food strike- what to do?

[Britni Rampton]

Hey friends,

my dood, Crosby is going on a rebellious adolescent food strike. I feed him twice a day- leave food for 15 min and then take it away. He supposed to eat 3 cups a days, and is now eating 2 cups...maybe 2.5 on a good day. He'll eat all 3 cups if we mix it with sweet potato or pumpkin.

I know this is completely behavioral because I'll feed him (he's crate trained to eat in his closed crate) and he'll eat as long as I'm standing or sitting right next to him. I've started rewarding him for eating all his food two days ago (his reward being opening his crate and letting him roam the house for awhile- we usually keep him to specific areas). 

How do we get him to eat his kibble? do I just keep mixing sweet pot or pumpkin indefinitely? will he outgrow this behavior? should I just keep doing what i'm doing and eventually hell get hungry and realize that he only gets to eat two times (and limited to 15 min)? should i keep rewarding him with "out of crate time"? will he even get that... i would think so. he's very smart. 

thanks my doggy dood gurus!

[Britni Rampton]

haha- yea- I treat him a lot like I treat my two little gals- ones 2 (almost 3) and the other is almost 1. If they don't eat, no worries. They'll eat when their hungry. 

[Stacy]

But it drives you crazy, doesn't it!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

YES!!!!

[Britni Rampton]

He definitely gets his exercise. We live on half an acre and I'm home all the time. My 2 year old runs him tired 3-4 times a day. I figured that was more then most people that work outside the home and leave their doods home for 8-10 hours. I dunno-

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This discussion made me think about a pretty funny one I posted here 10 years ago (can you believe that?) that some of you may enjoy. 
Come Have A Little Whine With Me

[Stacy]

You could probably resurrect that conversation. Maggie is eating well, but she still gives me the stink eye if I don't crumble a treat on top. She'll lay on my lap for a piece of string cheese. But no treat in the world is attractive enough to call her off guarding the squirrels in the yard. Katie will eat all the food, all the treats, and all of the crotches out of all the underwear in the entire world if I turn my back for 5 seconds. I keep thinking she's going to outgrow it...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jasper has eaten the crotches out of two pairs of my yoga pants!!!! My bad for not putting them away immediately upon taking them off, I know, but still....

[Stacy]

But he's just a baby yet! He's gonna be 12 years old and I'm going to be making excuses that he's just a baby. And that right there is why Katie is still naughty! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

LOL

[Carolyn Shusterman]

Stacy and Karen, I am relieved to find out my doodles aren't the only naughty ones.  If I look at it on the positive side they have taught us to keep our underwear and socks where they can't get them. No use tucking them deep into your shoes or leaving your underwear drawer just a little bit open.  When we have overnight guests I remind them I am not responsible for their underwear or socks because they have been  warned.  Several times my granddaughter came to me in tears because Hershey chewed some extra ventilation in her socks. I told  my granddaughter she could  help herself to my 'fancy socks' but that did not appease her one bit.