Perceptions of Body Condition, Diet and Exercise by Sports Dog Owners and Pet Dog Owners.

ABSTRACT: 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) (p < 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% (p < 0.05 differen

SUBMITTER: Kluess HA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8230856 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature