I've Worked Out What's Happening

[HugUrPup]

I think I know what's going on..

Miley doesn't eat everyday, but I offer her food.. I bet he has been eating her share.

I know I will be advised to feed them separately however

That's going to be difficult.. she won't eat unless he is out there because she likes the guarding her food game. She has gone days without food when I have tried to separate them..

any ideas?

Edited April 8, 2010 by puggerup

[macka]

feed them together but supervise?

[Bundyburger]

Put her in a pen to eat, she can still see him, but he can't get to the food. When she has eaten pick up the food? Or leave it down for a set period, if she doesn't eat then too bad, she will if she is hungry enough.. If she doesn't eat for days if you seperate, how on earth did she go before you got the second dog?

[HollyMilo]

she won't eat unless he is out there because she likes the guarding her food game.

I'm not sure that's a 'game' you should be allowing her to play.

If you feel you can't feed them separately then you will have to supervise so your little puglet doesn't steal the other food.

[HugUrPup]

I had Ollie first.. Miley came from the breeders at 3 years old and didn't eat everyday there either and she had with 10 other dogs around so plenty of guarding her food. She also had 30 minutes to eat or it would be taken away.

I'll feed her in her crate and see what happens.

[Bundyburger]

30 minutes? jeepers... I only give 10. If puppy doesn't eat, away goes the food. It only took him 3 days of hunger striking to work out that he had to eat when the food was down, or else he got nothing else until the next mealtime. Food guarding is also not a 'game' so you may wish to get professional advice on how to handle that situation.

I feed the puppy down the back in his pen, our older dog is fed up in the kitchen in his bowl. The puppy is not let out until the other dog has eaten.

[macka]

Puggerup, I have a food-obsessed labrador who wolfs down whatever I give him in about 2 minutes, and a very fussy, slow, picky eater.

For what it's worth, this is what I do:

Ask them both to sit and wait about 2m apart, put down their food bowls in front of them, then release them to eat.

They have 10 min to eat before I pick up the bowls.

My lab finishes everything in 2 minutes barely having chewed his food, then sits and stares at my other dog while she delicately picks up individual pieces of kibble and crunches on them. She can't seem to just stand at her food bowl and eat so she periodically walks off to look at/sniff/do something else - doesn't matter, she only gets 10 min. I am sitting there watching them for the whole 10 min.

If my lab tries to get too close to my other dog's food, I only have to say, "Archer, AH-AH" and he stops and looks at me. It is quite a pitiful look I can tell you. It takes all his self control not to touch her food but he doesn't. He rarely even tries any more. I have even on occasion wandered back inside and come back out to find Leia has lost interest in her meal and wandered off, and Archer is still sitting there just staring at it. Occasionally as a reward I give him a single piece of Leia's kibble before putting the food away.

[Bindii]

Macka - we basically have the exact same situation!

Hugo will eat anything and everything.. an absoloute pig. Fletcher is fussy and some days chooses to eat no more than a mouth full.

I sit them down together, they eat next to each other. Hugo finishes in a matter of moments (because he only gets a third of a cup of dry food plus a few sardines or a chicken neck) and Fletcher has to be finished in 10 minutes. I supervise the whole time. I feed them once only in the evening before bed so i never have any where that i have to be in a hurry or anything.

Puggerup - maybe add something yummy like sardines to Miley's food. Really, she will not starve herself. She WILL eat eventually once she realises that there is no other option. If she were a growing puppy or something then I would not recommend this method but she's not, she's a healthy grown adult dog and she will work out that she has to eat what she is given and when it's there for her (for 10 minutes) I think - think yourself lucky! She knows what size she should be. Fletcher is a PERFECT weight - and like i said, some days he barely eats. Hugo weighs 7.3kg, he is on a strict diet (mentioned above) but for it he is a healthy little man with no breathing problems and can run all day. He is also much less likely to develop issues with his patellas in the future - not to mention every other disease an over weight dog is at risk of.

It's not too late, just make a few changes and be very strong about it... don't give in to those eyes! Hugo has even given up staring at us during (human) dinner time

[kiwioz]

Haha macka and bindii I also have the exact same thing here Finn is done in a matter of moments, absolutely wolfs it down. Cal, however, takes his sweet time and eats it piece by piece. Drives Finn nuts I don't time them specifically, but Cal does eat his all in one go even though he's slow, so I let him finish.

I also supervise them the whole time cos they are prone to issues when it comes to food.

[HugUrPup]

Ok dinner time.. they have 10 minutes and I am watching I'll let you know in 10 minutes how it goes.

I have a tin of sardines for Molly here too.. Ollie can have a little bit too.

[macka]

Ok dinner time.. they have 10 minutes and I am watching I'll let you know in 10 minutes how it goes.

I have a tin of sardines for Molly here too.. Ollie can have a little bit too.

Don't stress if your fussy one doesn't eat too much - might take a few days to get used to the new 10min rule. But she won't starve herself!

Good luck

Edited April 8, 2010 by macka

[HugUrPup]

They are both eating I think Miley is loving the fish.

[macka]

mmm tasty stinky sardines... my fussy one loves them too.

[HugUrPup]

success!!

Miley walked away from her bowl and sat in her crate after 8 minutes.

Ollie went straight to her bowl, but I got to it first and emptied out the little bit she left in the bin and filled it with water.

Miley is a neat eater but Ollie somehow manages to leave kibble all around the bowl on the floor I haven't taken his bowl away because he is still going and he is starting on eating up his mess which is more than fine by me

Too easy. I wish I had asked this question here months ago.

Thanks everyone

Edited April 8, 2010 by puggerup

[macka]

success!!

Miley walked away from her bowl and sat in her crate after 8 minutes.

Ollie went straight to her bowl, but I got to it first and emptied out the little bit she left in the bin and filled it with water.

Miley is a neat eater but Ollie somehow manages to leave kibble all around the bowl on the floor I haven't taken his bowl away because he is still going and he is starting on eating up his mess which is more than fine by me

Too easy. I wish I had asked this question here months ago.

Thanks everyone

Yay!

I recommend practicing the Triangle of Temptation with Ollie so he learns some self control in the presence of his (and Miley's) food - that way you won't have to rush to pick it up before he gobbles it!

[HugUrPup]

Just got back from our 30 minute walk.. he did well. Will read the triangle of temptation soon thanks

Edited April 8, 2010 by puggerup

[tdierikx]

I have a Labrahoover and a Rottie/Pittie X - the Lab inhales her food, and the Rottie/Pittie chews every mouthful. Needless to say, they are supervised while eating, or they are fed in separate rooms - the Lab would definitely steal the other girl's food if not supervised or separated.

T.

[persephone]

Just a query- you feed your dogs then immediately walk them?

I was always taught to rest the dogs for at least an hour after a meal ... and have usually done the opposite- walk, then rest, then food ....

Glad the feeding may now be under control- well done!

[Danois]

Persephone - the rest an hour either side of food is done to minimise the risk of bloat in bloat prone breeds. That aside - would not be too comfortable going for a walk on a full stomach (just like in people )

[persephone]

Persephone - the rest an hour either side of food is done to minimise the risk of bloat in bloat prone breeds.

I realise that aspect- but I was also told many years ago, that a dog is designed to lie down and digest their food for a while after eating....like in the wild canids/cats..hunt first, then kill.eat, then den. I know it doesn't really apply with today's light low weight dog foods... but I still do it ..dogs get fed at bed time.