I've been reading a lot about how much you all feed your dogs. I think Koa could stand to lose maybe 5 pounds. I want to cut back -- he gets 4 cups per day... but when he's hungry, he misbehaves! I know when he starts looking for things to chew up, it's because he's hungry and that's how he deals with it. He gets really destructive. Heaven, not so much. She will chew things up when she's bored. Koa has a hearty appetite. Probably weighs about 65 pounds right now. (I'll weigh him later, not about to wake him so he can tear up the house.) Maybe your dogs don't get like this...but what do you think, just give snacks, or hambones in between...something to hold him over the next meal? Or break up his 2 meals into 3? Right now I give him 2 cups in the am, and 2 cups in the pm. He has become rather lazy because of the heat... he just wants to lie in the shade or around the house.
dealing with hungry dogs
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Well I'd have to ask what you feed. Some foods are just not potent enough for high energy dogs and leave them unfulfilled.LuvaBULL said:
Secondly I would suggest, as you said, breaking his meals up into three if you could and supplement with canned string beans. They add bulk, but they add no calories, they are cooked so they pass through easier.
Paula
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The string beans didn't give my Dal any gas. Over the couse of a year, we dropped him 25 lbs. he was way too fat.
Hopscotch weighs in at about 55 lbs and she get about two cups a day.
We feed Nature's Variety with Merrick canned.
Hopscotch weighs in at about 55 lbs and she get about two cups a day.
We feed Nature's Variety with Merrick canned.
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Are you sure he is misbehaving because he is hungry? Maybe he is just your typical bored puppy? I honestly don't see how a dog would have the mentality to act out because its upset it never got enough to eat. Just sounds kinda strange.
If he is being destructive I would just suggest crating him. My bitch is 18 months old now and is still VERY destructive if given free run of the house. Unless I am able to supervise her she is crated. My home is much more important to me than her freedom.
I have never had a problem taking weight off either of my dogs when I thought they were looking a little chubby. Just cut back on their food! 4 cups sounds like an awful lot for Koa anyways if you ask me. Smooch is about 65 # and all she gets is 2 cups per day. I feed her Wellness. If you want to take some weight off of him I would cut him back to 2 cups per day. In a month I would wiegh him and see if any of the weight has started to come off. If not I would cut back another half cup per day then re weigh him again in another month. If all he need to lose is 5 lbs it should be a snap.
If he is being destrcutive in between meal time raw frozen marrow bones should keep him entertained without adding too many calories.
If he is being destructive I would just suggest crating him. My bitch is 18 months old now and is still VERY destructive if given free run of the house. Unless I am able to supervise her she is crated. My home is much more important to me than her freedom.
I have never had a problem taking weight off either of my dogs when I thought they were looking a little chubby. Just cut back on their food! 4 cups sounds like an awful lot for Koa anyways if you ask me. Smooch is about 65 # and all she gets is 2 cups per day. I feed her Wellness. If you want to take some weight off of him I would cut him back to 2 cups per day. In a month I would wiegh him and see if any of the weight has started to come off. If not I would cut back another half cup per day then re weigh him again in another month. If all he need to lose is 5 lbs it should be a snap.
If he is being destrcutive in between meal time raw frozen marrow bones should keep him entertained without adding too many calories.
Well I just watched him long enough to see what his triggers were for his chewing habits. I noticed that after he eats, he's very mellow and "plays nice." It's hard to be bored here with 2 other dogs and a whole back yard to run in, and dozens of toys. After he hasn't eaten in a while, he will starts chewing on things... shoes, boxes....my couch. Whatever he can get his paws on. I realize then that it's about time for his evening meal, and he behaves once his tummy is full. If I feed them right before I go to work, I know I will come home to a room that is all in one piece. They rest well once they're fed. If I don't have time to feed them before I go, I come home to a place that's torn to shreds. Maybe it is all coincidental, and he IS just bored, but it seems to be remedied by food.. so I just correlated the 2. Some people chew their nails when they're hungry, I figured Koa chews couches! :lol:
4 cups per day was working well when he was more active and running laps with Heaven. Now he's just lying around because it's either too hot or raining, so he's getting a little chunky. :snorting:
Edited to add -- it isn't a mentality or emotional thing to "act out" on purpose as if he has that type of rational thought, NOR am I implying that he's "upset.". It's a natural, physical response to hunger. Dogs can't tell you they're hungry, but they will start showing it in subtle ways. Like chewing, pacing, salivating on your face when you're trying to nap... (lol, j/k). Seriously, you can look that up.
