Maggie is one of the most recognizable West Highland Terriers around because she’s the star of the Caesar dog food commercials. People that aren’t into dogs can’t tell one variety from another, usually, but they can almost always recognize the Caesar dog.

That’s very nice in many ways. We get lots of attention to our dogs when we’re out walking and it sparks a lot of conversation. Westies are great for getting to know people on the street.

Despite all that I have a problem with Maggie being the poster child for West Highland Terriers and its this: she’s a butterball. The hair covers it up to a certain extent, but that pup is overweight.

What’s the point of grooming a west highland terrier if the dog is overweight? The same question applies when it is time to buy dog clothes. It just seems like putting the emphasis in the wrong place to me.

The most important consideration isn’t how good-looking your dog is but how healthy he is, and fat dogs aren’t healthy and get old before their time because of all the extra weight they have to pack.

Our dogs get fat from a combination of too much (or the wrong kind) of food and not enough exercise. They are the same as people in this regard, but their small body mass makes a big difference. A couple of extra pounds on dog that weighs twenty is the equivalent of an extra thirty or forty pounds on a typical adult male human being. We should be measuring ounces not pounds when it comes to assessing our dogs’ weight.

Generally speaking, a West Highland Terrier should weigh between 20 and 22 pounds. If it’s weight increases beyond that, it is definitely time to cut out the treats and maybe reduce the portion size you are feeding.

The sad fact is that we overfeed our dogs because we love them, but all the extra treats and letting them clean our plates for us is just leading to obese dogs, short lives and higher vet bills. Let’s clean up our act! Our dogs will be better off for it.