Prof. Kate Shoveller appeared in a CBC News story Dec. 30 talking about overuse of treats as a culprit in overweight dogs.

The story highlighted a recent Italian study that found that owners overfed their dogs with calorie-rich treats such as biscuits, meat strips and chewable sticks.

Shoveller, an animal nutritionist and animal biosciences professor at U of G, told CBC that treats, which are often used for training, can contain things like sugar to make them appealing. She said the best thing dog owners can do for their pet is spend more time with them.

Shoveller studies energy amino acid metabolism in monogastric animals, and how diet interacts with the animal and its environment.