 A recent study has found that overweight dogs are more likely to exhibit certain undesirable behaviors such as guarding food, stealing food, barking, growling or snapping at strangers, being fearful of outdoors, and not always coming back when called. These behaviors may negatively impact the health and quality of life of the dog, as well as causing stress to its owner. Additional research is needed to further investigate the causes behind these associations. This article was authored by Alexander J. German, Emily Blackwell, Mark Evans, and others.