[oneeyedmutt]

So, our usual weekday morning routine is wake up, walk, breakfast. On weekends we wake up, go to the dog park, and then have breakfast when we get home, which is usually about half an hour later than when our walk is over. Lately, Polly has been totally uninterested in her breakfast when we get home from our walk. I leave the house at around noon to go to class, and get home around two. By the time I'm back, she's usually eaten, but that's not always the case. If I put some peanut butter on her food, she'll eat it right then, but I hate to get in that habit every day. Should I worry about this? Should I leave her food out for her to eat, or put it away? Once she starts eating, she eats the whole serving, so she's not picking at it. What's her deal? Any advice would be appreciated.

(P.S. This has been going on for about a month. She eats dinner at her regular time, no matter what time she eats breakfast. She also always eats right away when we get home from the park.)

 

[justine]

I have a picky eater, too. Don't get in the habit of adding stuff like peanut butter to her food or you will be hooked forever like I am.

If she normally eats it once you're gone, then I don't think it is much of a problem. Maybe she's just all riled up from the park and need a bit of time until she will eat.

Have you tried feeding her before her walk/trip to the dog park?

 

[oneeyedmutt]

We used to feed before her walk, but then I read that eating before exercise can lead to bloat.

 

[kaznalf]

I wouldnt add peanut butter to her food, also i wouldnt leave it out. I put my dogs food down and if they leave some i lift it, my mum leaves her dogs food out and she cant understand why he picks at it all day. Just lift and represent it to her at the next feeding and repeats she will soon learn

 

[HersheyK's Dad]

Some dogs self regulate and aren't food motivated. Wish I had one like that.

 

[justine]

Some dogs self regulate and aren't food motivated. Wish I had one like that.

I'll trade ya Abbey for HK

 

[Bob Pr.]

How old is Polly? Self-regulating Labs, when they get around 7-9 months old or a bit more begin deceasing the amount of food they eat.

At 9 weeks age, they need about 2X the normal amount that a mature, adult dog of that same body weight would need.

This gradually decreases to 1X the amount (etc., adult, etc.) at around 12-16 months.

Dogs that aren't self-regulators in their food consumption don't reveal this.

If your Polly is less than 14 months old, she may be trying to tell you something important.

And I agree, stop adding the PB.

 

[oneeyedmutt]

Thanks for the replies. Polly just turned two, and this really only happens two or three times a week. My real question is whether or not to take her food away. She doesn't pick at it if I leave it out -- when she decides to eat, she eats the whole serving. And she always eats dinner right when I give it to her, no matter when she decided to eat breakfast.

 

[justine]

Thanks for the replies. Polly just turned two, and this really only happens two or three times a week. My real question is whether or not to take her food away. She doesn't pick at it if I leave it out -- when she decides to eat, she eats the whole serving. And she always eats dinner right when I give it to her, no matter when she decided to eat breakfast.

If I were you, I would pick it up if she doesn't eat it right away. Give it back after maybe 15 minutes. If she doesn't eat it, pick it up again. Do that a couple times and if she doesn't eat it, don't feed her until her regularly scheduled dinner. I wish I would have done that with Abbey when she did this to me!

 

[Bob Pr.]

I'd just pick it up after 15 minutes and return it to the food container. Why keep offering it? She's not going to starve and leaner dogs live longer and have fewer health problems.

http://www.purina.com/company/press/2002/LifePlan.aspx

 

[oneeyedmutt]

Thanks for the advice! I've been offering once, and then giving it to her again at lunch time, at which point she eats. Problem solved!

 

[Baloo317]

Or you could switch to once a day feeding. I feed once a day, although if you're feeding kibble I'd try to keep it at twice.