putting on excess weight is quite an obvious thing. But it's our onus to ensure our furry buddies stay safe and fit. However, even if your pup becomes overweight, follow these 5 steps to get your dog back into shape. Scroll down and have a look.  

Create a Personalised Exercise Plan

You might know that every regime won't work on every dog. So, you need a personalized exercise plan for your pet to help him lose weight. You must take help from your vet to make sure you don't skip any counterpart of the plan.

You can start with long outdoor walks. If your dog is from any active breed, you must assign at least 30 minutes of daily exercise and 60 minutes of daily activity to the regime. 

Along with that, don't forget to put in sufficient time to warm up as a pre-workout session is also very important for your canine friend to condition his body for intense exercises.

You can add exercises like jumping over boxes, playing fetch, or anything which you think your pup will enjoy doing. 

Cut Down Your Treats

I personally feel very guilty for overindulging my Leo with treats. I used to feed him from my bowl, which my vet told me later is dangerous for my dog. Yes, it's true. The digestive tracts of our canine friends are completely different from ours. So, our dogs pack more pounds faster than us. 

However, if you used to do the same, then it's time to change it. To start the process, you can simply set timings for feeding your dog. If you are firm with feeding times, then you won't ever feel like you're not providing sufficient food for your canine friend. Instead, you can track when your dog becomes hungry and when to stop overfeeding.

The best part is, if your dog loves to have snacks, replace those junk food with baby carrots or celery. These are dogs' favorite snacks because of their crunchiness and amazing taste. So, you can take the help of such supplements and provide your dog with enough protein while cutting down calories.  

Make Customized Dog Food Bowls

We tend to skip paying enough attention to the ingredients of our dog's food bowl. But it's important to track when and what your dog is eating because the pattern of food consumption directly affects their health.

If you think your picked dog food incorporates ingredients like generic animal fat, consider avoiding such food. This is because such fats are gathered from some unidentified sources, which can be proved as unhealthy for your dog. 

So, you must scrap such food from your pup's dietary plan and add something of better quality like fish oil, canola oil, salmon oil, or sunflower oil. Once you start providing good quality food, and proper exercise to your dog, he will come black into shape automatically.    

Get Engaged into Some Interactive Games

Do you know what the best natural habit of our dog is? Well, it's their playful nature. Yes, dogs aren't selective at all when it comes to playing. So, you must use this natural habit of your pup for his benefit.

Even if you don't have access to a full agility course, you can arrange one by yourself. Getting engaged in interactive plays like completing an agility course will give your dog enough mental and physical stimulation at the same time. 

So, your pup will keep his interest level high while playing such games. What's more? Your dog will get to do the full quotient of physical activity while playing such games.

Talking about interactive games, you can set up an obstacle course, or play some nose games, or tug of war to keep your dog entertained and fit at the same time. 

Visit a Dog Boot Camp

You can take your dog to different dog boot camps where he will undergo a set of workouts and basic obedience training. If you do so, your dog will get a fair idea of the daily workout regime along with that; he will learn discipline in eating.

As a cherry on the top, you'll get to spend a lot of time with your fur-buddy. Moreover, there are a number of fitness clubs which allow you to do exercises with your dog. You can join any such club and become fit together in a fun way.  

That's all! Now you know how to get your dog in shape. I have shared all 5 easy yet effective tricks to keep your pup fit and fine. Always remember, getting into shape takes time.

So, you have to be consistent with your fitness regime; else you won't get any result. If you still have any doubts and you want to know "how to keep my dog healthy," drop a comment in the below box. I will be there to resolve your query instantly. Stay connected for more pet guides. Happy Petting!