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10-07-2013, 04:25 PM | #1 |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| ***Pavlov's Tibbe - What's The Lesson Here?*** This is not a thread about food or nutrition but behavior. Behavior I am interested in understanding but I need some input and help with it. It's a "why" thread. Tibbe has access to his kibble and water 24/7 in his little stainless steel doggie bowls in the kitchen and can free-feed anytime he wants. Because of persistent tummy troubles, he was put on Hill's I/D GI kibble well over a year ago but once he was diagnosed with MVD(microvascular dysplasia), I began feeding him half the canned hepatic food, Hill's I/D Hepatic and half his usual kibble, Hill's I/D Gastrointestinal, in a special glass bowl for my breakfast dishes and one that is set aside only for his use. Every morning now he wakes me up hungry, I make coffee and his meal to set on the cabinet and sort of marinate for a bit, fix my breakfast and then we eat at the same time. I fix him half of his canned hepatic food and half his regular kibble food and add zero to differing amounts of water, truly souping it up some days and other days, just mixing the canned food and kibble dry. Still I set the food in the bowl aside to let the ingredients soak into each other for a bit, even if there is no water. I call his bowl of food his "special food" as I put it down on the rug. I do almost the same thing as far as his dinner is concerned around 4 - 6:00 p.m. but leave out the canned hepatic as he tends to get itchy if he eats too much of the hepatic. Still, if he just has the kibble for dinner, I always add warm/hot water and stir it, let it soak and bring out the kibble gravy smell. And he always has his dinner in his special glass bowl sitting on the rug between the kitchen and the den. I also tell him this is his "special food" as I put it down evenings. Because of this way of feeding him now, he largely just ignores his kibble in the steel bowl and flat turns up his nose at it unless I skip feeding him his moistened dinner in his special bowl on the little rug because he's looking a little porky. If so, I like him to free-feed for evening for a couple of days, which he eventually does but only after much begging, barking and growling for his special dinner. He sure puts up a stink before he finally eats the dry food from his steel bowl in the kitchen, sometimes holding out until late night before he gives in and eats some and once in a while, he skips dinner altogether. Tonight, he was looking a tad porky but not wanting to put up with his evening of grousing, for the first time, I just put plain old dry kibble in his special glass bowl, set the bowl on the counter-top for a while and then put it down on the rug between the kitchen and den and said "It might be special food". He gobbled all his plain dry kibble in the special bowl up ASAP. Why? Why would he eat plain old dry kibble in his special bowl on the little rug and not in his stainless steel bowl in the kitchen? Was he just expecting it to be special and tasty and his Pavlov's reactions just pushed his brain to tell him it was just as good as his special food? Will it last? What does this teach me?
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis Last edited by yorkietalkjilly; 10-07-2013 at 04:26 PM. |
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10-07-2013, 04:33 PM | #2 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: South Florida
Posts: 8,008
| good question!! I think dogs (like us really) are programed. Just like why do we wake up the same time, or have a special cup for our tea or coffee??? I think he feels he should have his food at his dinner time in his dinner bowl!
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10-07-2013, 04:58 PM | #3 |
2+2=4 X the Love ♥ Donating Member | That's pretty funny... I guess dogs are creatures of habit just like we are. He has learned that the glass bowel is where the good stuff is and much prefers it. Or maybe he just likes the routine of how it is prepared. It builds the excitement level !! My pups have their own little odd ball habits too!
__________________ Mommy to: Quincy, & Ruby Bella / Miah & Brandi Gone but Never Forgotten Visit: Bella Dawns for all of your Custom Pet Wear needs. |
10-07-2013, 05:18 PM | #4 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: kentucky
Posts: 12
| I am new and have no picture posted yet of my beautiful little Harley Girl. I will post all about her later, but I have a soft spot for Tibbe's precious face and just have to say that the reason that particular food is so good is that mama put special love in that bowl and Tibbe knows! Puppy Wub to All, Valerie - Harley's Mommy |
10-07-2013, 05:23 PM | #5 | |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| Quote:
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis | |
10-07-2013, 05:41 PM | #6 |
I♥PeekTinkySaph&Finny Donating Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Posts: 18,865
| Haha! You know this! Dogs, like wolves, are pack animals and you are his pack. His 'Special' food is when you eat 'together'.... the preferred option!
