How do you put a dauschund on a diet?

Answer 1

What has worked for me is just to cut back on the amount of regular food I give my doxie.

IE: if he normally gets a heaping 1/4 cup twice a day to keep his weight steady, make it a level cup or a smidge below the cup edge until he gets to the desired weight. Another way, if you give him scraps and little tastes of your people food, is to STOP doing that.

Also be sure to figure in doggy treats. If you want to give him a special treat say, 2 times a day, either look for low or no-calorie treats or reduce his food intake a bit to compensate for anything you add to his diet. With a dachshund, every little bit counts. If you have a little beggar, and what dachshund isn't, follow a couple of simple rules. (See BELOW) Once he/she knows the rules and schedule, he/she will only get in your face at the "scheduled" food times.

1. Never feed you dachshund when you are eating. And I mean, NEVER. Intermittent reinforcement of a bad behavior is VERY difficult to correct once you set this pattern. Either give him a treat of his own before or after you are done, is this is a "scheduled treat" time. I recommend afterward, in a specific place, ie. where you normally feed him or where you normally give him a treat (like on the deck). Do not feed him where you were eating. 2. Give him/her treats at specific times each day. Mine gets 1 at MY lunchtime, and 1 at about 8PM. His internal clock never fails to let me know when it's time. The same goes for meal times. Never leave a dish of food out for 'browsing'. Remove your dog's dish as soon as he is done eating. Twice a day feeding is better than once a day. If he doesn't have the expectation of food coming his way at any given moment, he won't be in your face asking you for some, (AND he won't have the opportunity to over-eat). Dogs LOVE scheduled events of any kind. They like to know what to expect. 3. Don't forget the exercise factor, if you & your dachshund are able. This not only uses up calories by expending energy, but also makes for a mellower dog.

Low-cal. treat ideas:

1. Ice cubes

2. Baby Carrots

3. Dr. Eckstein's Hugs & Kisses (full of vitamines and great for your dog's coat. You can Google his website for mail order. We love them.)

4 Check you dog treat labels. Generally "biscuits" are lower cal. than "chewys". There are teeny biscuits available, but is your dachshund prefers volume, look for the ones with lots of fiber. Fiber is calorie free.

5. REAL Greenie treats, either, the little chips sold for cats, or a portion of a Greenie 'tooth brush' small enough that your dog can swallow it whole without needing a vet to retrieve it. (Dogs who like the real thing, DON'T like the 'fake brand' greenies, I've found).