Huffs strange eating habits.

[Taylor & Huff]

I have been meaning to post this for a while. Huff has some strange eating habits. He eats treats throughout the day and he refuses to eat and breakfast so we just feed him dinner around 10:00pm-12:00am (yes that is how late we eat). And you would think he would be hungry... NOPE! He sometimes eats half of his dinner and then goes back for more later or he dosen't eat it at all. If it is really late and he still hasen't eaten we have to spoon feed him (which I know is bad training but he needs to eat.

 

What should we do about this? Keep in mind that we feed him chicken rice veggies and fish oil and vitamin powed which he loves. I figure he is jusrt a brat.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

The first thing I'd do is cut out the treats.  I also would not be spoon feeding him.....if he's not getting treats during the day he might be much more inclined to want to eat his meal.  I'd put the food down, give him 20 minutes to eat it, and then take the dish away.  I don't think it would take him too long to get the idea that he needs to eat when the food is presented or he's going to get very hungry later.  It sounds pretty "strict", but it sure works with my two.

[Taylor & Huff]

We do't give him treats in the morning anymore. He dosen't care if you pick his food up because, when he dosen't eat his food he sleeps instead. So he won't even see it being picked up.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Do not spoon feed him!  He doesn't need you to do this. Healthy dogs will eat what they need and shouldn't be encouraged to eat more.   IF he doesn't eat then either leave it to be part of the next meal or pick it up and make him do without - free feeding is when you just leave it down and that is fine if you want.  Picking it up encourages him to eat when you want him to and that is especially helpful if you have a schedule to keep.  When we are home, I will leave Ned's food down (and in the shower with the slider open a bit so ensure that the other dogs don't get it) but when we are camping in the RV it is eat now or too bad because it cannot be out all day.  If any of the dogs don't eat right away, we pick it up. 

Why don't you take some kibble to the shop and feed him that as a treat during the day?  Too many treats are not nutritionally good for him.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

And I think I remember you saying he was kind of bored at the shop recently.  How about putting some kibble into a Treat Ball or other kibble dispensing toy.  It would be fun for him, give him something to do, and let him eat his 'real' food.

[Taylor & Huff]

The reason we don't like to give him treat dispensing toys is because there are a lot of dogs and if he leaves it a lone for a second somebody else will steal it. I don't really like just any dog slobbering his toys haha. Maybe I am just paranoid. I think the reason he is like this is because he has always been free fed until now. We used to leave kibble down at the shop but the other dogs always eat it before Huff. I could hide it but Huff won't care to go look for it.

[Adina P]

What if you sectioned off an area for Huff at a designated feeding time (like with an expen) and then put him in there for half an hour with his food.  At the end of the half hour, you remove the food and expen and eventually (after a few days) when he figures out that THAT is the new feeding time he'll actually start eating as much as he needs when he's fed at that time.

[Taylor & Huff]

We don't encourage him tlo eat more we just spoon feed him until he starts to eat the rest himself. We go to our grandmas to eat and thats when he is supposed to eat. So we can't leave it for another meal.

[Adina P]

Please don't spoon feed him.  If he doesn't want to eat, let him be.  Our appetites vary from meal to meal and day to day and that's normal.  Some dogs are more grazers than others.  Our border collie was free fed by my husband (when they were together without me) and she usually just chose to eat in the middle of the night.  She'd not touch her food till then.   Also if he's eating treats throughout the day, that's going to blunt his appetite and hunger so of course he'll skip meals. He doesn't need treats throughout the day.  Imagine if you ate snacks all day long...you'd kind of lose your desire for a real meal if it was often enough.

 

So what should you do?  I'd say don't give treats so often unless you are training -- at least make sure there are a few hours between his last 'snack' and his supper.  Then put down his food while your family eats and when you're done eating toss what he's not eaten away and wait till the next day.  You do NOT have to spoon feed him.

[Taylor & Huff]

We don't give him treats throughout the day 1-3 treats at most. And he eats really late 2:00am- 3:30 am. So we are worried he will get sick. And we don't want to waste food.

[Taylor & Huff]

Sorry my sister wrote this. I don't ever remember him eating at 2 am. Midnight yes but never 2 am. Anyways, she is right about the treats though

[Lorraine Bromley]

Neely is two and he does eat a little differently too. We always free fed him until having my sons dog come. But he doesn't get many treats on a regular basis or get any people food so he is not over fed. His weight is good and so is his activity. But he doesn't eat much during the day but around 1 or 2 am. I am up alot during the night and figured that I must have started him on this routine? Interesting though.

[Taylor & Huff]

Huff isn't over weight either he is a healthy weight for his body type 82-85 lbs. And he dosen't get many treats either unless we are training.