Resourceful Or Sad
 

Our lil girl Jazzie was a puppy mill dog, then ended up in the hands of a lady who just wanted to use her to breed and make money. In talking with the lady when I went to get Jazzie, I know she didn't take good care of her, she was fed whatever kind of food whenever the lady felt like "tossing something in there on the floor to her." :-( We've had Jazzie about two months now and I try very hard to keep her on a schedual for her feedings, 7 in the AM and 6 in the evening, same as Mags. More than a few times I've caught her storing food in her bed (down the sides and under the blanket) inside her crate. I don't know if this is something she feels she has to do cause she was so used to not being on a schedual and never knowing if she was gonna get food again, or if she's just being resourceful. I feel bad if I take it out though, if it makes her feel better knowing it's there and she won't starve, then I'm ok with that. But, on the other hand, I don't know if leaving it there is such a good idea, there's times I have tried to feed her at the normal time and she doesn't want to eat, my thought is, she just showed down on her stash in her bed, lol. What would ya'll so? Leave it there or take it out?

That poor girl! You have only had her two months. If she was hungry for a long time it will take a long time for that memory to leave her. I would let her store some food if it makes her feel better. Just clean it out now and then so it doesn't get stale.

I once rescued a little Sheltie that had been eating out of trash cans most of it's life. I couldn't keep her but found her a good home. Those people had to keep the trash tightly covered for the rest of that little one's life because she always wanted to check out the trash. Hopefully once you little girl learns to trust you she will get over this. Healthy treats a couple of times a day might help, too.

That makes me sad poor Jazzie. This is one of the reasons I free feed because I would feel terrible if Callie didn't have access to food when she was hungry.

Awe, so glad to hear the sheltie found a good forever loving home. Doesn't it just break your heart though that they've had to "get used to" doing such things just to survive :-( I give Old Mother Hubbard treats, it took her the longest time to even eat one though, she'd just carry it around in her mouth looking for somewhere to hide it. I've actually found those treats in her bed stashed as well :-(

I'd love to be able to free feed, but my Lil Miss Maggy Mag would turn into Mrs. Porky Pig if I did that, lol. Not only that, I think it would cause serious fighting amongst the girls.

Awh breaks my heart to hear that. What if you put always a bowl of food in her crate for her, or near her bed? Some dried kibble. If you are concerned about the amount she is getting of food a day; just measure what you put into her "stash bowl", then eyeball it daily as it goes down. Replenish when stale or needed. Keep feeding her regularly in the kitchen or where ever you choose to feed her. But let her see always in "her" spot a bowl with food in it.

That made me cry:cry: She's a lucky little girl to have a new loving home. I think that her stashing some kibbles isn't hurting anything. Heartbreaking to think of what she went through before you saved her:(

I always feed her and Mags in their individual crate, I like for them to have a space of their own where they can get away from whatever they want and just relax and know that's "their own" personal space and they won't be messed with. I do have concerns about how much she eats daily, but my concern is that she is eating enough. She was only 3 pounds when she came to us and doc wants me to try and get some weight on her before her spay. That's a wonderful idea though about measuring her stash and then calculating how much needs to be added to her bowl. To be totally honest, that though just never even crossed my mind, been to worried about making her comfy and feeling loved and not afraid. Thank you for the wonderful advice!

Believe me, it makes me cry to, and I just don't have the heart to take it out of her bed. When I first found it, she was sitting right there watching me, the look on her precious lil face, oh it broke my heart, I think she thought she was in trouble. So, I tossed it cause I didn't know how long it had been there and I didn't want her eating stale yucky food, so I put some fresh back in it for her. When I was done, she went into her crate, nosed around to make sure it was there and then laid down like she was still in trouble :-( Poor girl, I wished I could take every bad feeling or memory away from her and just fill her heart up with nothing but love, love and more love.

Sad! I would just let her store it, but I am a VERY relaxed parent (skinned or hairy kids lol)

hi beabble, oh jazzies story made me cry.
it is so sad that poor baby had to live like that.
i am so glad she has a safe happy home now.

I am bawling here!!! That poor sweet baby. I am so glad she is in a good place now!!

Smokey does this too. He was a puppy mill dog and was switched between 5 different places in his first 6 months of life before living with us. He's been with us since October of 2007 and still does this, but it's only with special things. One time DH forgot to put the leftover bread away that he was eating and we found it the next morning between the wall and the dresser with clothes piled around it. I don't know if he does it because of his past, or just because that's just his personality. I let him do it though.

Awww, bless her little heart:love: I think with a little more time, and your loving care, she will mostly forget about her former life, especially once she realizes that she doesn't have to go hungry, and she's not "punished" for stashing kibbles.

Since you have to fatten her up some, have you thought about giving her a spoonful of some canned food, or maybe some cottage cheese or yogurt?