4 cups per day was working well when he was more active and running laps with Heaven. Now he's just lying around because it's either too hot or raining, so he's getting a little chunky. :snorting:
Edited to add -- it isn't a mentality or emotional thing to "act out" on purpose as if he has that type of rational thought, NOR am I implying that he's "upset.". It's a natural, physical response to hunger. Dogs can't tell you they're hungry, but they will start showing it in subtle ways. Like chewing, pacing, salivating on your face when you're trying to nap... (lol, j/k). Seriously, you can look that up.
OMG, I have renamed Nala the Toilet Paper Bandit. I try to remember to keep the bathroom door shut, but as soon as I forget... she grabs a roll. She has tons of toys to play with, but that girl loves some toilet paper.gazar said:
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Bogart is a P.I.G. pig! He is about 68 pounds and he eats 4 cups (Solid Gold brand-plus a few treats here and there throughout the day). He would eat all day if I let him. Once, at my sister's house, he got into their food bin and ate almost the entire binful of food! Needless to say, he "shat" all over her place.
I think it just varies-even dogs that weigh the same eat sometimes drasticaly different amounts of food. My dad's dog eats very little, maybe two cups a day. She is about 125 pound Bernese Mountain dog-very fat!! My parents' vet scolded them for how fat she has gotten. Bogart is very lean. He eats a lot, but he is also fairly active.
Anyway, one idea I have if you want your dog to lose weight is to use a Buster Cube and to just feed less than normal. They will eat slower and it keeps them occupied for some time. Bogart gets one cup in the cube in the evening. It took him a couple of weeks to figure out how to use it, but now he is a pro!
I think it just varies-even dogs that weigh the same eat sometimes drasticaly different amounts of food. My dad's dog eats very little, maybe two cups a day. She is about 125 pound Bernese Mountain dog-very fat!! My parents' vet scolded them for how fat she has gotten. Bogart is very lean. He eats a lot, but he is also fairly active.
Anyway, one idea I have if you want your dog to lose weight is to use a Buster Cube and to just feed less than normal. They will eat slower and it keeps them occupied for some time. Bogart gets one cup in the cube in the evening. It took him a couple of weeks to figure out how to use it, but now he is a pro!
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Nope cuz it's cooked. That's why you use canned green beens. My friends used to buy the gigantic Sam's Club cans.LuvaBULL said:
Paula
Ok... we'll give that a try, maybe the beans too. See, Heaven eats the same amount.. 4 cups per day. She weighs 45 pounds, and has weighed that much since she was 10 mos old. She is very lean, athletic and dainty (petite)... but the girl runs constantly. Koa is a big slug bug.msvette2u said:
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We feed Bub 2 cups a day (12 oz. each)
7:00 a.m. & 5 p.m.
all day long he has chew toys available to him while in and out of his crate.
We always crate him when we are unable to watch him
7:00 a.m. & 5 p.m.
all day long he has chew toys available to him while in and out of his crate.
We always crate him when we are unable to watch him
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My dogs eat about 3 cups a day of Canadea...
1 1/2 cup around 6:30
1 1/2 cup around 5:00
They also get treats during the day and snaks here and there. Also on Weekends when we are home all day We break it up to three meals...otherwise they bug us for food. We also give them things like carrotts for treats just to keep it a little healthier.
I would aggree with Lisa...4 seems alot for them. I dont know what the food recomends though. I would just cut him back on the kibble...maybe a 1/2 cup a day but add on more healthier foods...like carrotts, green beans, yogurt. That way the amounts might equal out and his tommy would be as full.
1 1/2 cup around 6:30
1 1/2 cup around 5:00
They also get treats during the day and snaks here and there. Also on Weekends when we are home all day We break it up to three meals...otherwise they bug us for food. We also give them things like carrotts for treats just to keep it a little healthier.
I would aggree with Lisa...4 seems alot for them. I dont know what the food recomends though. I would just cut him back on the kibble...maybe a 1/2 cup a day but add on more healthier foods...like carrotts, green beans, yogurt. That way the amounts might equal out and his tommy would be as full.
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