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03-29-2008, 12:02 PM | #1 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: texas
Posts: 563
| Free feeding leads to pack leadership problems? I was reading up on training small dogs and they said to NOT free feed but to do scheduled feedings and make them sit and obey before allowing them to eat. Do you think it makes that much difference in knowing Im in charge? |
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03-29-2008, 12:22 PM | #2 |
Loved by Layla Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Canada
Posts: 11,257
| with Layla it has made a WORLD of difference. I home cook so i cna't free feed anyways, but before i home cooked i did free feed. Now she is fed twice a day... she has to sit and stay. i put the food down, she has to "look at me" - and then i release her. If her butt comes off the ground the food comes up and we try again. She is getting very good at it now.. if i forget to release her she will stay. We were having Alpha issues with other dogs (Layla is an "only child") and her babysitter suggested we try this. Layla LOVES her food and now that I control it and tell her when she can eat, we have MUCH fewer problems. This also goes for treats in our house. nothing is free... she has to sit and stay for it. |
03-29-2008, 04:15 PM | #3 |
2 Pups=Double Trouble! Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Iowa
Posts: 6,581
| I agree with Marcerella02 Emma and Milli both are fed on schedules. Emma had severe separation anxiety as a puppy, and we worked with a behaviorist to help us learn how to help her with this problem. Part of what we learned is to show Emma that we're the leaders-so NOTHING in our house is free. If she wants a treat, or to be fed, she has to sit, then stay until we say OK. If she wants us to throw a toy, or give her a bone-she does whatever tricks we ask her to before she can have it. It's helped tremendously with her confidence, and knowing who is in charge. We use the same techniques with Milli, and it works well with her too. I would strongly suggest that you feed on a schedule and ask them to sit/lay down before they can eat. (Work up to "stay"-it can take awhile to teach that one.) They understand that YOU are the provider of their food, and that YOU determine when they eat. It's natural for dogs to look to for leadership, especially when it comes to food.
__________________ Suzy Emma & Milli What's better than loving a yorkie? Loving two yorkies! Milli 's Remi! |
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