Two questions... First of all, my pup is still eating her poo. I'm not sure what the deal is, but it is very annoying! When we let her go outside by herself, she basically ignores us when we yell at her to stop and we have to storm outside to grab her and scold her to stop. Any advice? Secondly... she has been uninterested in her food.. soft food mostly. We have been feeding her science diet puppy from the can and the kibble is out all day. (This is what she has eaten all of her life.. since the breeder) She doesn't seem interested in eating, but she will eventually. It's a drastic change from when she used to get all excited about eating. Any advice? We thought about mixing it up with other brands of food, but we are scared to try just any brand. |
The poo habit can be very frustrating...some think it's from something missing in their diet...some think it's just habit and they'll grow out of it. You can buy products to put on the food that is supposed to make them stop eating it, some say a little yogurt everydya makes them stop, putting a few tidbits of pineapple in theor food makes them stop...and it goes on. You can search YT for threads containing that information and you might find something that works for you. As for her running away from you...that can be bad. She's still young and likes to play so that's part of it but you have to be in control. Did you check into puppy classes? With my boys I used the word 'stop' and they would drop like a rock wherever they were and stay until I picked them up. Science Diet food isn't a good food at all...it's just pushed by vets. Also, she doesn't need soft food and it can be bad for her teeth...it builds tarter very fast. We feed Innova puppy food to the girls and they love it. I drive to Bloomington to pick it up but Garver Feeds can get it in for you. There are many other good foods you could try...Canidae, Wellness, Natural Balance and more but Innova works for us. I just bought a huge bag, let me know if you'd like to try it and I'll give you some of mine. |
It may just be that her teeth are hurting since she is loosing them now and her gums are sore from the new ones coming in. Try a different type of soft food, maybe she is ready for a change. Or you can always cook her some rice and chicken to get her to eat something. Call me if you need anything. |
thanks! Thanks for the info guys... as far as obedience, she is very trainable and can do many "obedience" types of things such as: sit, stay, leave it, down, and speak. We just can't get her to come to us when she is outside. Arlene, I think you might be right about her teeth. Ed is getting worried and I just told him to call the vet to reassure himself... I think it's the teeth thing too. She just isn't eating as much, or with as much vigor as she used to -- but she is still eating. If she continues to eat less, I may look into other options. I just didn't know about picking something random up from Walmart without knowing if it was good enough, you know? |
Most of the time, they outgrow the poop eating...it's normal so don't get too upset..as far as letting her out on her own, I don't know how old or how big your puppy is, but, mine are never out in the yard by themselves(they're pee pad trained, but, when it's nice out, we go out with them for about 10 minutes and let them run(have a fenced in acre out back), but, never alone..there are hawks that fly around, and they can pick a little one up in a heartbeat.. When I catch Ginger grabbing a piece of poop, I clap my hands and say NO..she knows not to do it, but does it anyway..:( As far as canned food, I have always given mine the hard kibble, I don't feel the canned is that great for them, they need the hard food..but, if your pup is having a hard time eating the hard food, maybe try softening it with some warm water until she's able to chew the harder.. |
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I guess the consensus seems to be that we should wean her off of her soft food eventually? Right now I'm going to keep her on it while she is still teething, and she also eats kibble whenever because I keep it out all day... but she has been eating less of it lately. |
You have done an awesome job of training her. As for the come command. It will take a lot of practice. I will help you with it this spring. We will get together and I will help you then when you take her to obedience class she will breeze right thru it. For eating her poo- you can give her Deter and it does work quite well. Or she will grow out of it. Honest. I wouldn't get her food from Walmart. They don't offer very good brands. go to Petsmart or get something from your vet. They do sell food also. But be sure to give her dry kibble and not just moist food. She needs the kibble to help keep the plaque and tarter off of her teeth. Ed you are such a worry wart. Mom is doing a very good job and so are you. relax. |
Honestly, you should be right by her side when she is in the yard - whether it be potty or play. "Something" can happen to her in a flash. Poop eating can also be avoided, by being right by her side when doing potty, you pick it up right after she goes so she can't eat it. You also have to be very careful of 'other animals poop' she can get very sick with parasites or diseases from eating 'wild animal poop' - So the best thing to do is be by her side at all times outside. - I would never think of just watching from the sidelines :( S.D. is really not a very good food - as suggested above: Canidae, Wellness, Innova, Merricks, Soil Gold etc...are all better quality than S.D. Best of luck! P.S. Try to 'curb' this poop eating while you can - I am still battling this nasty habit after 3 yrs :mad: - T.G. it's not really that often now, but once is still too much for me :p |
I would stick to canned food... I know some people think hard is better for their teeth (I really see no evidence of that but it is a personal preference). Lets just say it is bad for their teeth to eat soft... The solution is to brush them. They should be brushed if your dog eats hard food anyway. Ellie had severe periodontal disease and had eaten mostly hard food before then. I prefer canned food because the moisture is so good for them and it is one step less processed than the kibble. If I couldn't feed homecooked, first I would be very upset:p then I would feed canned. I would not feed Science Diet or anything you can get at a grocery store. By the way, with all of Ellie's tooth problems you would think her vet would say feed kibble. She doesn't. She is fine with homecooked and Ellie doesn't chew on bones either. She does very well just having them brushed and using OraVet. |
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