Liar liar paws on fire: the collar to catch canine tricksters overeating

Seven in 10 dogs are tipping the scales into obesity by tricking their owners into thinking they’re hungry, but a new lie detector collar is set to put a stop to that.

Pet parents often fall victim to puppy dog eyes when it comes to sneaking their dog extra snacks, but how can you tell if your pups are tricking you into thinking they’re hungry?

A new Lie Detector Collar could hold the answers in helping pet parents determine if their dogs are truly hungry or playing the long game in canine manipulation.

The collar, being trialled by Pedigree Australia, works by tracking the amount of calories your pet burns during the day versus how much food they have eaten, letting owners calculate in a matching app if they’re overfeeding their furry friends at meal times.

Dog Behaviour Specialist and expert in dog body language Nathan Williams with Louey the French Bulldog in North Sydney wearing the lie detector collar. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

It comes as new research from Pedigree Australia has revealed 7 in 10 dogs are tipping the scales, with 69 per cent of owners confessing their pooches are overweight or obese.

Dog Behaviour Specialist and expert in dog body language Nathan Williams said he was ‘not surprised’ by the findings and that man’s best friend was the one to blame for the power of puppy dog eyes.

“When a dog does that cute sad face and we fall for it the dog goes ‘aha’ and they’ll do that again,” Mr Williams said.

“It becomes evident to the dog that the facial expressions and all those things are effective, manipulative tools that they can use.”

Mr Williams said: “We humanise dogs more as time goes on. We typically spoil them … to the detriment of the dog’s health.” Picture: Sam Ruttyn

But Mr Williams cautioned against getting into the habit of slipping our pooches an extra snack or risk paying the price at the vet down the track.

“We humanise dogs more as time goes on. We typically spoil them … to the detriment of the dog’s health,” he said.

“It’s the heart, liver, pancreas, everything gets affected when a dog’s overweight.”