When did the world become obsessed with dog treats?

[BigFatLabNoMoreTreats]

Or is it just my area?

TLDR: why does everyone insist on giving a dog a treat and why do they act offended when you say no?

I have working dogs that I train and work, so they are not pets as such so I have not experienced this side of dog ownership.

I am dog sitting a very fat lab, owner is my sister and she swears the dog is on a diet and that they keep to it- she has gone away for nearly six weeks so I have taken dog with the intention of helping him lose some weight as it is affecting his life. Have the measured out food- vet can't understand why he isn't losing, sister swears she is measuring the food.

Turns out she is correct - the problem is the constant treat giving wherever we are. Postman, bakers, pub, random people on the dog walk. Most of these treats are complete crap.

On our day out today Hugo was offered 20 treats, most not even training treats- high calorie dog McDonald's style treats.

I said no, I had to physically stop two people who were genuinely offended when I said no he can't have one. The person said I was starving the dog and he 'looked' hungry. (He looks like he has eaten a whale, he certainly does not look hungry)

Why is this seen as acceptable? I will keep saying no but would be interested to know how do you deal with it if you don't want endless crap being fed to your dog.

(Aside, Hugo has very expensive, allergy free food, sister is keen to give good quality food- but has never thought about the crap he is given- I've spoken to her btw, she had never realised)

@BigFatLabNoMoreTreats I totally believe he’s getting lots of treats, but unless something has gone drastically wrong, they won’t be making up the majority of his diet. (And if they are, your sister needs to really buck up her ideas).

Dogs are fat because their owners feed them too much. If he’s really getting hundreds of calories in treats per day then your sister is letting him down. Massively.

My Lab has a sensitivity to chicken. So I tell the random people that's why he can't have their treats. I also don't want him mugging everyone we meet on the off-chance. He mostly sits nicely and waits if we meet people...and lets my springer spaniel do the frisking!

@tumblingdowntherabbithole I completely agree this is on my sister - she should have a. Done something about it long before it became a problem, and b. Realised that endless treats from people is not helping with weight loss.

She didn't realise how much he was getting. I have him for six weeks so hope to see some improvements.

FFS, did you actually read the post? Try again.

@BigFatLabNoMoreTreats I would just tell everyone he needs a specific diet. I walk a dog who genuinely can only eat certain things and nobody ever questions it.

Errr... isn't that what you said? You share them around, it's not fair to treat only your dog... You let him take treats and you give them out....

No, because that isn't getting across the message that nobody should ever feed another person's dog. Because it is unnecessary.

If people ask can they give a treat, I say "actually, I would rather you didn't", if they offer her something without asking I say "no" and pull the dog away.

I don't care if people think I'm snobby/snotty. She's my dog and it's my choice.
And it's not a weight related issue

@CoubousAndTourmalet I don’t see it as my job to educate random strangers - my concern is that the dog in my care doesn’t eat something she shouldn’t, not that a random stranger learns something from the interaction 🤷‍♀️

Anyway, OP would be telling the truth if she said the dog was on a restricted diet.

Can I ask, is the fat lab thing more common in show lines than working lines? Or is it seen a lot in both? The overweight labs I see (and there are quite a few!) all seem to have the show build to them but as you know, I haven’t got that much of a clue 😂

In my experience, yes it is the show strain labs. My friend has an incredibly fit, slim and muscular working lab and people are always commenting on her being skinny. 🙄

I’ve a two year old lab who some people (strangers on walks) have commented he is under weight. He’s not, the Vet said he was the perfect weight and was really happy to see such a fit looking lab. I guess people are used to seeing porky ones out and about.

Maybe it was around the same time that parents became obsessed with giving kids snacks every 5 minutes which never used to happen when I was a kid 50-odd years ago. perhaps the dog treats are an extension of that.

being offered 30 treats is just crazy isn’t it? I mean I’m sure he’s a lovely dog but that’s ridiculous!

And I thought “looking hungry” was a lab’s default expression! 😂

Our 2 year old lab is 25kg, slender and muscular. He's from a working line. He's also not overly arsed about food, so doesn't fulfil the 'Labrador = doggy dustbin' stereotype.

He's quite small when put against most other labs we see.

