What 'else' do you feed your dog?
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We have a five month old dog. We feed her dry food only, with the occasional bit of cabbage, carrot or diced apple.
I have been told that this is the healthiest diet for her, and although she doesn't eat that much, she is thriving perfectly and obviously as she's so small she's not going to eat a huge amount of anything.
However, 'well meaning' dog-owning friends keep suggesting other things I should feed her. Most of them can't believe we only give her dry food, to the point where they are making me feel a bit mean! Now, I'm not going to bow down to peer pressure, but I'm just wondering how many other people just feed their dog dry food?
It's the same with a few other things too; we are following a relatively strict training programme and friends of mine are horrified that we put her in her cage when visitors first arrive, don't let her get onto the furniture uninvited etc etc.
I'm starting to feel a bit like the World's strictest dog-owner! This is the first dog we've had and the programme is working perfectly as far as we're concerned; she will sit and stay already, walks very nicely and is absolutely great with the kids. Please tell me that EVERYONE else isn't feeding their dogs Sunday lunch and giving them the run of the house?!
(Not that I'm saying it's bad to do that; each to their own, of course, I'm just wondering if we're odd!)
I have been told that this is the healthiest diet for her, and although she doesn't eat that much, she is thriving perfectly and obviously as she's so small she's not going to eat a huge amount of anything.
However, 'well meaning' dog-owning friends keep suggesting other things I should feed her. Most of them can't believe we only give her dry food, to the point where they are making me feel a bit mean! Now, I'm not going to bow down to peer pressure, but I'm just wondering how many other people just feed their dog dry food?
It's the same with a few other things too; we are following a relatively strict training programme and friends of mine are horrified that we put her in her cage when visitors first arrive, don't let her get onto the furniture uninvited etc etc.
I'm starting to feel a bit like the World's strictest dog-owner! This is the first dog we've had and the programme is working perfectly as far as we're concerned; she will sit and stay already, walks very nicely and is absolutely great with the kids. Please tell me that EVERYONE else isn't feeding their dogs Sunday lunch and giving them the run of the house?!
(Not that I'm saying it's bad to do that; each to their own, of course, I'm just wondering if we're odd!)
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As for being strict, thats where we differ, he has the run of the house & even a chair at the dining table, he does not eat off it lol, but just sits upright on the chair next to my son. He's an 18 month old Eurasier-the dog that is! ;-)
I spent two weeks in a house with three dogs and could see that they were well disciplined and very happy funloving dogs and they never went upstairs or on the furniture indoors.
They were fed dried food apart from the old dog who had some kind of mush as he had no teeth and had to be fed seperately from the other two as he was a slow old gentleman.
I've never crate trained a dog. My dogs, from the dogs I had as a child at my parents, to the two I have had as an adult in my own home, have always had the run of the house, slept on my bed, sat on the chairs etc...none of them have ever done any damage to our home or themselves.
It depends what you want from your dog, I think that the main thing is that their behaviour is managable for you, and that the dogs are happy and non aggressive
Mine are now allowed on the sofa and to be free when people call, but when I first get a dog they all go through 'Nothing in Life is Free' and have to work for all privileges. When they get the idea of manners, rules are relaxed a little. For the sofa, if we put a dog blanket on it they know they can get up. Buffy will now sometimes ask to come up on the sofa and Murphy always looks embarrassed like he shouldn't be there unless we specifically call him 'hup'. And they ALL 'off' on command. And they all know their 'bed' command.
Hansel has been a begger to train to be fair. He is very reactive to noise and hated visitors - especially men. Making his crate the best place in the world (he usually eats in there, gets treats in there and is NEVER disturbed in there) was very helpful - though not the whole training regime. It has had the added bonus of helping with his food possession issues - only ever food possessive with Murphy - never humans - and the crate was again only part of the solution - I don't want people to think crates are a panacea.
As for run of the house, only Hansel can climb stairs:D We keep the doors closed so it is pretty boring for him and lonely without the others, so he doesn't bother much.
He also occasionally gets a scrambled egg, but that's because he's sometimes prone to a bit of runny tummy and that binds him back up again.
As for the furniture he sleeps on his own bean bag, but during the day is allowed up on the sofas.
A combo of dried 'complete', and canned 'Butchers Tripe' as a staple, with some chopped veg added most days.
On top of that, he also gets selected leftovers, stuff in the fridge that reaches it's 'use-by' date (sliced meat, cheese, etc..) and occasional 'treats', such as pig-ears, dried tripe, paddywack, bones...
That sounds a lot - but he doesn't eat a huge amount in any one day - he seems very fit and healthy on it
Freedom:
When we are in, he's free to go wherever he wants in the house except the bedrooms.
When we are out, he has freedom of the kitchen and hall/stairs/landing.
At night he has freedom of the kitchen, hall/stairs/landing, and our bedroom (he's allowed in there at night with us, but not on his own during the day)
Furniture/Sleeping:
He has 3 beanbag dog beds - in the living room, kitchen, and our bedroom, and tends to sleep on those most of the time. He doesn't get up on the furniture except sometimes he might curl up with one of us if we're sprawled on the sofa, and sometimes curls up at our feet on the bed at night - he rarely stays up more than half an hour at a time though, he gets too warm and goes back on hs own bed after a while.
I used a crate with him when he was younger, just for an hour or two at most when we had to go out because he was a very destructive pup and tried to chew through a wall, so I was worried he'd electrocute himself! Now he's a bit older (he's 2 today
He does get on our furniture despite us vowing when we first got him that he wouldn't. He's on the computer chair with me now keeping my feet warm!
They do get treats for training purposes & I always have treats with me out on walks just in case I need an instant distraction or obedience. I usually buy the Nature's Menu treats, but if we're out for a long walk for several hours I'll take something tastier like chicken, frankfurters, ham etc.
They also have a selection of half-chewed rawhides in their toy box & will rummage around for these if they feel the need to chew. They both have excellent strong white teeth & the vets always comments on their teeth (perhaps they see a lot of dental decay:eek:).
They also sometimes get the leftovers from a roast dinner (just the meat & veggies) for breakfast.
Mine dogs have th run of the house but i didn't get them till they were adult so I've not had any toilet training problems & have never used a crate for them as there was no need. They sleep wherever they choose and while they have a selection of large cushion beds, they usually choose one of the sofas & will take turns on the bed at night if it's not too hot.
I think it's up to every dog owner to find out what works for them & their dogs. Different people & different circumstances mean that owners have different sets of rules. As long as your dog is happy, loved & well-cared for, that's all that matters. If you start geting behavioural problems then you need to have a long hard look at how you are keeping your dog & whether you need to change things.
She is a very happy little thing and the trainer is very pleased with her progression so I'll stick with it! She really likes her 'den' as we call it, I think she likes to retreat from the kids sometimes
TBH I didn't want a dog, but I am so fond of her and she brings us lots of happiness
I'm telling ya, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. The yapping little woolly thing in my house runs riot! Worry if you have a badly behaved dog!
They sometimes get bones to relieve boredom if the weather is crap.
The mackerel and cheese are good for encouraging them to eat stuff they are being iffy about usually beef and tripe NM/D.
Sam is a canine dustbin and will eat any table scraps and he adores a gravy roast dinner if he could get one, so he gets once a month a meal of NM/D covered in left overs, gravy, spuds, peas, beans, and a yorkshire, he'd eat that everyday if allowed.
Mine are fed fruit, vegetables, chicken wings and whatever my butcher gives me.
They don't like fish so I'll add fish oil to their food a couple of times a week.