These dog breeds are most likely to overeat — and what to do about it

Researchers at Texas A&M University surveyed more than 15,000 dog owners about their pets’ eating behavior and analyzed clinical records tracking dogs’ weight from their earliest days. The team calls this measure “food motivation.” A high food motivation score means a dog strongly enjoys food and may be at risk of becoming overweight.

What Did the Study Reveal?

To calculate a dog’s food motivation score, owners answered questions about appetite, pickiness, and interest in food. Researchers combined those responses with veterinary records, including each dog’s body condition score (BCS). To assign a BCS, a veterinarian weighs the dog, palpates its ribs and hips, and assesses how much fat the dog has relative to its size.

The analysis showed that sporting breeds, such as spaniels, retrievers, setters, and pointers, had a 10 percent higher likelihood of high food motivation scores compared with mixed-breed dogs. Labradors and golden retrievers were the most prone to overeating.

Hounds had a 5.3 percent higher risk of high food motivation than mixed breeds. This group includes dachshunds, greyhounds, beagles, and basset hounds.

Conversely, non-sporting breeds typically scored lower on food motivation—about 4.1 percent lower than mixed breeds. Examples of non-sporting breeds in the study included poodles, bulldogs, dalmatians, and terriers.

“Overweight dogs are prone to numerous health issues, such as skin disease, diabetes, and arthritis,” said Kate Crivie, a veterinary professor and the lead author of the study.

She emphasized that veterinarians need to take canine obesity more seriously and accurately identify its causes—specifically whether the condition is linked to social, environmental, or demographic factors. “That information will help ensure every dog has the best quality of life,” Professor Crivie said.

The team noted that breed isn’t the only factor influencing a dog’s tendency to be overweight. BBC Science Focus reported that larger dogs were more likely to have high food motivation scores.

Dogs living in urban areas are also at greater risk of gaining excess weight compared with their rural counterparts.

Overeating was also more common among dogs living in households with multiple family members. Dogs in those homes were more likely to gain excess weight than dogs living with a single owner. Crivie says this pattern may stem from either too much attention—people giving extra treats—or not enough attention.

This shows up not only in extra treats and displays of affection but also in a dog’s physical activity and access to food. “Some dogs may seek food out of boredom, which is worsened in environments where physical exercise is limited,” Crivie said.

What to Do If Your Dog Has Gained Extra Pounds?

On this issue, experts say veterinarians and owners often aren’t on the same page. “It’s entirely possible that some dogs need stricter feeding rules,” Crivie said.

Visit a veterinarian. The vet will develop individualized recommendations for your dog, suggest appropriate food, design an exercise plan, and set a feeding schedule. These steps are essential to help the dog feel active and healthy again.

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