I recently started giving her tiny pieces of hot dogs for training treats and she gets milkbones every day, Also, if we forget to pick up the cat food she devours it. She actually took a piece of her dog food, put it in her mouth and spit it out! We feed her Science Diet's little bites for puppies. Her coat is so silky, we hate to switch brands! I tried putting chicken broth on it and she still didn't like it. She wouldn't eat any dog food yesterday. She hasn't lost her appetite because she'll eat any people food. She is a bit on the thin side but she does go on a 1-2 hr. walk every day and runs almost the whole time chasing squirrels. We also have a 3 month old Sheltie puppy who will take all her food if he can. She is terrified of him when it comes to food because he'll attack her. We now feed him outside and her inside because of this. Is it possible she's still afraid of him even though he's not around and it affected her eating? Any suggestions? I want to show her!
2006-11-02 00:07:14 · 6 answers · asked by SHELTIELUVER 3 in Pets ➔ Dogs
This is the age where many dogs start to become picky. It's generally caused because they naturally start eating less as their growth rate slows, and the owner worries and starts adding stuff to their dinner and changing foods to try to get them to eat. The dog quickly learns that if she just holds out for a bit you'll offer her something better.
Just give her her usual food (by the way, I personally think Science Diet is crap but if she's doing well on it then it works for her). Put it down at breakfast, pick it up 15 minutes later. Put it down at dinner, pick it up 15 minutes later. No other food offered. When she's hungry, she'll eat.
For training, either use her regular food or keep the treats to a very tiny size so she doesn't fill up on them. Don't offer any treats outside of training.
I sympathize with wanting to show a skinny dog....I've had that problem. However, I've found that with maturity these dogs usually fill out and put on enough weight to show if you are patient. When I show puppies, I'm not worried about winning anyway, I just want them to get used to showing and have a good time, so it doesn't matter if they're thin. Once they're out of the puppy class I let them mature before I start seriously showing them. In between they just do the occasional show to keep them "in practice".
2006-11-02 03:30:40 · answer #1 · answered by DaBasset - BYBs kill dogs 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dogs become picky when you give them food choices. They don't need this. Your dog should eat dog food ONLY. When training, use a portion of her daily food (dry food) for rewards & treats. You shouhld never give your dog table scraps, much of the food we eat is really not good for them, and can make them sick, or give them diarreah.
Both my vet & trainer agree with this, and also have told me to put the food down, and after 10-15 minutes, take away any uneaten food. If the dog refuses to eat her food, she can wait until the next feeding time. The dog won't starve herself, she's just holding out for something "better" but needs to learn to eat her food, and only her food.
Science diet is a pretty good dog food, and contains everything your dog needs. You're not doing her a favor by giving her "treats" that she doesn't need, you're causing potential health risks for her, and encouraging her pickiness.
2006-11-02 00:42:24 · answer #2 · answered by Maddy 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Well, I keep a large bowl of dry food out at all times and let my dogs eat as much of it as they want. They don't over eat because they know it is always there. (Some trainers don't recommend this because they tell me they won't learn to depend on you, I find that's not true and they can be trained other ways.) I feed them one can of wet food each per day and a milk bone before and after I work. Sometime they don't eat very much dry food because I fed them too many scraps, but somedays they eat a lot. The vet told me this was fine.
So, I recommend you just keep the dry food out, so they can eat it when the want. Try not to give them scraps and she should eat it. However, I had a very sick dog (tummor on the hear, not to worry you) and I took him to the vet because he wouldn't eat wet or dry food, but he would eat scraps. Even though he was sick, he just loved people food.
Also, this may be temprary because of the new puppy. Dogs like can be very tempramental if they are spoiled (like mine).
2006-11-02 00:24:33 · answer #3 · answered by Mel 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
A dog should be trained on how to eat, walk with you, not to bark, potty training and sleep on its place etc. You can teach anything to your puppy, dogs get trained easily with some good instructions. If you want some good training tips visit https://tr.im/aKHLv
If properly trained, they should also understand whistle and gesture equivalents for all the relevant commands, e.g. short whistle or finger raised sit, long whistle or flat hand lay down, and so on.
It's important that they also get gestures and whistles as voice may not be sufficient over long distances and under certain circumstances.
2016-02-14 04:29:46 · answer #4 · answered by Hermila 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should first feed your dogs in different places,second don't give in to her being picky. Exercise her more and then feed her. Dogs will eat when they are hungary.And if you exercise her really good she wont care what kind of food you give her.
2006-11-02 02:52:14 · answer #5 · answered by Jessica S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Simple answer is to isolate your dog from any food that isn't hers. IF her food is all there is to eat then she should learn to eat it or go hungry. Harsh, but the best way
2006-11-02 00:11:33 · answer #6 · answered by djessellis 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