Puppy appetite?

[Trace]

Hi all - this is my 1st post. I am a member over on the horse forums - but just found here.

Well - I have a new Lab puppy 10 weeks old - when we brought her home she ate like a wolf - so used to fighting for it - now that she does not have any competition she has really slowed down - today, she did not finish her breakfast, and did not touch her lunch.

I am thinking about feeding her next to my Border Collie tonight - just to give her some competition, and it may help him becuase he has been a slow eater since we had to have our other border collie put down two months ago.

Anyone else out there have a slow eater? If you do - any tricks?

[GretaJack]

How much are you feeding her? What is her activity level right now? I do not free feed my dogs. The best way to encourage eating on a schedule so you do potty business on a schedule is to simply take away their food after 15 minutes. They will realize that they should eat when food is given or they will have to wait until next feeding and not be able to graze for a while. I don't see any problem feeding her next to your BC as long as BC is not food agressive. I feed my dogs side by side. Always have. Your pups appetite will change day to day and month to month as she grows.

[Trace]

Thanks for the input -

She is on a schedule.
I feed her almost as much as the recomended amount on the sack.
I take away after 15-20 mins (or as soon as I remember lol)
BC is not food aggressive.
Medium activity level - work from home - so frequent trips outside to play with BC.
Gated in utility room for quiet time in between.

[joella]

This is helpful to me too! We just got our 6 month old lab (Anka) on Friday. Friday night, she wolfed down her dinner. Saturday and Sunday, wolfed down both breakfast and dinner. Yesterday AM, wouldn't touch her breakfast, most of it was still there when I got home from work! She ate her dinner fine last night, and then this morning only picked at her breakfast. I was thinking it might be because yesterday was the first day she's experienced us leaving for work?

Should I start taking her food away after 15 minutes, or wait and see if she adjusts to the schedule?

[Lessica Jake]

Originally Posted by Trace

I feed her almost as much as the recomended amount on the sack.

At ten weeks, she should be getting the full recommended amount. This is not the time for dieting.

[Dax]

Dogs are greedy. If they think someone else wants it - they gulp it down. Whether the competition is another dog - a cat - or a husband with a wicked sense of humor. Feeding your two dogs together in the same room at this time is not a bad idea as long as you closely supervise to ensure the older one doesn't take advantage.

Dax & Ariel eat together and have always done so. They each have their own bowls but neither dog will initiate a fight for food. It is simply not tolerated by us. It allows you to give treats later without fighting plus will ensure your pup eats what ever you put down.

[Trace]

Originally Posted by Lessica Jake

At ten weeks, she should be getting the full recommended amount. This is not the time for dieting.

Ok - I misworded that. The sack has two weight groups on it 40-60 and 60-80 - her mom was just over 60 and her dad closer to 75 - so I don;t know how much she will be when fully grown so I do in between the two amounts.

She is NOT on a diet.

[Trace]

Originally Posted by DaxAriel's Toy

Dogs are greedy. If they think someone else wants it - they gulp it down. Whether the competition is another dog - a cat - or a husband with a wicked sense of humor. Feeding your two dogs together in the same room at this time is not a bad idea as long as you closely supervise to ensure the older one doesn't take advantage.

Dax & Ariel eat together and have always done so. They each have their own bowls but neither dog will initiate a fight for food. It is simply not tolerated by us. It allows you to give treats later without fighting plus will ensure your pup eats what ever you put down.

Last night I fed them together with no probs. The worst is that Maddy tries to eat Jakes - we just have to teach her that she has her own bowl.

The other two meals are the main problem - Jake only likes to eat once a day - so she doesn't have any competition for the other two meals.

[Lessica Jake]

Originally Posted by Trace

Ok - I misworded that. The sack has two weight groups on it 40-60 and 60-80 - her mom was just over 60 and her dad closer to 75 - so I don;t know how much she will be when fully grown so I do in between the two amounts.

She is NOT on a diet.

Oh, okay. In that case, I believe, she should be getting fed for how much she weighs now, not how much she will when she's full grown. You'll have to adjust that way, but it will be better for her.

[booboo]

Prissy and Booboo are slow eaters, too so i put them together but Rusty

is a quick eater and picks fights so i take him away from the threesome pack at meal times, so if there is any fights i would recemend meal time seperatoins if needed.


from,
Booboo