Hey, fellow pet lovers!

Today’s post is going to talk all about the amazing health benefits of our canine friends wearing a weight vest or weight bag.

I am super excited as we have ordered our girls each an Xdog weight vest and they look amazing!!!

They have not arrived yet but should be here next week, tracking says Monday, so I thought I would do a post discussing the benefits of our pets wearing a weight vest or bag, as there are so many to talk about.

Alongside promoting natural feeding methods, another aim of epoch.pet is to promote a healthy lifestyle by finding great ways to exercise our furry friends. I will be adding a Canine Fitness page to the blog in the near future and am looking forward to getting my girls even fitter than they currently are.

Stick around for a product review of the vests in the upcoming months, I am sure they are going to be great!

There are so many weight vests and bags on the market today but we opted for an Xdog weight vest because they look superior to others. That’s not to say that there are no other great options out there but I and my partner really liked the look of these vests.

Let’s get started and discuss the benefits of our furry friends wearing a weight vest or bag.

---

The Benefits of Wearing a Weight Vest or Bag, for our Canine friends

There are so many benefits to our pooches wearing a weight vest or bag, such as

• Vests and bags are great for improving physical fitness.

The most obvious benefit of your pet wearing a weight vest or bag is that it will improve their overall health and fitness. By giving your dog extra weight to carry around you are working out more muscles and strengthening their body by increasing their lean muscle mass.

This is great for keeping your dog fit and healthy and reduces the risk of health-related issues that can arise from being obese.

• Calming effects of wearing a weight vest or bag.

Another great benefit of your pet wearing a weight vest or bag is that it can have a calming effect. This is because of a few reasons, one being that they feel safe when wearing a weight vest or bag due to the vest/bag providing a hugging sensation which makes them feel more comfortable and happy when out and about.

The second reason is that wearing a weight vest or bag gives our pets purpose, by providing your pet with an exercise that is just for them they feel like they have a purpose and this results in a calmer, happier pet.

• Wearing a weight vest or bag provides great mental stimulation.

Like we talked about above wearing a weight vest or bag can have a calming effect on our pets but it also provides great mental stimulation. I have a Border Terrier, Lily who has so much energy she could literally run all day but when we put the weight bag on her she is always so much calmer and relaxed in comparison to just going on a normal walk.

This is because she has had extra mental stimulation and is equally as mentally exhausted as she is physically. By giving your pet this extra layer of mental stimulation you will not only have a healthier pet but also a happier one.

• Fight obesity.

Pet obesity is on the rise and is a massive issue in today’s society. As human obesity increases the same can be said for our companion animals and this really needs to change!!

The PFMA (Pet food manufacturers’ association) has done a nutritional survey at the London Vet Show for the last five years to compare data from each year.

This year the survey consisted of 215 attendants and the results are quite scary!!!

• 52% of dogs are obese says, vets.

Over half the dogs that were surveyed are overweight, this is only a small percentage of the overall dog population in the Uk but if these findings are true for this survey then how many of our companion animals are obese???

• 47% of cats are obese says, vets.

Again this is a frightening figure!!

We really need to start thinking about the cause of our pets obesity and working harder on decreasing these statistics.

• Shockingly 83% of owners don’t think their pets are overweight. 

Out of the 215 attendants that took part in the nutritional survey 83% thought that their pets were not overweight.

Considering vets though otherwise, this is very worrying!!

If we cannot realise what a healthy weight is for our companion animals then how can we provide them with a healthy and happy life? 

If your pet is obese or they could do with losing a few pounds then using a weight vest or bag could help them do so.

Obesity is a massive issue for our pets worldwide and unlike us they cannot decide to go on a diet or eat something else, they get what they are given!

Therefore, we need to make sure we are providing our pets with sufficient exercise and a healthy balanced diet of raw fresh food. By getting your canine friend a weight vest or bag you are helping eliminate health-related issues that can arise from your furry friend becoming overweight.

