Fitness and Quality of Life
It's now very common to see dogs in today's society be overweight. It has now become not only common, but completely acceptable for dogs to have extra weight, especially as they age. It may seem harmless to see our pet carry a little belly, but the long term ramifications this has on our dogs can make the aging process difficult to watch.
I have seen five- and seven-year-old dogs look slow, sickly and tired, and people have come to accept this as normal aging. Owning six dogs of different age groups, I can tell you, there's nothing normal about a seven- or eight-year-old dog acting slow and carrying unnecessary body weight that only puts strains on their joints.
I have a dog that at almost 14 years of age, has enough health and speed to outperform the average five-year-old dog. I also have an almost eight-year-old dog that actively competes in sports and looks half his age. And no, it's not a super expensive diet; all my dogs are on mid-price-range kibble easily found at the local feed store - it's not amazing genetics or supplements.
The secret is low body fat and regular exercise. That's it! I know dogs on very expensive foods like raw and mail order specialty foods that are more lethargic than my 13-year-old catahoula mix.
Remember, low body fat and regular exercise will keep your dog in your home for a very long time, AND it will also keep them young for a very long time.