Owner Assessment of Satiety and Begging Behaviors in Overweight Dogs

This study tested if a therapeutic weight loss diet or presentation of diet to owners would influence owners’ assessment of their dog’s satiety. Twenty-three overweight, but otherwise healthy, dogs were fed their usual diet and then a study diet with both a positive and neutral description in a randomized crossover design. Diets were fed in amounts to meet dogs’ resting energy requirements to maintain current body weight. Owners were asked questions on dogs’ satiety (e.g., begging, acting hungry) on a 1-5 Likert Scale. When comparing the dogs’ usual diet versus neutral description of the study diet and positive vs neutral descriptions of the study diet, there were no statistically significant differences for any survey questions (P = 0.16-0.75; P = 0.310.99, respectively). Wide variation in owner perception was noted for all dog begging behaviors and satiety. Based on this wide variation, individualization of dog weight loss programs could improve success.