If we could live with our body like animals do...

Words VIV ADCOCK

My dog has no point of view at all about her weight or the shape and size of her body. She doesn’t spend the day looking at herself in the mirror pulling at grey hairs, checking her weight on the scales or wondering if her bum looks too big. When she greets other dogs, she doesn’t compare herself to the other dog’s shape, age, colour or breed. When they meet, dogs don’t look each other up and down and go into that silent dialogue of judgment of the dog in front of them. A greyhound doesn’t say to a dachshund, “Oh look at your little short legs and tiny paws and look at my long lean legs and muscular body”.

As nature is allowed to have its course, every animal maintains its natural weight effortlessly. It is humans’ tendency to incorrectly feed or overfeed that causes domestic animals’ weight problems. You don’t see a fat giraffe in the wild!

I have adopted a greyhound who came directly from the racetrack. She is still 100% pure athlete, even after eight months into domestic life. She has a unique way of being with her body that has taught me much.

Being a greyhound, she is on the lean side (ribs showing) and not carrying an ounce of extra weight. We often get comments from children saying, “Look at the skinny dog”. In the early days, I was self-conscious about her weight and took it upon myself to try to feed her more. I was projecting my stuff onto her.

She graciously showed me very quickly that she knew when she’d had enough to eat and would walk away from food.

After having a Labrador who ate everything and anything, including raw broccoli, it was a new experience! She inherently knows how to maintain a bodyweight that works for her, which is different from any other dog I have known. She has taught me to get over my point of view and honour her awareness.

When working with owners about their animal’s weight, it is often the owner’s unconscious need for comfort that leads them to overfeed their pet. It is often misidentified as a kindness to give the pet too many treats. It is not a kindness to the animal if they become overweight. If you asked your animal what it would like to eat and how much, you may be surprised.

My dog clearly enjoys the luxury of moving her body and running for the sheer joy of running. What if you allow yourself to enjoy your body – exactly as it is right now?

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