Keeping our good boys and girls happy is one of our top priorities in life. It’s usually somewhere slightly above having a fulfilling career and just below making sure the cat conspiracy doesn’t succeed and the felines don’t end up taking up the world

What this means is genuinely caring about the health and happiness of our four-legged buddies. It means putting in the effort to feed them healthy food. It means getting off the couch even when you’re lazy to go for walkies. It means playing with them and giving them the attention they deserve even when you’d rather do something else. Their happiness begins by providing them with a nutritious diet and enough exercise.

It’s also vital that you let your dog behave like a dog and take into account its breed. A Husky, for instance, will need you to be far more fit and active than if you have a palm-sized doggo that needs a miniature vest to protect it from the cold each time you take it outside for it to mark its territory.

Having a pal for life is a lot of fun. However, it also requires a responsible outlook. There are 5 welfare needs that owners must take care of, according to the PDSA. Owners must protect their pets from pain, illness, and injury. They must also allow the animals to behave naturally for their species, house them appropriately with (or apart from) other animals, give them a suitable home to live in, and provide a suitable diet for their life stage. Both obesity and malnourishment are to be avoided at all costs.

It’s obesity, in particular, that is a major problem for canines far and wide. Some owners don’t provide their canine buddies with a diet that’s suitable for their age and needs. Meanwhile, others love their pets so much that they overfeed them with snacks and human food. Chonky dogs might look ‘cute,’ but the effects that obesity has on their health and quality of life are horrifying. Disastrous diseases aren’t adorable; health and happiness are.

During an earlier in-depth interview, Bored Panda spoke about canine health with Dr. Ernie Ward, the founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. He stressed that obesity is the biggest health threat to dogs.

“Dogs suffering from obesity have a much greater risk of developing arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. Studies also show that dogs with obesity live about 2.5 years less than those at a healthy weight,” Dr. Ward warned.

“More recent research proves that overweight or dogs with obesity have a lower quality of life, as reported by their pet parents. To put it bluntly, the fact is that dogs with obesity aren't able to live and enjoy their best lives, and we must do better,” the pet health expert pointed out that it’s vital to fight back against obesity.

“When people ask me if it's better for a dog or cat to have obesity, I tell them ‘neither.’ Obesity is a disease and, as a veterinarian, I swore an oath to prevent animal disease and suffering. My goal is to prevent pet obesity and I've spent the last twenty years researching and teaching nutrition and weight loss methods to committed veterinary professionals and concerned pet parents,” Dr. Ward said that his biggest mission in life is to give pets a better quality of life, help them live longer, and be more fulfilled.

“For dogs and humans, the weight-loss equation is about 60% to 70% diet and 30% to 40% physical activity. For cats, a species with different physiology and metabolism, it's about 90% diet and only 10% exercise,” the expert noted the differences in biology that owners of different pets should account for.

“The first step toward a healthier weight for your dog is to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. They will first determine your dog's Body Condition Score (BCS), establish target weight loss goals and ideal weight, and calculate the number of calories you should feed each day,” Dr. Ward told Bored Panda that some dogs might need to reduce their caloric intake while others may need special therapeutic diets.

“Your veterinarian will also make sure there isn't an underlying medical condition or disease causing the weight gain and that it's safe to begin an exercise program. In general terms, a dog (and their pet parent) needs about 30 minutes of aerobic activity each day,” he said that walking is a great way to get this exercise in because it’s quick, easy, efficient, and accessible to almost everyone.

“I prefer it to most other exercises because that's what dogs were designed to do best and most naturally. Plus, it's free! When walking, be sure to use a walking harness and not a neck or choke collar to prevent injury to the trachea or windpipe region of the throat and neck,” the doctor said.

According to the pet health professional, dogs can safely lose 3 to 5% of their body mass each month. “Younger and more active dogs may lose a little more, depending on the amount of exercise the pet parent can provide. The most important thing to do is to monitor the weight each month. If your dog isn't losing the appropriate amount of weight in three months, you need to change the strategy,” he said.

“Weight loss is a dynamic and adaptive process, and dog parents must constantly evaluate what's working or not. The great news is that, unlike cats, most dogs can reach their target weight within six to nine months. Cats can only lose about a half-pound per month, meaning losing four pounds will take about eight months if all goes well.”