Let Dogs Be Dogs by The Monks of New Skete

Author:The Monks of New Skete
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Pets / Dogs / General, Pets / Dogs / Training, Pets / General
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published: 2017-09-12T04:00:00+00:00

The Picky Eater

There are many possible reasons for your dog’s loss of appetite. Some dogs lose their appetite after receiving a vaccination. New surroundings, as on a family vacation or after a move to a new apartment, for instance, can also impact your dog’s willingness to eat. If your dog is overweight, her body might be telling her that she just doesn’t need the calories right now. If this is the case, you might want to ask your veterinarian for a proper weight-reduction diet.

Some dogs are picky merely because their food is so nutrient-poor that their bodies barely recognize the food as edible. Sometimes, however, the loss of appetite indicates an underlying illness. If you think this might be the case, an immediate trip to the vet is the prudent course of action. But it’s been our experience that many dogs are picky eaters simply because they take the food for granted. This is not fussy eating or a medical issue—it’s a behavioral problem.

To reverse picky eating, try the following: Increase your dog’s overall exercise (understand that you should not exercise him thirty minutes before or after mealtime). Require him to perform a small job to earn his meal. Allow him fifteen or twenty minutes to eat and then remove the uneaten portion. Continue this process until your dog realizes that you have a “new deal” with him. In time your dog will eat the food readily and be grateful for it afterward.

Like a child holding his breath, your dog may skip a meal or two. Don’t worry. There is no reason to be alarmed. Provided your dog is in good health and not very skinny or tiny, skipping a couple of meals, or eating only portions of the meals, doesn’t pose a health risk as long as you keep him hydrated. (If you have a very small dog that can’t afford to go on even a brief hunger strike, or a dog that skips more than two meals, sprinkle a little bit of Parmesan cheese on his food. We especially like Parmesan for this purpose because dogs love the smell, and it’s impossible to pick out and eat only the cheese. Do this for just two or three meals, until your dog is successfully eating on the “new deal.”) After not eating a meal or two, your dog will begin to sit quickly for his bowl, make eye contact with you, and eat with gusto. You want your dog to be thankful to you for her meals so that later, when you ask her for better behavior, she remembers how important you are and she is happy to please you. Dogs that are thankful for their food do not pick at it. They eat it readily and are usually cooperative in other aspects of life.

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