For a while there, every time we visited the vet we were informed that Donna’s weight had gone up again. The vet is an hour’s walk away, so it didn’t make sense to walk our overweight dog over in the hot sun just to weigh her regularly. A two-hour walk there and back is generally too much for our princess dog to handle as well. Donna is not handbag size, and she gets worried when her feet are not firmly on the ground, so the best way to weigh her is to get her to get on our digital weighing scale (for humans :P) herself. Hah!!
But of course, she did have this habit where she will view all new things I try to introduce to her suspiciously. So it took time to get her to get on the weighing scale on her own accord. Practising doggy parkour outside helped a lot. Once, she got the concept of “up-up” outside, she totally got that I wanted her to get on the weighing scale. Doesn’t mean she is that happy to be there though.
This is how we weigh the dog – on the human’s weighing scale!
And since she was supposed to be on a diet, we had to cut back on the treats. So I ended up giving her her meals while she sat on the weighing machine.
Conditioning the dog to like being on the weighing scale by giving her food rewards in that position
Pretty soon she had cued in to what was happening and couldn’t wait to hop on the weighing scale and go into an automatic sit the minute it landed on the floor. But in the case of this video below, she was perhaps getting bored of the exercise because it was the 3rd or 4th take already :P
First time for me using the vine app to take looping videos. It takes some getting use to as one needs to tap and hold in order to record the video. The first take was bad because towards the end her head got cut off by the frame :P
While it took some time to get a good 6-second take on Vine, the actual posting of the video thereafter was quick and easy. However, this also means that there is no selection of filters that one can apply to the video and there is no small list of music to layer over the movie, in the case of people like me, who cringe to hear myself speaking on the video :P
Is your dog having success at doing something you have trained together? Fame him :) Details on eileenanddogs.
Peppino
That’s a useful trick, I always try to run off the scale at the vet’s office!
weliveinaflat
The very first time we had to bring Donna to the vet, we didn’t even know how to get her on the scale! :P So we found a block similar size to the vet’s scale and practice getting up on it and staying. The next time at the vet, we went up it and sniffed immediately once we brought her near it. So yes, very useful!!! :D Have a good day Peppino and stay on the scale next time :)
yashikibuta
Good job to both of you! Our Chaos is also overweight, but I couldn’t put him on a diet without Angel being subject to the same diet as well. And Angel has a GI problem where she couldn’t go hungry. So our best option is to give Chaos more exercise. Now if you find a way to coax a lazy, small but overweight dog.to go on a walk without having to beg to be carried on the way home, I am all ears.
weliveinaflat
Don’t know Chaos enough to comment, but Donna can walk and sniff all day if its on grass (sometimes even gallop)… but put her on a concrete path and she will get as reluctant as Chaos about walking after a while :P We keep her running around at home until she is exhausted playing fetch and also jumping to catch stuff… I heard of a friend’s friend who exercised her chihuahua at home by running after it with an umbrella so they both ran around the house :P I’m not sure if the chihuahua found that fun or not!! :P
yashikibuta
hahahaha! running around the house with an umbrella sounds hilarious and fun.
weliveinaflat
I can just see Angel standing there looking at you puzzled while Chaos runs around barking with joy.
completelydisappear
I’d like to try Vine too. Just installed it yesterday on my iPhone but still haven’t tried it yet. Your video looked good and the caption was fun.
weliveinaflat
Thanks, I think vine is great for impromptu videos… but if I have a specific set of actions from Donna I want to capture, it was pretty hard to do it perfectly under 6 seconds… so I gave up :P Wahahahahaha!
Sonel
Awwwww..this is just soooo adorable! I laughed out loud here when I saw the video! Donna is just so cute and you are cuter for teaching her how to do it Mrs. P! And the photo is just so gorgeous! Look at that face! I would just hug her up! hehehehe
weliveinaflat
It was embarrassing for the vet to keep pointing out her increasing weight, so we really needed to start monitoring and cutting down. And we can’t pick her up to weigh her since she goes into fearful mode and struggles like crazy! :( So this is a better way to do it :) She does look miffed in the photo huh? :P
Kuruk
Good job Donna! I cannot fit on human scales, but luckily Mama doesn’t have to weigh me much anymore! Woooowooooo, Ku
weliveinaflat
Good for you Kuuuuuu! Of course, you are so big and fluffy! :D No scales for you. :3
Dave
Donna and family, thank you so very much for your interest in Gwichyaa Zhee. Wish I had a digital scale like yours! Or maybe not – I like ice cream and chocolate a lot!
weliveinaflat
You’re welcome. I like ice cream and chocolate alot too… but we have none at home now. I ate them all up!!! :P That’s kind of why we need scales I suppose! :P
Dave
:)))
rubytheblacklabrador
Such a quick learner!! We don’t have scales at home so I wait for the yearly vet check. If I can see a tiny bit of Ruby’s ribs along the side and she has a ‘waist’ I know she’s fine but as you know her eating habits mean we have to be vigilent! She normally is 30kg or just under :)
weliveinaflat
The scales was an awesome buy, greatly discounted from Homefix closing down sale!! :P I think she has sussed out my modus operandi, she is learning quicker compared to a few months back when I think it did take her longer to like her cushion bed. Just today she surprised me by being in her crate when I took out her breakfast for her! Donna must be 1/2 the size of Ruby at 15kg. Maybe Ruby will tower over her! Haha!!
writetowag
BOL!!!! So nice to meet you!!!! Great post!!!!
weliveinaflat
Nice to meet you too and thank you :)