Hello From Georgia!

I just found this forum and I'm so glad! Two weeks ago, my husband and I took in my MIL's cockapoo, Rosie, after she had to leave her home and go into assisted care. We already have 3 other dogs (2 minipoos and an elderly black lab), so I have a full pack! Rosie has run the roost her whole life, and eaten nothing but custom-cooked chicken (as much as she could eat everyday) and an unlimited supply of Milkbones.

Needless to say, Rosie's morbidly obese! She weighed 28.2 pounds when we got her (and that was after going on a hunger strike for a solid week while living with a neighbor of my MIL's until we could go and get her down in FL), and she should weigh around 14-16. I transitioned her to our dog's food within a week (she doesn't handle starving herself very well ), and she's on a restricted diet. I'm giving her 1/4 c. of Taste of the Wild Sierra (lamb) twice a day, and she gets a healthy dose of no salt green beans for a high fiber, low calorie filler, along with salmon oil in her evening food. At first, she was picking at the food, but now, she frenzies at feeding time, like our other dogs do.

I'm proud to say that Rosie's already lost 2 pounds in the two weeks we've had her! 2 pounds down, 12 more to go... Fortunately, she loves playing fetch with her stuffie in the house, and we'll start going for walks as the weather improves. I have a fenced in yard, and she's had to adjust to going out loose - she wasn't used to that.

Rosie's also learning manners for the first time in her life. Wow, you mean I can't jump up and lay on the end table next to the couch? Uh, no... You mean I can't go dashing out the door when it opens? Uh, double no! She seems VERY smart, so she's learning fast.

I'm looking forward to learning more about this breed on this forum! And yes, I know, you want pictures! Hopefully, I'll get one on here soon. I teach full time, and with four dogs, my life is crazy!