Picky, Picky

 

How long does it take for your dog to eat? Does the food disappear in a flash or does your dog totally ignore the food when the bowl is full?

I think it is great when the dog loves food. I would rather have the problem of slowing down the eating rather than waiting on the dog to be interested in their food.

If you are concerned about eating too fast you can change what you put the food in such as:

   

1. Spread out on a cookie sheet.

2. Pour into the cups of a muffin tin.

3. Float in water. 

4. Try a Green Interactive Feeder..

5. Train + feed.         

 

 

So the tougher problem is when a dog doesn't like their food. Sure taste is important. Your dog may have a genuine preference. But how many opened bags of food are you going to let sit in the cupboard and heaven forbid you buy a 50lb bag your dog won't eat!!

Speaking about what is in food, I am pretty opinionated about the ingredients. To me, I equate dyed dog food to Lucky Charms: All gimmick and not much nutrition. I am not saying you have to buy the most expensive food either. Just be a label reader and buy quality. Most important, know that dogs don't digest corn. Avoid wheat flour, they cause wheat allergies. Limit Sugar, as in peanut butter, molasses, potatoes and simple carbohydrates, which wreck havoc with the dog's natural yeast. 

 

A question to ask is "Are you part of the problem?" Have you created this picky eater? I say this because quite often the bowl gets filled in the morning, stays out all day with the dog nibbling at leisure maybe emptying it by the end of the day. Or the person will supplement with additional food to fill up the bowl for dinner. This may mean that the bowl is never empty. I call this Free Feeding. Which is a No-No.

 

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Teach your dog how to eat what is provided. Do this by tethering your dog on a leash in the same spot for every meal where you want the dog to eat. Think of this like a child in a high chair. Hopefully you have a convenient door knob near by to use. Why this way, you may ask? Because it's important to not let the dog walk away. The other part to make this successful it to take away the bowl after 15 min. This should be plenty of time for your dog to eat. Dogs are hunters and need to eat when the food is available. If it is always there then they don't have to work so hard, also problems can arise: Resource guarding and lessening your Leadership role. Why do they need YOU if they can have food whenever they want?

Want a healthy dog both in mind and body? Provide good, quality food, two times a day for an adult dog, three times for a puppy. Make the dog work for it by doing a Sit or Down command with a release to eat. A good eater is ready for a good day!

Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net

Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070