Keeping Puppy Mentally Active While Eating Their Meals

[NoodleNut]

Hi All,

Ok, just wanted to post an idea that I have been doing with Noodle the past few weeks that I thought others might be interested in.

Someone told me before we got Noodle that I should not feed her in her dog bowl but make her work for her food. The first few weeks (8 - 11 weeks) she was fed in a bowl and then after that this is what I have been doing and finding works really well .. so much so I wanted to share it with others that have new pups.

Purchase 2 or more 'MasterPet' brand 'Chasers' Fun on the Run cylindrical (football shaped) balls .. I chose to buy the larger one. I have one bright green one and found that Petstock has thenm out for $6.50 each at the moment (check out their brochure as I am sure it is in there) so bought another one.

Ok ... get the ball and place it in a plastic bag.

Put in desired amount of dry food (I am using a combination of Eagle pack and Advance rehydratable)

Add a little pasta, rice or vegetables, chicken pieces etc (for interest). Tonight I filled it with some vegetables (only a table spoon).

Tonight I put a little hot water in the bottom of my frypan (we had Greek lamb straps for dinner) and 'swooched' it around to get all the juices and poured this into the plastic bag.

You can either pile the whole lot into the bag or mix it up in a dish and then squoosh it into the ball in the bag .. up to you ... I find the former a little easier myself.

Add the amount of water you would normally have for say the rehydratable food and then get the air out of the bag and tie it. Put another bag around this one and start moulding the food into the holes.

Freeze bag (if you want to do a number of them and put in the freezer).

When you take the bags off in the morning everything has obviously solidified and your pup will spend a very LONG time licking, chewing trying to get their breakfast out .... great mental work out.

Anyway, that's my idea for what it is worth. Kongs don't work at all with my pup but these balls are great!!

PS I also put the ball on the top shelf of the dishwasher and they wash up fine .. much easier than hand washing .. I must say it is 'clean' when Noodl ehas finished with it!!

Anyone else out there with 'active mind eating ideas'??

[LuvMyCav]

That sounds great! Noodle must love that. I'm not so imaginative I'm afraid but I hide dry food around the garden sometimes whilst Charlie is in a "stay" and watching me. Then, when he's allowed to, he races off to try and remember all the hiding places. His daily frozen chicken neck is pushed down inside a rubber treat ball and takes him quite a while to get out. I like the idea of them having to "work" for the food.

[cavNrott]

I will put dry food in treat balls for the dogs to entertain themselves but their main meals are dished up in their bowls and they are allowed to eat in peace.

[NoodleNut]

His daily frozen chicken neck is pushed down inside a rubber treat ball and takes him quite a while to get out.

I did that once and she couldn't get the darn thing out .. I couldn't stand the look of it and the smell and ended up chucking the whole thing out...

(I cannot type with Noodle on my LAP ... she thinks she is a lap dog and she is fast growing out of theat lap stage!! )

anyway .. back to typing funny with Noodle's head in the crook of my right arm...................................

... it was the middle of summer and I had frozen the chicken neck inside the ball .. never again .. what a mess and she couldn't get it out anyway .. groan.

I must say after a good run down at the park playing fetch, reinforcing obedience lessons, or just out on a walk with lots of mental stimulation or obedience days we resort to the bowl ... there is obviously some days where working for ones food is not required. This works well when there is noone at home and perhaps we are at school/work etc.

[trishalouise]

Sounds very interesting - can you post a piccie?

Trish

[chugo101]

Hi All,

Ok, just wanted to post an idea that I have been doing with Noodle the past few weeks that I thought others might be interested in.

Someone told me before we got Noodle that I should not feed her in her dog bowl but make her work for her food. The first few weeks (8 - 11 weeks) she was fed in a bowl and then after that this is what I have been doing and finding works really well .. so much so I wanted to share it with others that have new pups.

Purchase 2 or more 'MasterPet' brand 'Chasers' Fun on the Run cylindrical (football shaped) balls .. I chose to buy the larger one. I have one bright green one and found that Petstock has thenm out for $6.50 each at the moment (check out their brochure as I am sure it is in there) so bought another one.