__________________ Kat Chloe Lizzy PeekABooTinkerbell SapphireInfinity |
10-07-2013, 05:45 PM | #7 |
YT 2000 Club Member | dog I love that Tibbe picture! Just kicking back waiting for his tummy rub! I believe dogs are smarter than we think. They get into routines we set up.My boys know when it is time to eat and wait for their food. If I don mix the wet chicken in it, they will not eat it. Just being dogs. We spoil them but it is worth it, they love us with their whole heart! Bless you for taking such good care of precious Tibbe! |
10-07-2013, 06:11 PM | #8 | |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: FL, USA
Posts: 2,767
| Quote:
My guess, too. There is the 'special ritual'...the bowl in the kitchen is 'always there'...but not the 'special ritual' which is highly interactive between you and Tibbe. At my house, when we are all in the living room, my kids will not go to the kitchen to get water, even though there are 3 water dishes in there. They will not go and graze kibble there either. They will 'tell' me that the little dish in the living room is empty, and I will fill it, and they will guzzle it down like they've been in the desert a week. I swear they would turn to dust if forced to walk into the kitchen for water without me going along, too. LOL But, when we are in the kitchen...together...they will drink from the dishes, and graze kibble from the bowls. However, since they 'know' we all eat dinner together, too, they won't eat until 'dinner time' either...unless Mommy or Daddy snacks and 'shares' with them...and they patiently wait for their 'share' of the treat. They, like us, are 'creatures of habit' to a good extent, also, and subliminal (soft/passive) training is very effective. Training by using 'the force of habit' is very ingraining, and I am reminded at every bath time because I bathe all 3 together in the shower. They love the rain head! But, when the baths are done, there is 'an order' that they keep, because I started the order with just Brody and Mia and have continued it. I pick them up in a certain order, wrap each in their 'special' towel, and they 'know' what the order is, and voluntarily 'line themselves up' waiting for their specific turn. They don't flee the shower when the door opens...they just 'get in their proper pick-up position' and stand and wait while Mommy dries her feet, puts on her shoes, and gets their towels ready. Mia is always first...she and the others know it...and Brody is last because he is the most cooperative and steady...easy to pick up when I am already carrying 2 other Yorkies. Brody 'helps' me pick him up...he 'leaps' onto my hand...seriously...always has! LOL I think Tibbe is very smart, loves his Mommy sooooo much, loves his 'special interaction' with his Mommy, and that is just soooo cute...just like him!
__________________ - Cat Brody Mia BriaStormy | |
10-07-2013, 08:48 PM | #9 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Redondo beach
Posts: 675
| This is just my thinking, but maybe he has gotten it programmed that this is a command to eat in that spot? I would try removing the stainless steel bowl for a day and place the glass one in his special place, with his special command and just keep refilling it as he eats. It would be interesting to find out if he is seeing it as a command to eat. |
10-08-2013, 06:47 AM | #10 |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| Loving all these ideas of what's going on with Tibbe and his special bowl. Any more thougts?
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis |
10-08-2013, 08:07 AM | #11 |
♥Momma's Bambino♥ Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ca
Posts: 10,026
| It's very simple Jeanie.. Tibbe has OCD like all the rest of the Yorkie's!!
__________________ "People with nothing to hide don't usually feel the need to say so." |
10-08-2013, 09:23 AM | #12 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 2,631
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10-08-2013, 12:43 PM | #13 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member | They are such weird little things!! Definitely creatures of habit. If we don't do something at the time we normally do it Alfie notices, he has the same rituals every night at the same time. You know he can only have his prescription food and we leave a bowl out for free feeding which he barely touches, we use the same dry kibble for his "treats" when we are playing fetch and he brings his ball back to us, then he eats loads like a starved piggy. He does this both morning and night when we sit at the back door throwing his ball for him even after he has been to the park for extensive running and fetching, he will also jump up on the kitchen sofa to steal his treats when there is always a bowl freely available. He can't see the bowl we use for treats but he also knows when there are nine left then he won't give his ball back. Strange creatures indeed.
__________________ Tracey and Wee Alfie "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” |
10-08-2013, 08:26 PM | #14 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Redondo beach
Posts: 675
| Quote:
HAHA I told my hubby that Gizmo is the perfect pup for me because I am so OCD lol. I asked my pain management doc if OCD gets worse as you get older, and he said absolutely hehehe. I've never been diagnosed per se, but if you ask my house keeper, she will for sure say I am OCD. Every little thing in my house has to be in its perfect spot. I always wait till she's done, then when she leaves I will move a little knick Mack or something just the slightest bit, to make sure it's perfect. I even make my hubby straighten pictures on the walls of the waiting rooms of my dr offices hahaha. He hates doing it, but knows I won't leave him alone until he does. Gizmo is totally like me. Like he will only use a potty pad one time :-) | |
10-08-2013, 09:40 PM | #15 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Central Texas
Posts: 527
| Interesting. Possibly just the attention and routine that he gets with mommy. Its like Ive been told. Its nit really the toy that your buying they are getting you with the toy. Most toys your not interested in. They most likely wont be either. Yoh show excitment or interest. They are all on it! Possibly. Im sure it can be a multitude of things.
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