Pet

Dog, plus too much food, plus not enough exercise, equals one flabby little Fido. Although a roly-poly pooch might look cute, obesity poses the same health risks for your pet as it does for you. Diet and exercise are key, but if you're having trouble slimming down Sparky, here are some services that can help.

Pooch to 5K
Yes, you read correctly. Just like the Couch to 5K for humans, there's a Pooch to 5K for dogs, a service that offers personal training for the furry loves of your life. Over 40 percent of dogs are overweight, which can lead to joint pain and heart disease, so there's no time like now to get your four-legged friend in tip-top shape. The free Pooch to 5K 12-week training program will help your dog go from lounging around to comfortably running a 5K. What's even better is that you're the one running with your dog three times a week, not the dog trainer, so you too will get in excellent shape. Two paws up!

Keep reading to hear the other ways you can help your beefy Boomer lose weight.

Pets are such a joy to have, but people definitely need to think long and hard before they decide to get one. I've been hesitant about getting a dog, because not only does it take a lot of time and commitment, but raising an animal can also get pretty pricey. Before you take the plunge and fall for a furry friend, make an estimate of what the pet will potentially cost you. Here is a list of basic annual expenses for a variety of pets calculated by the ASPCA.

• Small dog: $580
• Medium dog: $695
• Large dog: $875
• Cat: $670
• Rabbit: $730
• Guinea pig: $635
• Small mammal: $300
• Small bird: $200
• Fish: $35

Keep in mind that getting a pet will initially be a lot more expensive than the annual cost, because you'll have to buy new equipment and pay for the cost of the pet and standard checkups.

Wow, readers got pretty passionate when I asked if pets are worth their cost. I guess there are a lot of animal lovers on Sugar (you and me both)! All of the commenters chimed in about how their furry friend is their sun, moon, and stars. Read on to hear what they had to say:

• Yes . . . in fact, my dog is snuggled up against me right now, keeping me warm. No one else shows me the unconditional love that she does, and I wouldn't care if I had to go into debt to pay for her care.— bsglrok132
• Only $7,000? We spent way more than $20,000 on our lab. Worth every penny and a heck of a lot cheaper than having a kid. — imLissy
• Nothing in this world can offer you the same love and affection that a pet can offer you. So yeah, I do think a few thousand dollars is worth it.— Vampyre
• The money you'd save by not having a dog (or cat) cannot buy the utter joy that having one gives!!! Also, I would think twice before buying a pet, because there are so many that need good homes (available at your local shelter). Both of mine are adopted, and they are just as good as a dog you would purchase from a breeder. — Vampyre

To hear more, read on.

This adorable photo comes from community member Happsmjc in the PetSugar's Dress Up and Play Extravaganza! group.

Happy Easter

Love,

Patterson (& Emmy too!)

PS: I can't believe he puts up with me!!

With all the geeky pet goodies my pal PetSugar and I spotted recently, I figured I'd take it a step further with this pet-themed download for Mac users. Fluffy's Log is a purr-fect home for all of your pet's information — health info, schedule, insurance info, and more.

In addition to storing all of your pet's information in one place, Fluffy's Log also automatically generates a lost-pet poster including all of your furry friend's details and your contact information.You can download a free trial version of the service from the Apple website; if you like it, the full program is $25.

Have you found a cool download-worthy treasure you'd like to share with the rest of us? Create a PopSugar Account or log in to your account. Then join the Download of the Day group, where you can submit your favorite downloads and widgets. And you never know, it could be featured on GeekSugar! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.