Why our obese dogs go barking mad

IT’S no secret that the nation’s dogs are facing an obesity crisis. But experts yesterday warned they are also in ‘behaviour meltdown’ because humans are so clueless when it comes to looking after them.

The PDSA said millions of dogs are becoming fat, aggressive and destructive because their owners have a ‘grave lack of understanding’ of their most basic needs.

Vets say that lack of exercise is contributing to a ‘shocking’ rise in behaviourial problems – with people and other pets on the receiving end of bored, anxious and badly-trained dogs.

The PDSA’s Animal Wellbeing report estimates there are a quarter of a million incidents a week in which dogs behave aggressively.

Many of our 8.1million dogs are being killed with kindness, with treats including beer, chips and leftover takeaways making them dangerously overweight and triggering diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. The problem is being exacerbated by lack of exercise.

Almost one in three are not allowed to run off the lead every day. And almost one million are never taken for a walk at all.

PDSA senior vet Elaine Pendlebury said too many people purchase dogs on a whim, without thinking about how much exercise the particular breed needs. Dogs are also falling foul of the long hours worked by their owners – and their increasingly sedentary lifestyle.

With one in three dogs overweight, vets are predicting there will be more fat pets than slim ones in just five years’ time.

PDSA head of pet health and welfare Nicola Martin said: ‘We are undoubtedly a nation of animal lovers, with four out of five pet owners stating they feel physically or mentally healthier because of their pet. However, our latest findings reveal that anti-social behaviour in dogs continues to rise due to a worrying lack of training, socialisation and exercise.

‘Owners are sadly continuing to feed the wrong types of food with portion sizes out of control. Preventative health is also a major concern – the basics such as vaccinations and neutering are often ignored by owners, leaving their pets vulnerable to a wide range of deadly diseases.’

The PDSA commissioned YouGov to quiz 1,069 dog, cat and rabbit owners, plus almost 600 vets and veterinary nurses. It wants people to take part in its online Big Pet Survey so that it can gather even more information.

A spokesman said: ‘The more that take the survey and share their views with us, the more we can identify the most vital and pressing pet welfare issues.’