Habits
As difficult as it may be to hear, our dogs have actually trained us humans pretty well! Dogs understand the concept that performing a behaviour earns them a reward. For example, if your dog lies on his bed while you’re in the kitchen, you may give him a treat for being a good boy instead of getting in your way. Dogs know that they can offer certain behaviours which are likely to earn them a tasty reward.
Feeding Times
This study determined that most cases of obesity in dogs are directly related to how often dogs have access to food. Many owners opt to “free feed” their dogs. This means that the food bowl is always available with food in it. Unfortunately, the study found that this can lead to dogs eating and grazing simply because they’re bored.
It’s best to feed your dog on a schedule of at least two times per day, once in the morning and once in the evening. This will ensure that your dog isn’t consuming unnecessary calories throughout the day.
Rough Start To Life
As sad as it is, some rescues have sad backgrounds and histories of having very little access to food. This means that they might gobble down any and all food and treats as if they’ve never eaten.
Medical Conditions and Medications
Some medical conditions and medications that dogs are on may make them act incredibly hungry. Diabetes, Cushing’s Disease, and Hyperthyroidism are a few diseases that will make a dog act as if he’s never eaten before. One of the main side effects of prednisone, a steroid, is excessive hunger.
Offer the Right Amount of Food
Just because your dog is acting hungry doesn’t mean that you should feed him as much as he wants. Every dog food comes with a nutrition label and feeding guidelines on the bag. When you’re looking at these guidelines, you should always be feeding the amount of food for your dog’s ideal weight, not his current weight.
For example, if your 50 lb dog should really be 45 lbs, then you’ll want to feed the amount of food that is recommended for a 45lb dog, not 50 lbs.
Nutrition
Some cheaper dog foods use a lot of bulk material and are actually missing out on the addition of real nutritional foods. Adding nutritious and colourful foods, like broccoli and kale and blueberries, to your dog’s food bowl will help him gain nutritional benefits like antioxidants and vitamins and minerals. If your dog still appears hungry, adding plain green beans on top of his food bowl can help to fill him up because of the fibre content.
Is My Dog Always Appearing Hungry a Problem?
In most cases, your dog appearing hungry is simply a learned behaviour. If your dog is a rescue, this could be related to the earlier days in life when he had limited access to food. Sometimes, though, our dogs just want tasty treats and will act hungry in the hopes that you’ll give them a bite.
Obesity in Dogs
While your dog always appearing hungry even when you’ve fed him likely isn’t a problem in itself, it does become problematic if you continue to feed your dog. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, 25-30% of the general canine population is considered obese.
Obesity is directly linked to shortening a dog’s life and making them more likely to develop the disease. In a lifetime study of Labrador Retrievers, being even moderately overweight shortened their lifespan by almost two full years compared to the lean dogs.
Obese dogs have an increased risk for diseases like Diabetes, cancer, and hypertension. They also have an increased risk for faster deterioration of their joints. This means that it will be difficult for them to even get up off the floor and simply walk around the house. That’s a sad thing to see and live with, especially when your dog otherwise has a sharp mind and wants to be active.
If you suspect your dog is overweight, it’s best to work with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will help to develop a full weight loss plan, including the proper food and portion size.
Treats
It’s no surprise that we love to give our dogs treats. When training our dogs, treats are a necessary part of that. Since it’s hard to keep track of exactly how many treats we’re offering our dogs, this can be one of the biggest causes of overweight dogs. It’s best to make sure that treats don’t make up more than 10% of your dog’s daily caloric intake.
If you have a food-motivated dog and are simply training at home, it’s best to use some of his daily allotment of food so you aren’t adding additional calories. Treats also only need to be approximately the size of a pea. There are healthy, low-calorie options for treats to provide your dog. Foods like pieces of green vegetables, like cucumbers or green beans, work well. Small pieces of fruit can be used too.
Conclusion
Dogs like tasty food and will often appear hungry, even if they’ve recently eaten. While this isn’t a problem, it can be a problem if you start feeding your dog more. It’s best to feed your dog the food amount that is recommended for his ideal weight, not his current weight. If you’re training your dog or want to give him some treats throughout the day, opt for lower-calorie fruits and vegetables.
