Change in eating habit?

[docmartin]

Crystal has decided in the past week to leave her breakfast for up to 3 hours. Previously she became highly animated during preparation and barely let the bowl touch the floor before demolishing the contents.

She lately appears more stimulated by my breakfast toast and accompaniments. Sadly I have given her her tiny nibbles, as the looks were totally irresistible to ignore.

However, I have successfully faced her down for the past two days and with steely resolve withstood the appealing cries and yelps that were my weakness previously.

She steadfastly continues to pass up the beckoning breakfast dish, at least until I'm out of site!

Have I spoilt her diet with my frailty to her seductions, or is she simply changing patterns as she grows up?

[Marhcarter]

Teehee...I vote for spoiled! Of course your breakfast is more enticing than hers! Stay strong...

[Harrysmum]

I vote for spoiled, too.....!!!

What are you giving Crystal for breakfast, Martin, on a normal weekday?

I know it sounds a bit nuts - but at about one year old, Harry totally refused to eat breakfast....or in fact anything until about 1 p.m.?!!? And that's still how it is, at 3 years....

[docmartin]

Originally Posted by Harrysmum

I vote for spoiled, too.....!!!

What are you giving Crystal for breakfast, Martin, on a normal weekday?

I know it sounds a bit nuts - but at about one year old, Harry totally refused to eat breakfast....or in fact anything until about 1 p.m.?!!? And that's still how it is, at 3 years....

Hello Sall, lovely to hear from you again. She has about a third of a Lily's wet spelt, plus about a dozen 'Lily's breakfast crunches' or 'Lamb with peas and parsley' as a dry accompaniment. This always gets polished off by midday.

She eats heartily in the evenings, usually freshly cooked chicken breasts with rice and the good old Tesco mixed veg (yours). Weekends breakfast is scrambled eggs and fresh yoghurt.

She's also becoming astonishingly agile by the way and can jump from the sitting position onto the kitchen table with ease!

Presently weighing in at around 7lbs 10ozs by the way.

Have you been invaded by the Rivers down there? We've escaped so far, the Sea is more of a threat here of course.

[docmartin]

Originally Posted by Marhcarter

Teehee...I vote for spoiled! Of course your breakfast is more enticing than hers! Stay strong...

Thanks Marilyn, I've resisted today as well, but she looks so forlorn and obviously thinks she's done something wrong...

[Harrysmum]

Originally Posted by docmartin

Hello Sall, lovely to hear from you again. She has about a third of a Lily's wet spelt, plus about a dozen 'Lily's breakfast crunches' or 'Lamb with peas and parsley' as a dry accompaniment. This always gets polished off by midday.

She eats heartily in the evenings, usually freshly cooked chicken breasts with rice and the good old Tesco mixed veg (yours). Weekends breakfast is scrambled eggs and fresh yoghurt.

She's also becoming astonishingly agile by the way and can jump from the sitting position onto the kitchen table with ease!

Presently weighing in at around 7lbs 10ozs by the way.

Have you been invaded by the Rivers down there? We've escaped so far, the Sea is more of a threat here of course.

I'm so sorry Martin that I've been so quiet - the river Thames has been taking it's toll....not so much on us, but my parents who live in Thames Ditton....a nightmare. They're far too old to be having to deal with all this

And in the middle of it all, I had my car (the whole family car aaargh!!!) written off by a white van man on his mobile....2005 Clio but only 45,000 miles on the clock - been battling the good old insurance company....

It never rains but it pours, as is so very apt at the moment....!!!

Your gorgeous little Crystal - maybe her tastes/timings etc. are changing? Or maybe she needs a change from Lily's....Harry reached that point. From Lily's, we went on to Applaws (for a while, anyway!! ).

[docmartin]

Originally Posted by Harrysmum

I'm so sorry Martin that I've been so quiet - the river Thames has been taking it's toll....not so much on us, but my parents who live in Thames Ditton....a nightmare. They're far too old to be having to deal with all this

And in the middle of it all, I had my car (the whole family car aaargh!!!) written off by a white van man on his mobile....2005 Clio but only 45,000 miles on the clock - been battling the good old insurance company....