I would leave it when she gets more used to your household and sees she doesnt have to do it she wont anymore. Poor baby! Bless you for rescuing her

I actually talked to doc about giving her some canned food and he said no. when we first got her, she wouldn't eat hardly at ALL. I finally broke down and got her some canned food and mixed it with her kibble and she finally ate a few bites & eventually got to where she'd eat all the canned food I'd put in her dish, but not the kibble :-( I had to start hand feeding her and eventually she did start eating kibble, but it was VERY slow going. Finally she got to where she'd eat on her own, but only if I was right there beside her. Doc says now that I have her finally eating kibble, giving her canned food again would more than likely make her revert back to only eating canned food (he isn't crazy about that and neither am I.) Her last visit to the vet, she had gained a pound and I was SO EXCITED about it:D SO I figure as long as I keep doing what I'm doing now, she'll gain. Hopefully for more comfy she gets with us, the better she'll do.

Aw, poor baby! This is probably how she was able to survive with the previous owner! I would leave the kibble, as long as it's not attracting any ants or critters. I bet that once she is secure in feeling that she will be fed without fail, she'll stop doing it.

No critters being attracted so far, but when it gets to be warm outside again, I do worry about ants, we had a problem with them when we bought the house.

From personal experience, I would leave the food out all day. It's normal for her to hoard the food because she does not know when she'll be fed next. I had a little girl that did this, and over time she just stopped on her own as soon as she knew food would always be accessable to her. I think she did it for about four months or so, then it just stopped. Now she's a fat little happy girl. :p Elaine

Thank you Chachi. I think she's finally startin to feel a lil more comfy, she just finally started to play with Mags. She's only played with her twice since she's been here, I think Mags kinda scares her cause Mags is so outgoing and Jazzie is so shy and in a shell. The first time she played, my eyes welled up with tears, it just touched my heart so much to see her come outta her shell a bit. Then last night sitting here at the computer, they played for the second time, I got both times on video:) It's sad on one hand to see how withdrawn a puppy mill dog can be, but on the other hand, it's so overwhelming in my heart with each new hurdle she over comes. I feel so blessed that God chose us to be her forever family, I feel like like we're the lucky ones.

Aw she sounds like a doll. I bet it is so rewarding and overwhelming to see each milestone she reaches

Lol! I wouldn't mind doing this, except our Lil Miss Maggy May would become a Lil Miss Piggy or a Lil Miss Rolly Polly:rolleyes: She's got a very good appetite! I'm finally after 4 years switching Mags to the adult version of her food, the puppy food (even adjusted) was putting to much weight on her. I had to keep her on puppy food though cause the last time I tried to switch her over, she ended up at the vets in the ICU with IV's in her:( Doc said some dogs just can't handle the change in food. It got to where I had adjusted her food down so much though to try and get some weight off her that the poor girl was hardly getting much at all to eat and would whine and cry for food way before it was time for her to eat again. I'm currently VERRRRRYYY SLOWLY switching them both over to Wellness Super 5 Mix Adult Health For Small Breeds. Mags has been on the Wellness her whole life and even though tryin to switch her back years ago to the adult blend, I did it slowly and she just couldn't handle it. So now, I'm doing it with a whole bag, which will probably take over a month to do. So far, so good. Hopefully when it's all said and done, Mags will be able to get more food (cause the adult version doesn't have as many calories) and she won't be hungry before it's time to eat again. If I free feed, I know Mags will gobble it all up and gain to much weight:(

Oh it is!! People probably think I'm weird getting excited or crying at the weirdest/littlest things.... It isn't little to me though.

I don't know what Jazzie went thru before you got her, but I do know that Chloe does this and trust me, she has never been hungry a day in her life. She takes her food a kibble or two at a time and tries to bury it some place. While dusting the floor or running the sweeper, I am always finding pieces of kibble laying around. I had a dog some years back that did this and I free fed her! I believe some dogs have an instinct to bury food "for later" but really have no need to go back for it. If Willow discovers what Chloe is doing, she will follow Chloe and eat what Chloe leaves. They are funny to watch. They are both hard at their jobs. lol I can't free feed now because Willow is already over-weight and I know she would eat all the time if it were down.

Just another perspective.

Ya, I'm not totally sure if she does it cause of the life she lived, or if she's just being one resourceful lil girl. Considering what she's been through though, I'd venture to say it's because of the life she'd had prior to coming to us. I'm in the same situation as you are with your lil ones and free feeding, I can't do it, Lil Miss Maggy May would become Lil Miss Piggy, lol.

This is how my five eat. Molly wanted to do the same thing when I first brought her home. She was hiding food everywhere. I started keeping a bowl of dry kibble down all the time and I feed them their fresh food twice a day and she has stopped hiding food now. I hope this works for you.