Doggie Hunger Questions?

[Hannah & Pepper]

Hi All,

So I have some questions about dogs being hungry and weird eating patterns, etc.

Background: When Pepper was a puppy she would eat her food so fast that she would sometimes throw up, so we started getting a slow bowl and one of those bobble food dispensers, and that really helped her slow her eating.  She stopped eating so quickly so we reverted back to a normal bowl and she would normally eat her food pretty quickly in the am and evening.  

She just turned one year old, and her eating patterns seem to have changed a lot---she seems much more "picky" or "discerning".  We often put breakfast or dinner down and she hardly touches it.  Other times, she will come home from daycare famished and scarf it down.  But other times she comes home from day care and she is too wiped out and just sleeps, skipping dinner entirely.  

Is this normal behavior?  Should we be concerned about her eating patterns, or consider changing the food?

She was previously on Orijen and we switched her to Acana Meadowlands because she was have diarrhea issues, and switching foods seemed to have entirely cleared that up.  I am hesitant to switch her to another food, because this one really seems to agree with her.

I am now trying to implement the 30 minute food rule and see if that encourages her to eat more at meal times, and we do often give her treats for doing tricks or a chicken stick when we leave her in her crate, and for now I think we will stop all treats until we figure this out.  She also loves things like yogurt and egg yolk, but I am stopping myself from mixing that with her kibble so that she will eat it, even though I know that would work and she'd gobble it up.

I don't think she is sick because she is acting normal, playful, etc, but if this continues much more I think we will have to take her in to the vet.

Any thoughts or advice?

Thank you!!!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Hooray!

[Mindy Roaderick]

Sounds just like what has been happening at our house for the past two years. Strange to go from a slow feed bowl to being a grazer. I have figured out that Bentley eats less kibble in the morning and seems to be hungrier in the evening for dinner. Another problem is that he likes to take a mouthful at a time and scatter it on the floor then slowly eat it piece by piece. Frustrating and messy but also has become a problem since we adopted a rescue cat taken in off the streets who lives to eat... He is getting pleasantly plump due to Bentley's eating habits. It is a hilarious and frustrating daily event at our house! He is currently eating Zignature grain free line and we change through the different flavors. We were previously on Orijen and Acana which he got indifferent to as well.

I am trying to adhere to Karen's advice too about the 30 minute rule especially since I have to separate he and the cat. That definitely comes into play when traveling or during the hurricane here in Florida last year. Anxious to hear what others have to say. 

[Hannah & Pepper]

Are you finding that your dog is eating the recommended amount per day, with the 30 minute rule, or not really?

Thanks!

Hannah 

[Mindy Roaderick]

He is pretty inconsistent. The past 2 weeks he has been hungry and finishing everything but he is totally unpredictable. Usually he eats less during the hot summer months so I'll wait and see.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'd even cut the time back to 15-20 minutes. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

So you've gotten some good suggestions here. By all means, you can try rotating the Acana Regionals formulas with each new bag, to provide some variety; that often helps keep them interested.

Most dogs complete their skeletal growth right around their first birthdays, and that in itself can be the reason Pepper is showing less interest in food; her body requires fewer calories now. 

Toppers definitely lead to picky eating, as the dog comes to expect them and sometimes, they will even come to expect something better, lol. I'd avoid the temptation to add anything to her meals. I wouldn;t stop all treats completely, but maybe cutting back a bit would help. If you are comfortable giving her non-edible chews such as antlers or Nylabones, you might try that for crate time. 
But overall, I wouldn't worry if she eats less, or has fluctuations in her appetite from day to day; that's normal for an adult dog.
I know I sound like a broken record, but a normal, healthy dog won;t starve herself. If her energy levels haven't changed, she's eating enough. :) 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Some dogs simply are more ‘discerning’ than others. That can be a really is a good thing if you aren’t catering to their every whim and also giving them lots of high calorie treats; this type of dog habit keeps them from overeating and gaining weight. I have two chow hounds who will eat as much as they are givens often as possible,  and I have ‘our prince’ who doesn’t. ‘Mr. Discerning’ weighs about the same as he did at a year, and he’s ten. The other two — I really have to control portions. 

[Laura and Angus]

Our dog fluctuates how hungry he is/how interested in his food he is (at almost 4 years old). Some times he'll skip breakfast multiple days in a row or skip two meals and then be very hungry. We usually give him something on top of his food to encourage him to have breakfast because he can get VERY ornery/grumpy when hungry or will eat more random things while at daycare, which leads to other problems. If you're trying to train your pup to eat at a certain time, I'd give less than 30 minutes - more like 15 (although I even read 10 minutes in several different training books/blogs). However, I agree with what was said - it's pretty normal for doodle dogs to have fluctuating appetites; poodles can be pretty anxious dogs and very picky eaters, so imo that's where this comes from in doodles. I wouldn't worry as long as your dog is still drinking, playing, acting normal, and pottying like normal. Look for behavior changes (e.g. lethargy or change in pottying habits) to identify illness.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with everything yiou've said except the part about Poodles being picky eaters. I've had three purebred Poodles now, including a new 4 month old puppy, and mine have been the least picky eaters of all my dogs. They have never turned up their noses at food of any kind. This new guy scarfs down his kibble and anything else he can get; also loves blueberries, carrots, even cucumbers! My last Poodle even ate Brussels sprouts!
My two Poodle mixes, however were both very picky dogs. My labradoodle, the late great JD, was the pickiest, and would turn up his nose at just about every kind of food including treats. He was also a strict carnivore and never saw a fruit or vegetable he would eat. 
Well, where did that come from? After all, Labs are known to eat everything in sight, including half your house, lol, so it must have been the Poodle, right? I think this is the way most doodle owners think when confronted with a picky eater. Must be from the Poodle side, because we all know Labs and Goldens are chow hounds.
I think it's really just the individual dog, and has nothing to do with the breed. For every picky eater we have here on DK, we have another one who has to be fed from a Slo-bowl to keep them from inhaling their food. I also think a lot of it comes from early feeding experiences and habits, including litter experience, food choices on the part of the breeders and owners, and how they are fed.