Chubby Dogs Need Love, Too

On our way out of the dog park we walked past the animal control officer. He was checking to see if all the dogs had the required permits to play there. “Beautiful Aussies. You usually don’t see one that’s over weight, though…”

We have two Australian Shepherds, and one of them, Maddy, tends to be tiny bit on the chubby side. Yes, she has a pretty face and a great personality, but she loves to eat. The other dog, Scarlett, is naturally lean and fit.

Overweight dogs have become a huge problem. So much so that pet food manufacturers are targeting dog owners with special formulas for slimming down your pooch. Just when I thought I’d seen it all, pet food maker Nutripro suggests your dog isn’t getting any nookie without slimming down:

Click to see larger version

What really struck me about this ad (see the whole series of here) is that the dog getting boned enjoying herself, as well as the dog looking on, are both Aussies. That’s a little too close to home. I’m so glad I don’t have daughters.

So what is Nutripro really appealing to here? The health of our dogs, or our narcissism?

11 thoughts on “Chubby Dogs Need Love, Too

  1. OFD: The dogs in the ads look porcine to me.

    Also, only now does it occur to me that I should have titled this post “Doggy Style.”

  2. Obese people already have low self-esteem, and this ad basically says “ha ha, look, that fat dog is just like all those unhappy fat people.” In a country where obesity’s an epidemic.

    Brilliant marketing strategy.

  3. We should not overfeed our dogs as it’s hard to lose weight just like us people but I don’t see a lot of fat dogs.

  4. Bryan, I may have misspoken: I think what I meant was that we think dog obesity has become a big problem.

    And Kevin, when a marketer can tap into both our insecurity and something we have a deep emotional connection with, in this case our dogs, they have us firmly by our kibbles.

  5. Luckily for Maddy, she’s a dog and isn’t bothered by what the animal control officer had to say, plus, she can’t read your blog. Come to think of it, Maddy grows her own fur and doesn’t have to worry about dress sizes!

    Let Maddy be Maddy!

  6. Rob – Right, but isn’t that usually in conjuction with a solution? This ad just seems to accentuate the negative aspects of obese life. There’s nothing that shows a solution, or hope, for this fat dog and by turn his fat owner.

  7. WTH? When was the last time you saw an animal control officer who wasn’t a bit soggy around the middle?

    Next time have the dog challenge the officer to a ‘race to the donut’ – – 50 yards, no-holds-barred scramble for the sugar-glazed prize. Just make sure there’s a portable defibrillator around for the inevitable coronary…

  8. Chubby dogs need wuv too, oh yes they do. Oh, yes they do, don’t they? Who’s a chubby dog, who needs some wuv???

    Okay, I’ll stop.

    We have two corgis and that breed is notorius for putting on weight if the owners aren’t careful. The two girls are just fine in their weight, but the old man we had years ago… well, let’s just say he liked his daily shotglass of beer.

    Hey, they’re British ya know! (I used to say he was big-boned.)

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