It never rains but it pours, as is so very apt at the moment....!!!

Your gorgeous little Crystal - maybe her tastes/timings etc. are changing? Or maybe she needs a change from Lily's....Harry reached that point. From Lily's, we went on to Applaws (for a while, anyway!! ).

Sal, so sorry about your and the family's setbacks. I have a friend at Sonning (riverbank!) and they are presently living on their boat, which was moored to the roof of their conservatory to ride guard over the looters.

Hope you avoided injury with the car write off, sometimes you can get a loss adjuster to fight your corner as apart from Hiscox (expensive) all insurance companies are works of evil I'm afraid. Like the banks they need legislative interjection, which won't happen as too many MP's are on their boards or are 'consultants' to them - ker-ching!

I'm going to try some Applaws next time, as a change and thank you for the name.

My best wishes to you mum and dad and good luck with the claim.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Dogs are smart enough to hold out for better, just as we do. Once she's re-established in her mind that she won't be getting tastier human tidbits, she will succumb to her hunger and eat her breakfast. Unless you train a dog not to do it, they will always be in the seduction business anytime human food is around, especially if they were ever successful at it, but usually just a stern look will make them subside and give up if they are trained to be happily submissive to their person.

Whenever Tibbe backs off from something he wants so badly at just my look, I almost always give him an immediate big smile and say "you know you'll get a treat" and he knows if he waits patiently, a fairly goodly reward and praise for his immense self-control once the meal is over is coming his way. So he waits in anticipation and hope - a state dogs seem to love living in. It's a big, big deal for a dog to back himself off occasionally lusting after food right in the room with him, food that he wants more than anything in the world so he should get acknowledgement and payback for all that amazing self-control the few times he crosses the line. But he's smart and careful enough not to make a habit of lusting after my food - he knows that will get him sent from the room where he must wait and no treat will be coming. Plus a stern talking-to.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by Harrysmum

I'm so sorry Martin that I've been so quiet - the river Thames has been taking it's toll....not so much on us, but my parents who live in Thames Ditton....a nightmare. They're far too old to be having to deal with all this

And in the middle of it all, I had my car (the whole family car aaargh!!!) written off by a white van man on his mobile....2005 Clio but only 45,000 miles on the clock - been battling the good old insurance company....

It never rains but it pours, as is so very apt at the moment....!!!

Your gorgeous little Crystal - maybe her tastes/timings etc. are changing? Or maybe she needs a change from Lily's....Harry reached that point. From Lily's, we went on to Applaws (for a while, anyway!! ).

Wow, Sally, I had no idea the flooding had hit your family and then your car got totalled! My goodness, you've been pulled backwards through the knot-hole and back! I've been seeing on the news those awful reports and videos of the horrible flooding. I'm sorry to hear all this has happened to you and your parents. Big love and hugs from Texas and hoping the future is friendlier in every way!

[docmartin]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

Dogs are smart enough to hold out for better, just as we do. Once she's re-established in her mind that she won't be getting tastier human tidbits, she will succumb to her hunger and eat her breakfast. Unless you train a dog not to do it, they will always be in the seduction business anytime human food is around, especially if they were ever successful at it, but usually just a stern look will make them subside and give up if they are trained to be happily submissive to their person.

Whenever Tibbe backs off from something he wants so badly at just my look, I almost always give him an immediate big smile and say "you know you'll get a treat" and he knows if he waits patiently, a fairly goodly reward and praise for his immense self-control once the meal is over is coming his way. So he waits in anticipation and hope - a state dogs seem to love living in. It's a big, big deal for a dog to back himself off occasionally lusting after food right in the room with him, food that he wants more than anything in the world so he should get acknowledgement and payback for all that amazing self-control the few times he crosses the line. But he's smart and careful enough not to make a habit of lusting after my food - he knows that will get him sent from the room where he must wait and no treat will be coming. Plus a stern talking-to.

Thanks Jeanie, as ever much appreciated.

Before I'd read this, I'd saved a sliver of beef for her tonight from my plate. She waited with commendable restraint head on paws, those bright eyes watching every move. Upon completion of my meal, I gave her the 'tidbit' and promptly got a huge kiss!

