Dog Community

strange habit

Posted : 3/20/2006 12:41:05 PM

My Golden retriever, now 2 yrs old, has this strage habit.... he will not eat his own food all through the day, but when you pick up his leash to take him for a walk... he will pounce on his food and gobble it so fast, as though this is his last meal. This behavious has always puzzled me... any ideas as to why he does so?

tashakota

Posted : 3/20/2006 12:46:44 PM

Some dogs will not eat when their owners are not at home. Is this the case with you? If this is the case, then feed your dog twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. If he doesn't eat in the morning, then pick up his/her bowl until evening. When you get home, go for your walk, then feed him when you return. Getting a dog on a schedule is great because then you can tell when they are not eating and may not be feeling well.

Danny

Posted : 3/20/2006 11:57:35 PM

Hello there [

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From this scant information, it is hard to make an educated guess. From what you are saying it sounds that you put down food (maybe too much?), and leave it there all day. The dog might not be hungry - as he always has food if he wants or needs it - and thust leave it be. However, if you try to take him away from it, he might gobble it down because he does not want to lose it? Possibly - as I said, hard to say for sure from a few lines.

As a general rule, you should follow tashakota's advise feed your dog twice a day (morning and evening). Put down his food portion, and leave it there for 15 minutes or so. What is not eaten then, you put away again.

Keep us updated and maybe provide more details. [

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spiritdogs

Posted : 3/25/2006 5:54:33 PM

If he is gobbling when he thinks he might lose the food, he could be a guarder in the making. Preventive training might be beneficial - the whole protocol is in "Mine! A Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs" by Jean Donaldson. It's a great way to insure safety around the food bowl.