Weight

In today's society it has become common to see overweight dogs, sadly some owners seem to have forgotten what a fit healthy dog should look like. To participate in flyball, dogs need to be at the ideal weight for their breed. If your dog is slightly overweight we are happy for them to train with us providing they have been checked by a vet and the objective is getting them to their ideal weight. If your dog is extremely overweight it would just not be fair to expect them to do a strenuous sport like flyball and they will be unable to attend training until they have shifted the excess weight.

Please use the chart below to asses your dogs condition, if it falls in to any category other than C,D or E then please book an appointment with your vet for a weight assessment .

S.H.A.P.E. Body Condition Guides

Waltham S.H.A.P.E.™ Guide for Dogs

Waltham S.H.A.P.E.™ Guide for Dogs

S.H.A.P.E. TM Score

Description

Extremely Thin

Your dog has a very small amount or no total body fat.

Recommendation: Seek veterinary advice promptly.

Thin

Your dog has only a small amount of total body fat.

Recommendation: Seek veterinary advice to ensure your dog is offered the appropriate amount of food. Reassess using the S.H.A.P.E. TM chart every 2 weeks.

Lean

Your dog is at the low end of the ideal range with less than normal body fat.

Recommendation: Increase food offered by a small amount. Monitor monthly using the S.H.A.P.E. TM chart and seek veterinary advice if no change.

Ideal

Your dog has an ideal amount of total body fat.

Recommendation: Monitor monthly to ensure your dog remains in this category and have him/her checked by the veterinarian at your next visit.

Mildly Overweight

Your dog is at the upper end of the ideal range with a small amount of excess body fat.

Recommendation: Seek veterinary advice to ensure your dog is offered the appropriate amount of food and consider increasing activity levels. Avoid excessive treats and monitor monthly using the S.H.A.P.E. TM chart.

Moderately Overweight

Your dog has an excess of total body fat.

Recommendation: Seek veterinary advice to implement safely an appropriate weight loss plan including increasing activity levels.

Reassess using the S.H.A.P.E. TM chart every 2 weeks.

Severely Overweight

Your pet has a large amount of excess total body fat that is affecting its health and well being.

Recommendation: Seek veterinary advice promptly to introduce a weight loss plan to reduce your dog's weight, increase activity levels and improve health.

NB: Some breeds and different life-stages may have different ideal S.H.A.P.E. TM scores.
Consult your veterinarian if you are unsure.