Statistics are taken from:

(pfma (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.pfma.org.uk/_assets/docs/annual-reports/PFMA-Pet-Data-Report-2018.pdf [Accessed 8 May 2018].)

• Improve your pets Stamina and Cardiovascular Health.

With your pet regularly wearing a weight vest or bag their stamina will increase alongside their cardiovascular health, both are amazing health benefits that you can achieve just by adding a weight vest or bag to your furry friend’s life.

If you have a pet who takes part in agility then getting them a weight vest or bag will help with their overall performance when competing in shows or competitions.

• A tired pet is easier to train.

How many of you pet owners out there have realised how much easier it is to try to train or teach your pet new tricks after they have been on a walk?

I have noticed this with my girls, Lily especially, if I try to teach her a new trick before we have gone on a walk or to the park to chase the ball she is far less focused. Whereas, if I try once she has got some of her never-ending energy out then she learns a lot easier.

By adding a weight vest or bag to your pets life you will make it a lot easier for yourself to train and teach your pet new tricks.

• A tired pet is a happy pet.

We all know what it is like when the house is lovely and peaceful because the dogs are flat-out, this is because we have been good pet parents and have provided our fur babies with enough mental and physical stimulation, that they are satisfied and just want to have a nice nap.

This is great as we can get on with what we need to do, which for me is cracking on with blog work, doing yoga or a workout and maintaining a tidy flat. There is nothing better than knowing we have done our part to keep our pets healthy and happy.

---

Tips for Safely using a Weight Vest or Bag

It is so important that you know how to safely use a weight vest or bag when helping your pet get fit and healthy.

There are a few rules you should stick with and these are:

• Supervise your pet at all times when they are wearing their weight vest or bag.

You should always be around when your pet is wearing their weight vest, and never leave them alone with it on.

• Be super careful during warm weather. 

If it is really warm outside then you should miss sticking your pets weight vest or bag on until later on in the day if the weather is going to cool down or get up super early and take them out before it gets too warm.

• Make sure your pet is hydrated before using their vest or bag and take water out with you. 

Make sure your pet has had a good drink before you go out with them wearing their weight vest or bag and be sure to take water out with you encase your furry friend needs a drink during their workout.

• Don’t put a weight vest or bag on a puppy or a pooch that is under two years old.

An adult dog can handle the extra weight but a puppy is still growing and it is not a good idea to put the added stress on their growing bones and joints. Wait until your puppy is at least 2 years old. Plus even if you could they would just outgrow their weight vests in a few months and you would have to keep buying them new ones.

• Don’t use a weight vest or bag on dogs with any injuries. 

To be safe don’t use a weighted vest or bag on any dogs with injuries as this could make them worse.

• Don’t use a weight vest or bag on pregnant mothers. 

Don’t use a weight vest on pregnant bitches as they already have enough strain on their body and it will not do the mother or her pups any good.

• Slowly increase the weights as the weeks go on. 

It is super important to slowly increase the weights as the weeks go on so your pet gets used to the added stress on their body.

• Increase your pet’s food accordingly. 

Remember that your pet is doing more exercise than just going on a normal walk, therefore you need to up their food depending on how much extra exercise they are doing, to help their body create more lean muscle mass.

• Be sure to give your pet rest days. 

Don’t make your pet wear their weight vest every day, it is essential that you give them days off to rest, for example, you could start using the vest on alternate days and work your way toward three days on one day off.

• Lastly always be super mindful when your dog is wearing their weight vest or bag.

Always be observant when your pet is wearing their weight vest or bag and keep a close eye on them at all times. If you can tell your dog is acting odd or may be in any discomfort then remove their vest or bag straight away!

---

I cannot wait to write a review on my girls Xdog weight vests once we have got a good use out of them. There are so many health benefits and great reasons why you should get your pet a weight vest or bag and I hope this post has inspired you to do so.

Thanks for checking in and be sure to follow/subscribe to the epoch.pet to never miss a post and follow us on social media, or get in touch with us on Facebook @epoch.pet

Weekly posts every Tuesday and Saturday!