This is Otto.
Otto is very cute.
Otto is also very fat.
(Sorry, Mom. He is. You said not to make fun of him… I’m not. Just stating facts. Though he may have acquired a few new size-related nicknames…)
Anyway, Otto is my mom’s dog, and they’re out of town for a few weeks. The poor guy has an eye injury that requires medication four times a day. And the cone.
Despite the eye issue, Otto is one of the easiest dogs in the world to dog sit. Second only to Cady. He’s laid back, easy going, friendly, playful, and–in typical Little Dog fashion–Velcro. He’s decided to adhere himself to John’s pantleg for this visit, trotting along behind him wherever John goes. Up to the office. Down to the coffee pot. Out to the garage. Back up to the office. Otto just prances behind John, waits wherever John sits/stops/settles, then prances behind him when he gets up again later.
In fact, as I type this, John had to leave to go to a meeting downtown, and Otto… well… he lost his pant leg.
Sorry, little one. It’s going to be a few hours…
The first night Otto came home with us, John weighed him: 24 pounds. He’s a very big little dog. We committed to dropping some of that weight off of him for the three weeks he’s here. Better portion control of his dog food. No people food sneaked under the table. More exercise.
That last piece–the exercise–has magnified beyond just walks and vigorous games with the rope toy because, who would’ve thought, Otto loves to chase Newt.
Poor Newt.
But here’s a funny side effect of Otto’s pursuit of the cat: She’s decided that Cooper is her defender. Today, he was chewing on an antler in the kitchen, and she was sitting behind him… because Otto was flinging his rope around. At night it’s more pronounced. As everyone settles in, she creeps closer and closer to Coop. {Sorry it’s blurry… I was trying to be stealthy and quiet so as not to disturb…}
And when Coop’s not around? Emmett’s the brother on deck!
And, yes, there’s been an awful lot of napping around here! I think throwing Otto into the mix has increased the amount of play among the troops 10 fold. Look at that pile of chew toys strewn about!
Of course, play hard… nap harder…
So, we’re going to stay focused on shedding some of his excess while preventing more Newt torment. He got here 10 days ago and weighed 24. Today he’s at 23. One pound doesn’t seem like much, but on a little guy, I’m chalking it up as progress. I think he goes home in roughly 10 days… think we can get another pound off of him?
With all this plus regular work and some other craziness, I’ve been distracted. I have a ton of really great stuff coming up, including an awesome book review and giveaway, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, I hope you’re having a wonderful week! Feel free to place bets in the comments on whether or not we can get Otto to drop at least another pound!!
Erik N. says
02•18•16 at 4:14 pmMarsha was up to 28 lbs on her last vet visit after holding steady at 24. So I cut back on the amount I feed her. I think she’s starting to trim down! Happy dieting Otto!
Maggie says
02•23•16 at 3:11 pmHe’s slimming down! Will have the final number later this week.. But cutting down his food, I think, has really helped!
Forest Poodles says
02•18•16 at 5:41 pmHe’s a cutie! It must be fun and different to have a little dog around. My husband says any dog smaller than 20lbs is a cat…so maybe at his healthy weight Otto qualifies! 🙂
Maggie says
02•23•16 at 3:12 pmThat seriously cracked me up!! It’s definitely different having a little guy around. He’s easier to trip over! 🙂 Also, when he sits on my lap, he doesn’t crush any vital organs (COOPER.)
jan says
02•18•16 at 7:10 pmI know the Velcro thing. My little guys are sure there is a backdoor in the bathroom.
Maggie says
02•23•16 at 3:12 pmBwahaha!! Hilarious!!
lak says
02•19•16 at 7:05 amany ideas for dropping weight on a dog with soft tissue injury? My dog is on severe restrictions and while I have cut back her food and treats, there is absolutely NO WALKING! per the vet. Two weeks to start with, although I see improvement already. Poor girl usually walks 3-4 miles per day 5-6 days per week and loves to fetch the ball. Going to be a long 2 weeks!!! Otto is adorable.
DZ Dog says
02•19•16 at 2:29 pmMaybe swimming?
Maggie says
02•23•16 at 3:13 pmI was thinking swimming, too! Have you considered switching feeding to an interactive toy that forces some movement/engagement? I’ll keep thinking, but good luck!!
DZ Dog says
02•19•16 at 2:28 pmYou can do it!! Good luck!
Maggie says
02•23•16 at 3:14 pmDare I say… I think I see a slight tuck in his waist! 🙂
Carleen says
02•20•16 at 1:12 pmPoor Otto! Himz not fat; himz fluffy.
Everybody’s so body conscious these days. I would think that the extra activity that leads to lots of napping should have a positive effect. While playing and napping, Otto isn’t noshing. Extra exercise can only be a good calorie burner as well. I’m betting he slims down a tad.
Maggie says
02•23•16 at 3:15 pmHe IS so fluffy! It masks some of his chub! 😉
Callie, Shadow, and Ducky's Mom says
02•20•16 at 4:02 pmActually, one pound over 10 days is a good, healthy plan for a small dog. Thankfully, my girls are at ideal weights; and their sensitive tummies preclude people-food treats that they don’t need anyway.
Maggie says
02•23•16 at 3:16 pmHe has a stomach of steel and the appetite of a dog Emmett’s size. HA! But he’s doing great this week… Will have a final number in a couple days! (Now to train my mom to keep up with it…)
MyDogLikes says
02•21•16 at 10:05 pmI think that is great progress. Awesome job! Hard to believe he weighs almost half of Charlie! I think you will get through the hardest of it now, hopefully when he returns home some of the habits will stick!
Maggie says
02•23•16 at 3:17 pmOh my gosh!! That’s a funny and striking comparison!
Getting the habits to stick at his house… sigh… you’re so right. I think there’s going to be a big training/learning curve for my mom, not just Otto!
And thank you for the cheerleading! It helps keep me motivated!
Craig Sorech says
02•23•16 at 2:20 amTake Otto to play regularly and for more/longer walks. And try to avoid him being fed elsewhere such as by neighbors.
Maggie says
02•23•16 at 3:18 pmThankfully, he’s OBSESSED with tennis balls, so adding play sessions onto his existing walk has been a huge help! Thanks for weighing in (ha… sorta pun intended!)
Howie says
03•04•16 at 1:12 amHi Otto, nice to meet you. Good luck with your weight loss program! and hope your other injuries heal quickly!
Erika Versace says
03•18•16 at 3:21 pmAll of my 15 pets were at perfect weight because I never gave people food and treats. I feed once daily and if there are leftovers, that’s the snacks for later. I have Yorkies, the smallest is 4 pounds and biggest issue 9. One pound either way makes a difference. I feed proportionate to size. They run around most of the time inside and in our yard, never unattended.