Whipitgood Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 OK this might be a silly question but ill explain my querie! I have 3 adult dogs and 1 pup from my recent litter that i am running on. On the days i work, i want to leave dry food out for him so he can graze as i wont be home to give him lunch (he is still only 10 weeks old). What set up to people have so their pups can get to food but the adults cant? If i had more than 1 pup then i would just lock them up in a pen together. But seeing as there is only 1, i dont want him locked up all day on his own so he is just running around the enclosed part of our garden with the adults. I have tried making a contraption with the bunnings compost cages with a tiny doorway that i thought only a 10 week pup could get through, but being skinny whippets - my 7 month old can squeeze in and steal the food!! What do others do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 Can you try feeding in the morning, as soon as you get home from work and last thing before bed to get three meals in? This is what most people I know do if they have to be at work with no one home. I know 4 feeds is preferable at this age but three will suffice if necessary. Leaving food out makes dogs into fussy eaters and should be avoided if at all possible. I have no idea how you could keep adult dogs away from the food unless the puppy is in a separate run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaffy Magee Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 Personally I wouldnt leave a 10week old baby with my older dogs unsupervised, but I understand you dont want him on his own and lonely. Can you make up a pen for him so he can still see/be near the others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Midniara~ Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 (edited) I never have left food out for any of my pups/dogs out to graze during the day as I feed them at set times (pups are fed away from the adults). Once your pup is 12 weeks old 2 good meals per day should be sufficient for it. If it is under 12 weeks simply feed it before you go to work, as soon as you get home from work and later in the evening. Edited January 4, 2010 by ~Midniara~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 I have to say that I'm another who wouldn't be leaving a puppy unattended with older dogs. I worked at one of Australia's "largest" hound kennels for a while and witnessed first hand what a group of adult Whippets could do to a baby puppy and it wasn't very pleasant. I can understand that you don't want to leave the baby by itself, but perhaps you could set up a pen where it can still be close to the adults? Or choose one more laidback adult and run it with the baby? At 10 weeks, you could even leave it with mum, it won't have a lot of interest in the milkbar any more....if any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fordogs Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 I am another for never leaving puppies with adult dogs unattended --- Ok to leave with Mum if she doesn't mind Never leave food out either I always take it away after 10 minutes -- grazing throughout the day forms bad habits and picky eaters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Midniara~ Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 (edited) I agree that leaving a young pup alone and unattended with adults is way too risky. Dogs can go into pack mode and pick at the pup and cause long term behavioural issues for the pup. I agree with what others have said. Leave pup with mum or in a secure area where it is safe and can still see the others. Edited January 5, 2010 by ~Midniara~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolassesLass Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 I too won't let a dog graze no matter what age. Depending on working hours I found I could feed 3 meals a day when needed by feeding at 7am, 4pm and 10pm. Though by 8 weeks most of my pups (BCs) are used to just 2 meals (6:30am, 6:30pm) and we stick to that for life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 I'm not one for grazing either, but it is essentially a personal choice as to how a person feeds their dog. I'm more concerned about the safety aspects of leaving a 10 week old puppy potentially "vulnerable" in a pack situation with older dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 Can't you get someone to go in and feed the pup at lunchtime and give some companionship to it for awhile, then keeping pup separate to the adults wouldn't be an issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aziah Posted January 5, 2010 Share Posted January 5, 2010 I too won't let a dog graze no matter what age. Depending on working hours I found I could feed 3 meals a day when needed by feeding at 7am, 4pm and 10pm. Though by 8 weeks most of my pups (BCs) are used to just 2 meals (6:30am, 6:30pm) and we stick to that for life. Same here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whipitgood Posted January 5, 2010 Author Share Posted January 5, 2010 Thanks everyone for your replies. I dont usually leave food out for grazing either, they are all fed 2 set meals per day, but in the case of puppies - i have always had dry food down from weaning for them to graze on. I guess ill just have to feed him as i am doing now - morning, when i get home and last thing at night. I have usually run a couple of pups on at the same time, so i havent had this issue before, i just pen the pups up together. But he is the only one ive run on this time. I am not worried about him running with the other 2 adults, one is his mother, the other is a 6 month old pup also. Ive not had problems with pups running with these particular 2 dogs before. I understand there may be some dogs that are particularly rough with pups but the mother and 6 month old are fine. They are in a safe area of our block. Originally i had him in a pen on his own when the others went to pet homes, but he was so deperate to get out that he has injured his leg and paw climbing and pawing at the wire run to get out . So in this case, i decided it was safe for him to be out with the others. Thanks again, he can learn to wait for his lunch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 I would not let them run together unsupervised either but if he is injuring himself with the stress fine, you know your dogs. There is no way you can leave food out without the others getting to it. I let a pup eat as much as it wants until its 6 months, so no food at night so it will eat a good meat etc breakfast but then I leave puppy dry down all day. They don't turn into fussy eaters, over eat or anything else. The adults do not steal it all. They would the meat etc meal but not dry food. Only thing is if they fight over it, sometimes it can be a dominance issue over 1 biscuit when they are not hungry. You have to do what suits your dogs but no way of pup only getting the food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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