Social media is flooded with pictures of chubby dogs labeled as 'cute' or 'adorable,' but have you ever stopped to think about the message they are sending? While these posts might get a lot of likes, they are also helping to normalize something dangerous - obesity in our pets. Today, we're diving into why this trend is dangerous and what we can do to promote healthier, happier lives for our dogs.

Obesity in dogs is becoming more common than ever, with studies showing that over 50% of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese and unfortunatelly the obesity is considered the most common and preventable disease in dogs. While a few extra kilograms might seem harmless or even cute, the reality is that obesity can lead to a lot of health issues, including diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, and a shortened lifespan.

Think about it - our dogs rely on us for everything, including their diet and exercise. When we allow them to become overweight, we're putting their health at risk. And that's something no pet parent wants.

Unfortunatelly social media has played a big role in normalizing obesity in dogs. We often see pictures of chubby dogs with comments like "adorable" or "so cute!" But while these dogs might look cute, they're actually at risk for serious health problems. By continuing to praise and normalize this, we're sending the wrong message.

We need to start changing the conversation around dog obesity. Instead of celebrating chubby dogs, let's focus on promoting healthy, active pets. Share success stories of dogs who have lost weight and regained their health, and encourage others to do the same.

The sad part of this problem is that it is completely preventable problem. Obesity can be relatively easily fixed by lowering the calory intake, which means feeding your dog with lower portions of food and by exercising your dog more. The ammount of exercise depends on a breed, but if your dog has a problem with weight, walk him more, play with him more, run, swim, hike… Any activity will help him.

Of course, some individual dogs will be prone to obesity more than others. There are some particular breeds known for being prone to obesity a lot. Those would include various Bulldog breeds, Pugs, Labradors, Bassets, Beagles or Rottweilers. But even these breeds can be in tip top shape – i am speaking from my own experience. This is a video of my previous Labrador and even though he had an appetite of a bear just waking from hibernation, he would literally eat non-stop, even than he stayed fit, lean and most importantly healthy and happy. Because i exercised him and fed him properly towards his needs.

It's not about body-shaming our or your dogs—it's about loving them enough to take their health seriously. By addressing obesity, we can help our dogs live longer, happier lives. Obesity is not normal, especially not in dogs, because they – unlike majority of people – do not choose to be fat.

Let's work together to stop normalizing obesity in dogs and start prioritizing their health.

 The Cane Corso and Neapolitan Mastiff are two powerful Italian dogs that share similar ancestry and appearance, but there are some important differences between them.
Both dogs can trace their origin back to ancient Italian farmdogs, catchdogs and guard dogs. Most of these dogs were some kind of Bulldogs that were traditionally used as versatile workers in Italy. Over the time, different people bred these old Bulldogs with their own vision and with their own breeding practices, resulting in two different pure dogs, the Neapolitan Mastiff and Cane Corso.
It is important to say, that Cane Corso almost went extinct in 1970s and the Cane Corso we have today is a result of modern selective breeding of the few surviving specimen and the Cane Corso from 1950s would be quite different from the Cane Corso we have today. But lets go back to comparison of the Neo and Cane Corso.
The easiest way how to tell these two dogs apart are their facial features. The Neapolitan Mastiff have massive head which is heavily wrinkled, droopy ears and very loose skin. On the other hand, the Cane Corso has more proportionate head size towards it body size, they have only few wrinkles that are not that deep, wide skull, a flat forehead.
Not only that the Neapolitan Mastif has large head, they are large overall. You can see the size comparison on the screen right now and as you can see, the size difference can be quite huge. The Neapolitan Mastiff is truly giant dog, while the Cane Corso is more athletic and less bulky.
Both dogs have short and dense coat. The Cane Corso is typically black, gray, red, chestnut or brindle. The preffered colors of Neapolitan Mastiff are black, gray and fawn and it can also be brindle. So as you can see, there are no big differences in coat and color.
The maintenance of both dogs is also almost identical. Their short practical coat only needs brushing from time to time to minimize the shedding. Of course, the deep wrinkles of Neo should be kept dry and clean in order to prevent infections and the Neapolitan Mastiff drools much more than the Cane Corso, so in this area, the maintenance of Neapolitan Mastiff is slightly harder.
Now lets compare the temperament. Both dogs have protective insticts and territorial temperament. But the Cane Corso is much more active, protective, we can say agressive and territorial. They are much better suited for guarding jobs. Cane Corso can also have stronger prey drive, as they were used as hunting dogs in the past as well and they can be succesfully trained to protect livestock as well. The Cane Corso is truly versatile worker, they have more practical body type for working and they need much more physical and mental stimulation than the Neapolitan Mastiff.
The Neapolitan Mastiff is much more laid back. They are still protective and need daily physical exercise, but not to the extent of Cane Corso. The Neapolitan Mastiff is known to be very gentle around family members, even kids. They are gentle giants. The Neapolitan Mastiff also does not have tendencies to hunt or chase other animals, so they are better fit for families with other household pets in comparison to Cane Corso who sometimes have high chasing instincts.
I can not tell you which breed is better, its up to your preferences, but the Cane Corso is better suited for active families or as working dog, while the Neapolitan Mastiff is more, lets say, typical companion dog.
Of course, due to the strength and protectivness of both breeds, proper early socialization and training is essential and i would not recommend neither of these two breeds to novice dog owners.
Last but not least, lets compare the health. The Neapolitan Mastiff has average lifespan only between 8-10 years. The Cane Corso lifepsan is slightly longer, betwene 10-11 years. Both dogs suffer from various health issues, such as some joint problems like hip and elbow dysplasia, bloating is also pretty common due to deep chest of both dogs. Eye disorders and skin problems are also common for both breeds. The Neapolitan Mastiff is also prone to cardiomyopathy.