Ok ... get the ball and place it in a plastic bag.

Put in desired amount of dry food (I am using a combination of Eagle pack and Advance rehydratable)

Add a little pasta, rice or vegetables, chicken pieces etc (for interest). Tonight I filled it with some vegetables (only a table spoon).

Tonight I put a little hot water in the bottom of my frypan (we had Greek lamb straps for dinner) and 'swooched' it around to get all the juices and poured this into the plastic bag.

You can either pile the whole lot into the bag or mix it up in a dish and then squoosh it into the ball in the bag .. up to you ... I find the former a little easier myself.

Add the amount of water you would normally have for say the rehydratable food and then get the air out of the bag and tie it. Put another bag around this one and start moulding the food into the holes.

Freeze bag (if you want to do a number of them and put in the freezer).

When you take the bags off in the morning everything has obviously solidified and your pup will spend a very LONG time licking, chewing trying to get their breakfast out .... great mental work out.

Anyway, that's my idea for what it is worth. Kongs don't work at all with my pup but these balls are great!!

PS I also put the ball on the top shelf of the dishwasher and they wash up fine .. much easier than hand washing .. I must say it is 'clean' when Noodl ehas finished with it!!

Anyone else out there with 'active mind eating ideas'??

Sounds great, I'd planned to give my labrador pup (we collect her Wednesday) a treat ball with dry food in for her breaky to keep her entertained while I'm on the school run and at aerobics. Your idea is great too so I'll be sure to give it a try and let you know how it goes!

[LuvMyCav]

His daily frozen chicken neck is pushed down inside a rubber treat ball and takes him quite a while to get out.

I did that once and she couldn't get the darn thing out .. I couldn't stand the look of it and the smell and ended up chucking the whole thing out...

(I cannot type with Noodle on my LAP ... she thinks she is a lap dog and she is fast growing out of theat lap stage!! )

anyway .. back to typing funny with Noodle's head in the crook of my right arm...................................

... it was the middle of summer and I had frozen the chicken neck inside the ball .. never again .. what a mess and she couldn't get it out anyway .. groan.

I must say after a good run down at the park playing fetch, reinforcing obedience lessons, or just out on a walk with lots of mental stimulation or obedience days we resort to the bowl ... there is obviously some days where working for ones food is not required. This works well when there is noone at home and perhaps we are at school/work etc.

The ball I use is a Kong Goodie Ball:

http://www.amazon.com/Kong-Goodie-Ball-4-8...5/dp/B00009ZJ3A

It has a star shaped opening at both ends so if I push it down a bit far and Charlie can't get it out (but he does keep working on it for quite a while so I think he enjoys the mental challenge), he waits at the back door with it at his feet (or sometimes sneaks in with it through the doggy door and leaves it at my feet ) so that I can help him to push it through from the other end. There's no way it can get stuck. If the neck is a bigger size and doesn't fit in the ball, I use a kong but if it gets stuck in there it's a little harder to get out but I push it through the small hole with a skewer.

[NoodleNut]

Great suggestion luvmycav! Have to try that one.

I will try and take some photos of the ball I am using tomorrow for everyone too ....

Any more ideas DOLers??

[Dogsfevr]

I agree main meals are feed in bowls here,they dont need to be mentallly active when eating but left in peace to enjoy there daily fuel.

Im sorry but for me there is fun then teasing.When you have a hungry dog making it hard for them to eat isnt my idea of a mental job but mental frustration

[Silverblue]

I agree Settrlvr,

To me that is just cruel, let the pup eat in peace.

Certainly put there treats in a ball, but definanately not thier meals.

[cavNrott]

I agree main meals are feed in bowls here,they dont need to be mentallly active when eating but left in peace to enjoy there daily fuel.

Im sorry but for me there is fun then teasing.When you have a hungry dog making it hard for them to eat isnt my idea of a mental job but mental frustration

Exactly, to mess around with a dog's main mealtime may cause problems down the track. Why not let the dog eat it's meal in peace. I wouldn't want my meal interrupted constantly because someone thinks it's a fun thing to do.

My dogs get to eat their meal without interference. They eat shoulder to shoulder without issue because they know they have no need to protect their food and that no one is going to mess with their food and tease them.

