Pup Eats Off Ground/hand Not Bowl

[GABBA]

I have an 8 week old Dogue De Bordeaux (French Mastiff), that when I put his bowl down with dry food, he will eat a bit then stop, this would normally look like he is not hungry anymore, however if I put the food down in front of him or put it in my hand, he continues to eat. It's only when he stops eating it directly off the floor or out of my hand that I think he's not hungry anymore (although he'll eat a chicken neck any time - he won't refuse that).

Has anyone got any thoughts on this...?

[WreckitWhippet]

He's being over fed and you're on the way to creating a fussy eater.

Put half the amount of what you want to feed him, in his bowl and give him 15 minutes to eat it. If he hasn't eaten it or has left overs, put it in the fridge until the next meal and offer him nothing inbetween ( no snacks, no treats, no chicken necks ).

If he constantly has left overs, then you are giving him too much and need to reduce the meal sizes.

There are many dogs who naturally prefer raw food over processed dry. He may well be one of those dogs that never really enjoys the dry food and may do better on an all raw diet.

[MsBex]

I have a dog a little like yours. I think he would prefer not to eat than eat dry food. Was pretty worried as I didn't want to create a fussy eater, so did the leave it, then take it away for about a week. And he cut his food intake down drastically! To like a third a cup of dry a day (if that!).

After some great tips from another DOLer have just changed his diet, more meat/bones and less dry (extra nutrition during the week, but that's the basics). He's LOVING it now!

P.S. Also caught my son sneaking him food during the day, so that would have probably been a major factor in him not being fussed with the dry

[Sandra777]

In addition to the above - what sort of bowl are you using. Is it a narrower type of bowl which is touching his face when he eats out of it? I have had a puppy, admittedly a much younger one, who wouldn't eat because the rim of the bowl touched her throat (didn't press on it, just touched it). Gave her the same food on a flat plate and she ate like there was no tomorrow. He may also have an actual problem eating out of certain shaped bowls, narrower bottomed ones can sometimes make life difficult for our mushed faced friends

Edited February 10, 2010 by Sandra777

[GABBA]

Thanks for the replies. I'll give the halving te food in take a go. Hopefully this will see results.

As for raw meats, it looks like he loves it. However I have heard that it's not ideal to give a pup raw meat over dry puppy mix, as, while it does have protein it lacks some of the other nutriants that the dry mix DOES have.

As for thr bowl, it's nit a thin and narrow one, it's a low set wide stainless steel one, which SHOULD be adequet. He drinks his water out of a similar one with no worries.

[WreckitWhippet]

There is plenty of readisng on here about all raw diets and raising pups on them.

[persephone]

Hi-

here are some threads you may find interesting.

When someone here tells you to feed raw/meat- they do NOT mean just lean muscle meat .You are correct- this is in no way a good diet for pups/dogs.

in these links you will find lots of information to provide your new dog with all his dietary needs , in a form he will enjoy!

LINK 1

LINK 2

LINK 3

LINK 4

[GABBA]

Ok I kind of have to re-visit this topic, it's been about two weeks since I originally posted this topic, and there jas not really been any progression. Pup is still hestitant to eat his dry mix Eukanuba, but when he's REALLY hungry he might have a little bit. I'm not sure really if I'm capable (got the "know how") of raising a giant breed puppy on a raw diet, so I don't really have any choice but to leave him on the Eukanuba.

Any info is appreciated.

[Nekhbet]

Have you tried one of the other dog food brands like Royal Canin giant or Eagle Pack giant? The price difference isnt that much between them and Euk but the quality and palatability is

[Red Fox]

What Nek said^^

Also, have you tried mixing anything in with the dry to make it more appetising? Some natural yogurt, sardines or even (yes it sounds gross but) a bit of blood/juice from some raw meat?

I'm not suggesting you go offering him a million and one things as that WILL create a fussy eater but maybe the Euk is just not palatable for him

The other thing I would try is to swap his bowl for a heavy ceramic bowl and see how that goes. When my dog was a puppy he was a bit funny about eating from a s/s bowl for some reason. He does eat and drink from them now but they are both on stands and if I do put a s/s bowl on the ground he will not eat from it. I think it may have something to do with the noise it makes if it slides along the ground and it scares him

As a little pup I fed him from a cheap non slip plastic bowl then changed to an adjustable raised feeder once he was big enough.

[Stitch]

Try boiling up a few chicken legs with enough water in a saucepan to cover the legs.

Cook them slowly for 1 hour, pull all the meat off the bone (making sure you remove all the bone).

That should given you enough meat and juices to last about 3-4 days.

When you feed the dry, warm the juices and add enough juices to cover the dry food.

If the dog will eat all the dry as well as the chicken pieces then you can feed the chicken at the same time (well mixed into the dry food).

Otherwise, feed the chicken meat at a different time to the dry food.

Warmed chicken juices will always work as long as the dog has not been overfed.

[SwaY]

When you give him the dry food, what else do you give him with it?

I feed Euk with chicken mince and a little water to help mix it, then serve straight away (no soaking the dry food)

If i feed them just dry food even the hungriest of dogs at my house won't eat it.

[GABBA]

Hi again, until recently i had only been giving him the dry Eukanuba straight (that is, nothing else). Tonight however, i tried mixing in a small amount of chicken mince, just to get him in the mood - well that seemed to well and truly do the trick, he licked the platter clean as they say.

As he is a giant breed, i dont want to get carried away and over feed him, so i will (try) and stick to the recommended amounts per day. Its a good meal, all the 'goodness' the Euk has to offer and the chicken mince to get him rev'd up. I can hardly blame him for not being overly keen to eat the dry Euk by itself.

[Nekhbet]

I only recommend as some dry foods are more palatable, royal canin is not as dry a food and more dogs seem interested. A little mince will not hurt him at all