Skinny Pug, originally uploaded by mandypug.
The reactions I get to Izzie's physique are split 50-50 between "Wow your Pug is so fit!" and "Don't you feed the poor thing! That's not what Pugs should look like". The first group is usually owners of more "sporty breeds" that have fit dogs themselves. The second group usually involves Pug owners who think their dog is in shape as it walks 5 steps and passes out wheezing. Yeah if that's in shape then I must be an Olympic athlete.
Anyways... I happened to meet someone straddling the line of the two groups the other day. He was amazed at the shape my Pug was in and he also had a Pug, said Pug was obese though and wheezing just standing out in the sunlight. He asked me how I keep her so trim when Pugs just love food so much. I said it's simple, I control her portions and exercise her (though not nearly as much as i should, that WILL be changing).
... He paused for a second in thought, and being completely sincere and non-sarcastic said...
"Portion control! I never thought of that! I just let mine free feed and fill up the bowl when it's empty. They're only supposed to eat what they need right?"
No sir, they're Pugs, they're going to eat until they explode (or until they puke but they'll just eat what they puke up too).
Is it that much of a foreign concept to control your dog's food portions? Especially in breeds prone to obesity? It seems so. I guess it goes along with how all small breeds don't need manners training because they're small and they can't do anything harmful. Or the whole I'm forcing my Pug to do agility and it's wrong because Pugs aren't supposed to do things like that, they're supposed to be COMPANIONS sitting on the couch.
Stupid.
Sometimes I think I give too little credit to the average pet owning public, then something like this happens and it makes me go WTF.
Portion control... What a concept.