1) Phu Quoc Ridgeback
Lets start with the most famous Vietnamese dog breed – the Phu Quoc Ridgeback. Originating from Phu Quoc Island, this breed is famous for its distinctive ridge of hair running along its back, growing in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat. Known for their agility and intelligence, Phu Quoc Ridgebacks were historically used for hunting and guarding.
There are only three ridgeback breeds in the world. The Vietnamese, Thai and Rhodesian Ridgeback. The Vietnamse Ridgeback is the smallest of these three breeds, with height between 48-55 cm (19-22 in) and weight typically around 18 kg (40 lbs).
As i mentioned, the Phu Quoc Ridgeback comes from an island. And they are well equiped for living on the island, or swimming in the sea, because they have well developed webbed feet, which allows them to be excellent swimmers.

2) Hmong Bobtail Dog
Next, we have the Hmong dog, named after the Hmong ethnic group in northern Vietnam. These dogs are known for their loyalty, strength, and keen senses. Hmong dogs have a sturdy build and a distinctive curly tail. They are often used for herding livestock and as guard dogs due to their protective nature.
As you can probably tell from their name, the Hmong Bobtail Dog is very often born tailless. These dogs tails are not docked, it is natural for them to have very short tails.

3) Bắc Hà
You might heard about the Vietnamese Ridgeback and possibly even about the Hmong bobtail dog before, but the next two dogs i will show you are extremely rare and virtually unknonw outside Vietnam.
The Bac Ha dog, hailing from the Bac Ha district in the northwest, is another remarkable breed. These dogs are known for their thick, dense coat, which protects them from the harsh climate of the highlands. Bac Ha dogs are intelligent and have a calm demeanor, making them excellent companions and watchdogs.

​4) Lài dog
Last but not least, there is the Lai dog. These dogs are also known as Indochina Dingo and their history dates back well over 5,000 years, when they were first bred as hunting dogs in mountainous areas of the Indochinese peninsula, including northern Vietnam.
Unfortunatelly, this landrace dog is today critically endangered with only a few hundred remaining.
The Lài dog is an intelligent, quick-witted and loyal dog that will aggressively protect their owners. They have excellent drive and stamina. Historically, the Lài dog was used a hunting dog, either by catching and retrieving small game or luring animals to the hunter.
All these four breeds showcase the diversity and rich heritage of Vietnam's canine companions. Whether you're drawn to the agile Phu Quoc Ridgeback, the loyal Hmong, the calm Bac Ha, or the versatile Lai dog, each of these dogs has a unique charm.