Food Obsessed

[Alyosha]

Ok. I have this foster Greyhound who is absolutely food OBSESSED.

That is fine, he was skinny when he arrived, I can understand it. But it just isn't reducing over time. He bashes his nose into his food bowl when eating - and hard - trying to grab bigger mouthfuls.

He knows the command "wait" so that he has to be still, pause for a moment and watch me for a command before being allowed to eat, but that doesn't slow him down once he gets his food. I worry a little about him bloating.

Gobble bowls or rocks in his bowl don't slow him down, he just hits his nose into them in his lust to gobble so hard that he can and will injure his nose.

I also cannot get him to take treats from my hand - it is a real risk to fingers. He's not aggressive at all - but if you give his a release command to take the treat he just grabs without thinking or pausing.

I have been reading through the triangle of temptation, which is great but much of this he does. It not so much the approach to eating but that actual act of eating I'm trying to work on.

The only issue with the TOT that he has is that he will not relax if there is the possibility of food anywhere in the vicinity. It doesn't matter how long you leave him. And getting his attention in teh vicinity of food is difficult for more than a few seconds.

I'd really like to get him to settle a little bit before I re-home him. Especially with the grabbing treats.

Any ideas?

Edited July 9, 2009 by Nattylou

[Nekhbet]

i spread the food on the ground (especially kibble) and let them pick it up bit by bit. Or throw it on some grass he will have to work for it.

move all other dogs away completely for this and leave him be. Slowly come closer and hang around he will start to learn patience.

[fainty_girl]

My dog Tilly was really food obsessed, but she is better with this now. When we first got her she would get excited about seeing me with a glass of water. She also used to really inhale her food at meal times as well.

She still loves her food and will happily eat just about anything, but she has definitely relaxed more. Tilly was a bit skinny and I don't think she was used to being fed regularly. But over time, with the predictability of getting fed decent meals regularly, she has relaxed quite a bit.

Maybe your foster greyhound will be the same.

[anniek]

This is not uncommon with greyhounds fresh into care. Some of them eat like there is no tomorrow.

Is he getting enough to eat? Sometimes feeding several meals a day make them feel a bit fuller and so he won't feel the need to eat so quickly.

It will settle down - how long have you had him?

[Alyosha]

Thanks guys.

He's been here for nearly three months and seems to be eating enough as he is in very nice condition now - he's a big tall boy anyway but he's very solid as well at the moment (not fat though :p). All the foster greys I've had have been very keen eaters, and I've had a couple of skinnies as well. He gets it in two meals a day. If he gets hold of extras they're gone, he can just keep on going... hence my worries about him bloating if he gets a chance!

I suppose I should be fair to him and say he has improved a bit, he knows his commands to wait for his food etc it's just the full on gutsing when he gets anything. It would just be nice to be able to get him to take a treat from a hand without taking half my arm with it! :D

[Aidan]

One of the problems with dogs that devour your hand with the treat is that they actually get the treat. If you can teach him to target the palm of your hand with no treat in it, you can teach him to be gentle around your hands. Next, have him take a leaf or something (not food) from the palm of your hand. When he can do that, try a really boring piece of food after a meal (say, a piece of vegetable or something he doesn't care much for).