Poor Bear

How do I convince him he isn't starved?

Bear is around 5 pounds overweight, not really a lot for a large dog, but he's also a senior.
So he was put on a diet
Well, no, not actually, we switched his food out for the senior versions, same brands.
Authority senior canned, and Nutro Natural senior dry.
He was getting the large breed adult variety to begin with.
But instead of one feeding a day his food is split into two feedings, same total amount, he's certain that we're neglecting him.

Maybe a bit of distraction... Does he still like to play, at his age? Does he like to play some game or other? Will he snuggle? Does he enjoy walks or a backyard? How about chew toys?

If you can get him to where he's got more important things to think about than food, maybe he'll stop begging so much. He *is* going to be a bit hungry as his weight drops... we've all been on diets and we know being hungry is just what happens when you're on a diet.

So yeah. Distract the poor bugger... he should get used to it after a while.

Before any puppy is born, little puppy souls sit in classrooms in heaven learning how to give humans THE LOOK. It is designed to make you give him food.

You could try a scratch behind the ears, a belly rub, or give him SMALL treats out of your hand (cat treats are not bad for this since they are so tiny to a dog).

But the bet thing is exercise. A tired dog is a happy dog!

Oh he loves to play, but he pulled his groin last year being silly, so he stops himself rather quickly, the vet and I are certain it's not pain, she's convinced he remembers and stops before he does it again.
That why I split his meal into two meals, he's most active after he eats.
He loves being chased by the cats too.

In the back yard though, he's a typical large senior dog, finds a spot that looks comfy and sprawls out in a patch of sunlight.

I wish we had dog parks here, he could probably wear himself out investigating all the smells at one.

aw poor Bear, Mommy is starving you! I'm with 2dogmom, they are born with that look!

You can add thawed frozen veggies. They can't digest them properly so it's just filler with no calories and they feel full. We use greenbeans or peas. They'll poop 'em out whole tho. Try to get salt free and organic if you can swing it.