[LuvMyCav]

Charlie has his breakfast in either a bowl or kongs. His dinner is in a bowl too but his chicken neck is always in a ball or kong. It was suggested by his puppy class teacher, reinforced later at obedience classes and again later by an animal behaviourist that it is good to keep them stimulated and give them something to work at. By using the rubber ball for the chicken neck it stops him from wolfing it down without chewing (which is what he does when I've tried it).

[Baileys mum]

I agree main meals are feed in bowls here,they dont need to be mentallly active when eating but left in peace to enjoy there daily fuel.

Im sorry but for me there is fun then teasing.When you have a hungry dog making it hard for them to eat isnt my idea of a mental job but mental frustration

Exactly, to mess around with a dog's main mealtime may cause problems down the track. Why not let the dog eat it's meal in peace. I wouldn't want my meal interrupted constantly because someone thinks it's a fun thing to do.

My dogs get to eat their meal without interference. They eat shoulder to shoulder without issue because they know they have no need to protect their food and that no one is going to mess with their food and tease them.

I also agree that dogs should be able to eat out of their bowl in peace, it is cruel to turn their main meal time into a game,& they certainly don;t need to mentally stimulated, it will probably only make them become food agressive.

Let your dog eat in peace & save the fun games & food treats for training & playtime.

[chugo101]

I plan to put dry kibble in a treat ball so my puppy is entertained while I'm out for 2 hours in the morning. Surely if I feed her breakfast and then give her a treat ball as an occupier this means she'll be getting too much food? I only plan to do this for breakfast, lunch she'll have a chicken wing and dinner BARF patty.

Surely this would be ok?

[NoodleNut]

Hi Baileys mum, cavNrott & settrlvr,

Ok,... just so you are all clear that I am not abusing my pup let me explain further ... obviously some sense is required in doing what I am doing. I did not put on the times that I use the ball (didn't think there was any need .. just the idea was what I wanted to convey)

For what it is worth, I have a working dog (a Puli) with heaps of mental and physical energy to burn. I also don't want the backyard turned into a bomb site if she gets bored.

2. she does not have a huge food drive, she never eats more than her fill and does not come back for more. Yes, the food bowl is taken away after 20 minutes.

3. After obedience training she gets fed in a bowl

4. After a massive play with a friends cocker spaniel this afternoon , she got fed in her bowl tonight.

5. She is fed with the ball on the days I head off to work but at night after her walk/play/short training session she has a chicken neck/food in a bowl.

6. She has absolutely no interest in the usual treats. Her high value treats are hot dog (gives her the runs so she never gets it .. I have an aversion to wiping a Puli's butt!! and tiny bits of cheese) .. all other treats do not work at all ... one sniff and she does not touch it so no point putting them in a treat ball .. no interest at all. So, all other treat ideas during the day are not touched at all - hence using her breakfast. She does not like biscuits (I have a cupboard full of them from Eagle Pack to cottage cheese healthy ones to the el' cheapo ones from the local pet shop and supermarkets ... screws her nose up at all of them). Anyone out there want some

7. Being a pup she is still fed twice a day .. one of these feeds is with the ball (always when we are out NEVER when we are at home) unless it is an obedience morning or a day when there will be a heap of exercies/mental stimuation like visiting a friend's dog.

Incidently she ran rings around the cocker this afternoon and he is only 12 months old ... she was rounding him up for 1.5 hours and had him chasing her but she is so much faster! Poor Barney he just couldn't keep up. She had an absolute ball! Where's the sheep???

Again it is up to each owner and knowledge of their breed and individual dog/temperament. I see no evidence of harm to Noodle. She wanders off like she has got a prize possession. After she is finished eating out of the ball she then plays with it as it rolls quite easily. She also has a mass of other toys that we rotate.

Hope this clarifies our situation.

PS: Yes she is doing obedience and I have already taught her to roll over and shake hands at home (all reward training) as well as the usual stuff at obedience so plenty of that going on as well. When we are home she is inside with us and sleep inside and only outside for a few hours of the day when I am working.

