Published in Anthrozoös, this qualitative study by Imogen Lloyd, T. Furtado, A. German, F. Watkins, R. Christley, and C. Westgarth examined 450 forum posts and 637 video comments addressing dog overweight, body condition, and weight management. With canine obesity recognized as a major welfare crisis, understanding owner beliefs is essential for designing effective interventions.
Through thematic analysis, the authors identified four key themes shaping online discourse:
1. Balancing conflicting responsibilities: Owners described tension between providing love, happiness, and health. Many struggled to reconcile emotional feeding with veterinary advice, influencing adherence to weight-reduction plans.
2. Need vs. greed: Owners frequently interpreted their dogs’ food-seeking behaviors as hunger, making it difficult to implement reduced-calorie diets. This misinterpretation fostered overfeeding despite health concerns.
3. Minimizing: Some individuals downplayed excess body fat, using gentler language—such as “chonky”—and reframing weight as endearing. Perception shifted only when health risks became undeniable.
4. Control: Owners varied in their sense of agency over feeding and body condition. Some felt fully responsible for their dog’s weight, while others believed they had little or no control, citing breed tendencies, family pressures, or behavioral challenges.
These insights highlight the social and emotional dimensions that influence feeding habits and compliance with veterinary recommendations. The authors emphasize that owner-centered perspectives should inform behavior-change strategies aimed at improving canine welfare and reducing the prevalence of obesity.
Source: Lloyd, I., Furtado, T., German, A., Watkins, F., Christley, R., & Westgarth, C. (2023). “He’d Be Happier if He Wasn’t Chonky” – Qualitatively Exploring Canine Obesity Perceptions Using YouTube™ and Discussion Fora. Anthrozoös. Published January 30, 2023.
