charlies_mum Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 hi everyone my 12 month old chihuahua charlie has never been all that hot on food. he is now fully grown and the vet is happy with his weight which has been stable for sometime. my question is is it ok if we leave food out for him all the time? he barely eats anything (i know chis dont need much) but he isnt a piggy dog and has amazing self discipline an example of this is when we have a leg of lamb (his favourite) if we give him more and more he only eats until he is full. i am just worried that if we use the 15 minute rule and then take the food away he will start to lose weight as he tends to graze all day. we tried the 15 minute rule when he was a puppy and it worked in that he ate some as soon as it was put down but only a tiny amount and then he would leave it. please help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poodle wrangler Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 I don't do it because both my dogs tend to overeat and we get an ant problem with food left out. Is no problem to leave food out as long as your dog is a healthy weight. One of my dog's breeders leaves dry food out for her dogs to graze all day and all are healthy (i.e. lean) weight. She also feeds raw for "meals". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke W Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 You mileage may vary and leaving food available to graze should be seen in context of the overall behavior of your dog.. I've been led to believe that as part of establishing pack leadership - you should decide when your dog eats. And your dog should always eat after you have. If your dog always has food available it may begin to think it is his right to always have food available and that it's one of the perks of being alpha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 (edited) Mine are gutses and would eat until they burst if I left food out! I like to keep them a bit lean and also use treats for training. Edited June 23, 2008 by Kavik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlies_mum Posted June 23, 2008 Author Share Posted June 23, 2008 Mine are gutses and would eat until they burst if I left food out! I like to keep them a bit lean and also use treats for training. i would love it if charlie had a better appetite. i had a red kelpie when we were growing up and he always wolfed down his food. we are getting a new chihuahua puppy in 2 weeks so maybe that will make him eat it in one sitting so she cant get it later...i hope she has a good appetitie thanks everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puggy_puggy Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 If you have more then one dog I would say no to leaving the food out all the time because you don't know who's eating what. If I left food out my puggies would be little piggies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 If what you are doing is working, then unless there is a need to change it, I'd probably leave things as they are. I don't want to sound rude, but by not INSISTING he eat when it is meal times, you've actually created a rod for your own back and a very spoiled puppy who is doing his best to educate you as he wants you to be. Personally, if it were my dog, I'd be going back to basics and enforcing the 15 minute rule. The last thing most people need is a picky animal. A dog won't willingly starve itself, unless there is some other issue, most will eat what they need to keep themselves going. I would be concerned that if for any reason he had to go to kennels or there was a need for him to eat at set times, that it WOULD create a problem for him in the future. In my case, I can't leave food down because I have too many other hoovers willing to eat it on behalf of the slow one/s. And I also live in the country and have problems with rodents, snakes and other uninvited guests being attracted by food left down all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 I agree iin most part to what Ellz has said about your dog training you and the fact that a dog will not willingly starve itself. However, I can't see there being an issue if you aren't concerned about flies, maggots and the food spoiling that is left out. If this is the way it works best for, and you can prevent the issues above, then by all means let him graze all day. I, like puggy puggy, have Pugs and it is simply impossible to leave food out as they eat it all immediately and would eat until they were sick (which they have done on oaccssion when they have burgled their way into food). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlies_mum Posted June 23, 2008 Author Share Posted June 23, 2008 thanks for your help everyone. charlie is going to get the shock of his life tonight when i take his food away. i am a dietitian so i deal with parents who have spoilt children who wont eat what is put in front of them, i dont have this problem with my kids but with charlie i have been so soft i think it is because he is so small. not any more. its a new day charlie. MUM and DAD are the boss. i will let you know how it goes cheers again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 Look out Charlie!! Good on you charliesmum for taking the advice as intended. And I truly understand where you are coming from, sometimes it is so much easier to give advice than to follow it, especially when it is YOU dealing with those big brown eyes and sad faces!! Good luck. I'm sure you'll be fine. He will probably lose weight initially, but when he realises you aren't going to cave, he'll start eating properly and you'll have no future problems (unless he is ill). Let us know how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garloch Posted June 23, 2008 Share Posted June 23, 2008 I have 4 dogs and they don't have food left out all day. I used to do this until recently with the dry food left after a meal (mine get homecooked 1/3 mince & veg, + petvite, + 2/3 premium dry food.) They would scoff the wetmix, and graze on the dry kibble. I was washing my old slightly overweight malt, when I noticed his abdo was very taut and hard, his breathing seemed to be laboured, and he was very uncomfortable. Fearing the worst, it was off to the vets in double quick time. (He's an old dog, arthritic, incontinent, has bladder stones and a few skin cancers excised, has cataracts, bad breath, and can't be trusted not to get angry and bite small people.) He cohabitates with 3 much younger scotties and they just about all have differing kibbles. They are fed in seperate corners, but I'm under no illusion that they don't sneak each others food when no-ones watching. Anyway - back to the vets - after the xrays, and the full checkup, it was found that he had eaten so much that his stomach was forcing itself up his throat so he couldn't breathe properly. $190 later, told he was technically a pig. So, no, I don't leave food out when their is a pack present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melbomb Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I have 4 dogs and they don't have food left out all day.I used to do this until recently with the dry food left after a meal (mine get homecooked 1/3 mince & veg, + petvite, + 2/3 premium dry food.) They would scoff the wetmix, and graze on the dry kibble. I was washing my old slightly overweight malt, when I noticed his abdo was very taut and hard, his breathing seemed to be laboured, and he was very uncomfortable. Fearing the worst, it was off to the vets in double quick time. (He's an old dog, arthritic, incontinent, has bladder stones and a few skin cancers excised, has cataracts, bad breath, and can't be trusted not to get angry and bite small people.) He cohabitates with 3 much younger scotties and they just about all have differing kibbles. They are fed in seperate corners, but I'm under no illusion that they don't sneak each others food when no-ones watching. Anyway - back to the vets - after the xrays, and the full checkup, it was found that he had eaten so much that his stomach was forcing itself up his throat so he couldn't breathe properly. $190 later, told he was technically a pig. So, no, I don't leave food out when their is a pack present. Oh wow that's awful. If ever anyone needed a reason why not to leave food out there it is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlies_mum Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 hi everyone well last night i swear charlie can understand human language because i told him that i was going to take it away in 15 minutes ( i even set the timer on the oven!) and lo and behold charlie ate his whole dinner!!!! well he got plenty of praise for that. and this morning he ate about half of what i put out so the rest went away and will be offered with more tonight. i felt so bad taking it away because he just looked up at me with those beautiful chihuahua eyes so we are off to a good start thanks again for your advice i definetly dont want charlie to eat so much his tummy expands up into his mouth!!! you have scared me into staying on this thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlies_mum Posted July 1, 2008 Author Share Posted July 1, 2008 just thought i would give you a quick update charlie is now eating everything in sight as soon as we put it down the reason being he now has a baby sister so feeels the need to eat as much as he can as fast as he can he is even starting to eat some of her treats when we go to give them to her!!! (she has a bowl of food avaliable all the time in her playpen that he cant reach so we can make sure she is getting enough) i wish we had got her sooner as we cant believe how much his appetite has improved with a little healthy competition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Helena Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Good to hear Charlies Mum! I personally don't agree with food down all the time (for adult dogs, puppies are different), especially for small breeds that are prone to picky eating. How hungry would we be, surrounded by food all the time? I found that when I got tough with Bonnie and her food, her appetite increased dramatically. She is now the opposite, a real guts and prone to getting chubby.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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