Feeding time problems.......

SecretSquirrell379

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Now I know that I have been doing this wrong and I am trying to rectify it so bear with me!

Pickle has always been a grazer with her food. She has never wolfed down a bowl of food, she just has a few mouthfuls and nibbles on it as the day goes on. I just keep a mental note of how much she has had as I use a measuring cup (not very much at all) so I know I am not over feeding her. The Vet and our trainer have told us we have to stop this. She should have her 3 meals a day and thats that. We have started giving her her feeds, letting her have it for 15 mins then taking the bowl up, if she has finished or not (invariably not) She is fed in her crate and her bowl is a metal one.

By accident last night when I was taking her unfinished dinner away I dropped the bowl. The food went all over her mat infront of her cage and she then proceeded to woof the whole lot down :rolleyes: So this morning I did the same fed her in her crate, she only had a few mouthfuls so I then tipped it on the mat infront and she ate it, again she just did the same with her lunch and she's eaten that too. Is this normal behaviour?!!

I don't want her getting into the habit of eating off the floor as if we go out somewhere I need her to eat out of her bowl. What shall I do and why would she not like eating in her crate?

Hope someone can shed some light on my mental puppys behaviour!!

Thank you xxx
 

SecretSquirrell379

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no it hangs on the side of the crate, I suppose the kibble makes a noise in the bowl??? She drinks out of an identical metal one but I don't suppose that makes any noise
 

Cedars

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I would try feeding her on all sorts of different places.

Bowl on the floor, plate on the floor, bowl on the floor on a towel, kitchen towel folded up at the bottom of the bowl, rubber round the bars of the crate so it doesnt rattle....

Is it at height? It might be that she is uncomfortable eating at a height? xxx
 

galaxy

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I would have guess it was the bowl too.... Have you tried putting the bowl down on the floor outside the crate?
 

SecretSquirrell379

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I would try feeding her on all sorts of different places.

Bowl on the floor, plate on the floor, bowl on the floor on a towel, kitchen towel folded up at the bottom of the bowl, rubber round the bars of the crate so it doesnt rattle....

Is it at height? It might be that she is uncomfortable eating at a height? xxx

I'm pretty sure its at the correct height, she doesn't look uncomfortable at all. I will try the other things you suggest and see how she goes. She just loved it on her mat and kept batting it around before killing and eating it!!

I would have guess it was the bowl too.... Have you tried putting the bowl down on the floor outside the crate?

I did try this yesterday morning but she didn't seem interested in it. I am going to try again though with dinner, maybe put a few bits on the floor and leave the rest in the bowl?
 

Cedars

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Is she sore on her back legs? We were told with the mutt that we should hold her bowl at height to encourage her weight backwards onto her back legs.

Probably not, just thinking of ideas for you!!
 

SecretSquirrell379

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No not at all......well she's tearing around the garden grabbing shubs as she zooms by and they seem to be propelling pretty damn well at the moment :eek: she has just ripped hubbys favourite ice plant out of the ground and brought it to the back door to show me....ooopppss!!
 

Cinnamontoast

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Ceramic bowl instead? Shallower bowl? Feed her on a towel/mat, no bowl?

My lot make the devil of a mess (raw) but wolf it down, no need for bowls as the first thing they do is take it out of the bowl, dump it on the floor, go back, eat most interesting bits first, cue blood etc all over.
 

Brownmare

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My fussy lurcher much prefers to eat out of a ceramic bowl than a metal one. Sad thing is I only found out a few months ago by accident and he's 9 :eek:

cinammontoast - that's eactly why my OH won't let me feed raw :rolleyes:
 

SecretSquirrell379

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Dinner is underway as I type :D

I put some food straight on the mat, some in metal bowl but sat on the mat too and she's prefering to eat out of the bowl......well when I say eat she has had 2 mouthfuls and is now running around :rolleyes: I will give her 5 mins to eat some more, if she doesn't I will take it up and put it back down in a few hours. Maybe she just isn't hungry yet!

I think that I'm better off giving each different way a few days before I try the next thing. I just hope she starts eating properly soon!
 
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