Perceptions of Body Condition, Diet and Exercise by Sports Dog Owners and Pet Dog Owners
The purpose of this study was to investigate the variables that contribute to obesity in pet dogs. The working hypothesis was that sports dog owners will better estimate their dog’s body condition and report stronger belief and control over their dogs’ feeding and exercise compared to traditional pe...
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MDPI AG
2021-06-01
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doaj-8f4e1ae0c9614fb39ec6a398ea7597352021-06-30T23:58:46ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152021-06-01111752175210.3390/ani11061752Perceptions of Body Condition, Diet and Exercise by Sports Dog Owners and Pet Dog OwnersHeidi A. Kluess0Rebecca L. Jones1Tekla Lee-Fowler2School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, 301 Wire Rd, Auburn, AL 36849, USASchool of Kinesiology, Auburn University, 301 Wire Rd, Auburn, AL 36849, USADepartment of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, 1200 Wire Road, Auburn, AL 36849, USAThe purpose of this study was to investigate the variables that contribute to obesity in pet dogs. The working hypothesis was that sports dog owners will better estimate their dog’s body condition and report stronger belief and control over their dogs’ feeding and exercise compared to traditional pet owners. We collected data on 171 pet owners (101 participated in canine sports) for this study. Each owner completed the Dog Owner Attitude Questionnaire. Each dog was measured for percent fat and Purina body condition scale. For the pet dogs, the median Purina body condition score was 6 (too heavy), but for the sports dogs it was 5 (ideal) (<i>p</i> < 0.05 different from pet dogs). The average percent fat for the pet dogs was 19.1 ± 8.6%, and for the sports dogs it was 13.8 ± 5.3% (<i>p</i> < 0.05 different from pet dogs). Among pet owners, 52% were able to correctly estimate their dog’s body condition. Sports dog owners were 57% correct. Pet dog owners fed approximately 60% more per day compared to sports dog owners. Pet and sports dog owners exercised their dog via walking, but sports dog owners reported more activity with the dog, while pet dog owners reported more activity than the dog did by themselves. Overall, pet and sports dog owners put a high value on their dog’s health and well-being, but better education with regard to body condition, feeding and exercise is critical to improve the pet obesity problem.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/6/1752sportspetbody conditionoverweightfeedingexercise |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Heidi A. Kluess Rebecca L. Jones Tekla Lee-Fowler |
spellingShingle |
Heidi A. Kluess Rebecca L. Jones Tekla Lee-Fowler Perceptions of Body Condition, Diet and Exercise by Sports Dog Owners and Pet Dog Owners Animals sports pet body condition overweight feeding exercise |
author_facet |
Heidi A. Kluess Rebecca L. Jones Tekla Lee-Fowler |
author_sort |
Heidi A. Kluess |
title |
Perceptions of Body Condition, Diet and Exercise by Sports Dog Owners and Pet Dog Owners |
title_short |
Perceptions of Body Condition, Diet and Exercise by Sports Dog Owners and Pet Dog Owners |
title_full |
Perceptions of Body Condition, Diet and Exercise by Sports Dog Owners and Pet Dog Owners |
title_fullStr |
Perceptions of Body Condition, Diet and Exercise by Sports Dog Owners and Pet Dog Owners |
title_full_unstemmed |
Perceptions of Body Condition, Diet and Exercise by Sports Dog Owners and Pet Dog Owners |
title_sort |
perceptions of body condition, diet and exercise by sports dog owners and pet dog owners |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Animals |
issn |
2076-2615 |
publishDate |
2021-06-01 |
description |
The purpose of this study was to investigate the variables that contribute to obesity in pet dogs. The working hypothesis was that sports dog owners will better estimate their dog’s body condition and report stronger belief and control over their dogs’ feeding and exercise compared to traditional pet owners. We collected data on 171 pet owners (101 participated in canine sports) for this study. Each owner completed the Dog Owner Attitude Questionnaire. Each dog was measured for percent fat and Purina body condition scale. For the pet dogs, the median Purina body condition score was 6 (too heavy), but for the sports dogs it was 5 (ideal) (<i>p</i> < 0.05 different from pet dogs). The average percent fat for the pet dogs was 19.1 ± 8.6%, and for the sports dogs it was 13.8 ± 5.3% (<i>p</i> < 0.05 different from pet dogs). Among pet owners, 52% were able to correctly estimate their dog’s body condition. Sports dog owners were 57% correct. Pet dog owners fed approximately 60% more per day compared to sports dog owners. Pet and sports dog owners exercised their dog via walking, but sports dog owners reported more activity with the dog, while pet dog owners reported more activity than the dog did by themselves. Overall, pet and sports dog owners put a high value on their dog’s health and well-being, but better education with regard to body condition, feeding and exercise is critical to improve the pet obesity problem. |
topic |
sports pet body condition overweight feeding exercise |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/6/1752 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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