Noodle 5.5 months Hungarian Puli

[Guest Willow]

NoodleNut, It's great that you are obviously putting such a lot of effort into thinking up ways to keep your pup mentally stimulated.

You are obviously monitoring Noodle closely (cool name for a Puli, BTW!!!) for any signs of unhappiness, and I agree, this is dependant on the individual dog.....some would like it & some wouldn't, but noodle obviously does

The better zoos have similar programmes for the animals....hiding food in frozen blocks for polar bears, and putting chunks of meat on the tops of poles for the big cats, to get them to think & work for their food, as they would in the wild.

If the dog is happy & the owner is happy, then run with it.

[poodlefan]

I don't make meal times a boredom buster for one simple reason - I have more than one dog. The only time I ever tried a treat ball, Lily worked her arse off rolling it around to get treats out and Ted ate every single one.

I don't think it's cruel but I'd be careful with treat balls while you are away from home. I've not seen it but I have heard stories of dogs getting their lower jaws stuck in them.

[NoodleNut]

NoodleNut, It's great that you are obviously putting such a lot of effort into thinking up ways to keep your pup mentally stimulated.

You are obviously monitoring Noodle closely (cool name for a Puli, BTW!!!) for any signs of unhappiness, and I agree, this is dependant on the individual dog.....some would like it & some wouldn't, but noodle obviously does

The better zoos have similar programmes for the animals....hiding food in frozen blocks for polar bears, and putting chunks of meat on the tops of poles for the big cats, to get them to think & work for their food, as they would in the wild.

If the dog is happy & the owner is happy, then run with it.

Thanks Willow .... I found this quote from an international Puli owner ( am on a number of International Puli sites) that sums up my breed ..

They are not dogs to be left alone all day while you go out to work, remember they were bred to work 24/7 365 days of the year with the shepherds often spending 6 months of the year up on the high plains with the constant companionship of the shepherds.

They are also ultra alert watchdogs which means they will always bark when someone approaches your property (you can tell from their bark whether it is a friend or a stranger approaching).

Being extremely active and intelligent they thrive on being given a "job" to do be that obedience, agility or flyball, if not given proper mental as well as physical stimulation they will make their own entertainment to vent their frustration be that running laps round the house, chewing or extra barking, or in males becoming over protective, mine all walked upwards of 5 miles per day, my near 16 year old still enjoys short walks and free running in the fields.

In hindsight (always 20/20) perhaps I should have put a proviso on my posting .. for active working breeds only (groan) ... I do try to contribute ..

Glad you like her name .. always brings a smile to people's faces.

Had two people today think she was a Poodle ... grrrrrr!! Don't get me wrong ... love the Poodle but she is not one ... the Puli t-shirt and jacket gets pulled out for every obedience class .. reminds me I better get it out for the morning ... can't wait .. Noodle and I rock (well, we did last week anyway)

[NoodleNut]

I don't make meal times a boredom buster for one simple reason - I have more than one dog. The only time I ever tried a treat ball, Lily worked her arse off rolling it around to get treats out and Ted ate every single one.

If I had another Puli I would be right as far as the stimulation goes.. but not at the moment .. I want to experience the cording process first to see if I could cope with a second .. love the white ones o/s

poodlefan I have to say .. I need a t-shirt with a photo of a black poodle and photo of my Puli next to it .. constant comments that Noodle is a Poodle. I even had one say she looked like a black Bichon!!

[poodlefan]

Noodlenut:

In hindsight (always 20/20) perhaps I should have put a proviso on my posting .. for active working breeds only (groan) ... I do try to contribute ..

"Active working breeds"are not the only intelligent, high energy dogs that need mental and physical stimulation Noodle.

I know 3 Puli owners and my dogs walk with a Puli some mornings. I think you'll find quite a few DOLers aren't unfamiliar with them.

What your're encountering is a difference of opinion from some folk who believe that feeding time isn't an ideal situation to make a dog 'work' for its food. Such "work" can generate negative associations with food including anxiety, frustration and resource guarding.

If it works for you and your dog that's great but other people choose to differ. I like meal times to be a quiet, uneventful and calm time - but as I said, I have more than one dog.