Nearly 1 In 5 Pet Parents Say Their Dog Is Overweight

"Over the course of two years, we've been able to amass data from nearly half a million dogs, giving us an unparalleled understanding of dogs across America," said Alex Douzet, co-founder and CEO of Ollie. "When analyzing the health data for the Ollie 2018 State of Dogs in America Report, we immediately noticed the direct correlation between a dog's diet and activity level with their ideal weight, which was the catalyst for developing the Ollie Wellness Score^©, ranking dog health in cities across the country."

2018 Ollie Dog Statistics

Top Dog Trends in America

Who's America's Top Dog? Contrary to cultural notions where families have a golden retriever running in a picket-fenced backyard, the most common dog in America's household is the chihuahua. After the chihuahua, the most popular breeds are the larger-sized labrador retriever, pit bull, and german shepherd. Rounding out the top 10 list of dog breeds is the siberian husky, which replaced the poodle in 2018.

Chihuahuas hold the number one rank in Southern cities, such as Dallas, Austin, Houston, Orlando, and Jacksonville, as well as coastal cities like Los Angeles, Boston, and San Francisco.

What does America's Dog Household Look Like? 54% of U.S. households have a male dog, compared to 46% of female dogs. Across the country, male dogs are more popular with the sole exception of Jacksonville where gender equality lives (50% male dogs, 50% female dogs.)

How Many Dogs are Overweight? Although the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention finds that 56% of America's dogs are overweight, Ollie's report reveals that a mere 17% of pet parents think their dog is overweight. A majority of pet parents (73%) say their dog is the ideal weight and 10% say their dog is too skinny.

"There's clearly a disconnect between what pet parents think is a healthy weight for their dog, and what's reality," added Douzet. "According to the Ollie report, 1 in 5 medium-and large-sized dogs tend to be overweight, compared to 1 in 8 small-sized dogs. Households with multiple dogs also tend to be the most overweight with 60% of four-pet households at their ideal weight, compared to single-dog households with 69% at their ideal weight."

What are Dogs in the U.S. Eating? Traditional kibble reigns supreme with 75% of dogs eating dry food. 12% of dogs eat freshly cooked food, followed by wet food (6%), a mix of dry and wet food (4%,) raw food (2%,) and freeze-dried food (2%.)

Despite chicken being the most common allergy dogs have, it is the number one protein fed to dogs. Following chicken, the top proteins dogs eat are beef, lamb, salmon, and turkey.

What are the Biggest Dog Food Trends? The dog food revolution is starting with pint-sized foodies and coastal cities: 20% of toy and small dogs eat alternatives to traditional wet and dry food, compared to 12% of large dogs. In addition, New York is home to the largest number of dogs eating freshly cooked food (17%,) followed by Los Angeles (15%,) San Francisco (15%,) San Diego (14%,) and Boston (14%.)

How does a Dog's Diet Influence Health? Whether it's a small, medium, or large dog, canines who eat alternatives to dry and wet food are more likely to be at an ideal weight. According to Ollie's Wellness Score^©, dogs who consume dry food or a mix of wet and dry food are the least likeliest to be at their ideal weight. The top three cities with the highest kibble consumption also rank within the top five cities with the unhealthiest dogs: San Antonio (82%,) Phoenix (79%,) and Orlando (78%.)

"For years, pet parents have been fed the myth that dry food was the healthiest choice for their dog," added Douzet. "However, Ollie's analysis shows that the complete opposite is true. We hope that by continuing to collect health and nutritional data for dogs, we'll be able to help pet parents make better informed decisions so their dogs can live healthier, happier, and more appetizing lives."

About the Ollie 2018 State of Dogs in America Report
The Ollie 2018 State of Dogs in America Report is based on 2017 and 2018 data collected by Ollie of approximately 400,000 dogs in the United States.

The Ollie Wellness Score^©, which ranks a dog's overall health across the United States, is calculated based on a dog's average body composition, activity level, and diet.

About Ollie
Ollie (www.myollie.com) is a national service that delivers freshly cooked, human-grade food tailored to each dog's nutritional needs. Ollie's personalized meals are free of any by-products and are portioned, packaged, and delivered directly to your door for your best friend. By working with a specialized veterinarian to formulate their AAFCO-compliant recipes, Ollie is able to derive each dog's exact nutritional needs based off of a proprietary algorithm. The recipes are made of natural sources like sweet potato and cod liver oil, instead of heavy use of supplements, which makes it easier for the dog to absorb and get the true nutritional benefits. Through these initiatives and Ollie's carefully crafted diets, dogs can truly live their healthiest and happiest lives.

SOURCE Ollie

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