Our dogs are deprived, get them during training sessions only

I think I’m with you on this one @CoubousAndTourmalet - as you know I’ve only started walking my puppy last week and luckily we haven’t had anyone offer treats to him (yet)

Hes not aloof at all, he is excited to see everyone and lunges at every stranger he passes to say hi - he’s still a baby so it’s to be expected and although I’m trying to manage my expectations with how quickly I can train him to greet people politely and only when I say he can (it could be years before he manages to do that but I’ve got to start somewhere, right?) I’m concerned about him jumping up and getting excited around people when he is a fully grown dog and not a little puppy. If people we pass start to hand him treats as well as fuss I feel I would be on to a losing battle 😂

He gets treats from me, but only during training sessions or when he is walking nicely on the lead or for beginning to practice recall etc.
I say treats, normally it’s his usual kibble taken from his allowance. I save the really good treats for certain stuff 😂

I always ask, I always listen to the response, and I've never fed a horse in my life!

What this thread is demonstrating marvellously is that we all view these 'little' things in very different ways. Much of it boils down to your dog breed of choice, and your own personality.

I actively train my dogs not to take food from strangers. I ask vets not to offer them treats etc. That's partly, because I mostly dislike how many people act around dogs when they give them treats, and partly because I want my dogs to know that I am their single source of food when we are out. Most Goldies would take food from anyone, can be terrible scavengers and often have poor recall - because they are not motivated enough to return - therefore, I have trained mine not to take food from people. 99.9% of the time, they have very little interest in other people, which is what I want in a dog.

Would their recall be good if I let other people feed them? Possibly. But there is something immensely satisfying about watching people try and tempt my dogs over to say hi, and my dogs completely ignoring them - because they know there is absolutely nothing that person can offer them that I will not trump.

I agree that the show/English labs tend to be prone to being overweight than their American/working cousins. I have a working lab and people thinks he’s a puppy (he’s three, and weighs around 29kg).

There's usually a dog r two champing at the bit in our village shop as they know there's doggy treats behind the counter. I've seen one of our regular bin men give dog treats out to the neighbour's dogs too. And an elderly lady i know always had dog treats in her pocket when she's out and about to give to dogs she knows. There's dog treats on the bar in most of the pubs around here too.

All totally unnecessary and rarely given as a reward for good behaviour, just handed out regardless.

It's a personal decision @VanGoSunflowers

I keep treats purely for training/reward or as a bribe in the event that I need to get something off them quickly. Ideally if they pick something up that they shouldn't, you need to just be able to open their mouth and take it, which I always can. But when they're young it's usually best to offer something as a swap, so that's how I work. Mine also get a reward for recall when I call them in from the garden.
I think if treats are handed out for nothing it can become a bit meaningless and they begin to take it for granted.

For me personally, in regard to others giving treats, I feel it's an overfamiliarity that I don't welcome.
People would teach their children not to take sweets from strangers so why should it be any different with our dogs?
As you say, if you do allow treats from strangers, it quickly becomes a habit/obsession, and you very soon have a pup that is pestering everybody it meets and is food obsessed.

But I think as to where you draw the line is a personal choice. You can allow it from friends/familiar dog owners as @Bupster does, or discourage it altogether, as I do. Only you can decide which approach you want with your boy.

We get that too. People are surprised when I say he's 2 (and he's nearer to 3 as his birthday is October) as he's smaller / more slender than most other adult labs around here.

Ah @LandSharksAnonymous Yet again we hold similar views.

We are soul sisters 😘

@CoubousAndTourmalet always! 😄

It's big dog syndrome, I think! We're just naturally more cautious.

Yes, if you want to steal a dog just rustle a treats bag.

Well I've upset two people but Hugo has been treat free - I've given him some broccoli and @ few slices of carrots (the boy loves carrots!) but nothing else.

I put him on a long line when I walked him, as I wasn't sure if his recall was good enough if going up to people he associates with treats and it was a good decision - someone threw treats on the floor for him when I asked them not to feed him.

@LandSharksAnonymous how to the vets respond when you say no treats. The feedback today from people is that it is necessary to give dogs treats so they are friendly, but I'm with @CoubousAndTourmalet that it isn't friendly but over friendly. Hugo was rude when we went to the post office, and turns out he normally gets a large treat there.

(As an aside it has been a shock that dogs are allowed everywhere- of course I've seen them when out and about but never really thought about it, things have changed a lot in 10 years)