I think because she's with me continuously (Irina works three days a a week) we've now grown very close and she does accept my wishes quite happily, after trying it on first (with food) of course! I've explained its all for her own good, so she remains healthy and we can all be together longer in the future!

Sal gave me the details of an excellent organic food producer here several months ago and I'll try another she's recommended for variety and her enjoyment.

"Unless you train a dog not to do it, they will always be in the seduction business"

How true!

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by docmartin

Thanks Jeanie, as ever much appreciated.

Before I'd read this, I'd saved a sliver of beef for her tonight from my plate. She waited with commendable restraint head on paws, those bright eyes watching every move. Upon completion of my meal, I gave her the 'tidbit' and promptly got a huge kiss!

I think because she's with me continuously (Irina works three days a a week) we've now grown very close and she does accept my wishes quite happily, after trying it on first (with food) of course! I've explained its all for her own good, so she remains healthy and we can all be together longer in the future!

Sal gave me the details of an excellent organic food producer here several months ago and I'll try another she's recommended for variety and her enjoyment.

"Unless you train a dog not to do it, they will always be in the seduction business"

How true!

LOL. Sounds like Crystal is a well-behaved girl who's holding out for better at times lately but won't push her luck much now that daddy has explained it all. Even the most perfect among us need a bit of correction at times to keep them perfect.

In case it does continue, you could try serving her evening meal earlier, reducing the size of it and the amount of evening snacks to see if that could be part of the problem, also, especially as she grows older. Tibbe used to eat all of everything put in front of him but now that he's older, a bigger evening meal or more snacks the night before will have him holding off until later before he asks for his breakfast.

[docmartin]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

LOL. Sounds like Crystal is a well-behaved girl who's holding out for better at times lately but won't push her luck much now that daddy has explained it all. Even the most perfect among us need a bit of correction at times to keep them perfect.

In case it does continue, you could try serving her evening meal earlier, reducing the size of it and the amount of evening snacks to see if that could be part of the problem, also, especially as she grows older. Tibbe used to eat all of everything put in front of him but now that he's older, a bigger evening meal or more snacks the night before will have him holding off until later before he asks for his breakfast.

Jeanie, thank you for this,

She doesn't eat sometimes till 8pm when Irina works. We'll try feeding her earlier and at a regular time, say 5pm (8 hour gap from breakfast) and see if that helps. I enjoy cooking her food anyway so its easily solved.

I must say she never pesters, always a well mannered little girl, we've been very lucky the way she's turned out.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Ya'll sound like wonderful parents for Crystal and she was sooooooo very lucky and blessed to have landed in your home as opposed to where she could have wound up. Sounds as if she worked her way into the family dynamic in a hurry and getting her was such a success story all the way 'round! I'm so thrilled to read about your love for one another and the little things you do to try to be certain she's happy, well-cared for and spoiled just to the right degree. All dogs deserve a good dose of spoiling in my opinion!

[docmartin]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

Ya'll sound like wonderful parents for Crystal and she was sooooooo very lucky and blessed to have landed in your home as opposed to where she could have wound up. Sounds as if she worked her way into the family dynamic in a hurry and getting her was such a success story all the way 'round! I'm so thrilled to read about your love for one another and the little things you do to try to be certain she's happy, well-cared for and spoiled just to the right degree. All dogs deserve a good dose of spoiling in my opinion!

I never knew how much this little bundle of fun and energy would come to mean to me. Sadly through arthritis, I can't visit the beaches with her as much as I'd like. I feel guilty when I see her gazing from the balcony at the other dogs sprinting about below. Her mom is great in this department when she's not working however and they both return exhausted but happy from their hikes.

Somehow however I know, she empathizes with my position and our extended play sessions in the flat go some way to make up.

Funny how that little 4lb bundle, with her fur all knotted and matted with wood chips eying me with such quizzical looks last June has now materialized into my close friend and constant source of joy.

Nowadays I'm often reduced to a private tear, watching how other poor creatures are treated through TV rescue programmes and Youtube links on this forum.

I think we're are all lucky to have the blessing of our little people and to appreciate their unique personalities.