My other topic got me some great replies, so I thought I'd make a new topic for my puppy queries. Trying to give my puppy the best life she can have, but she's my first puppy, so there are lots of things I've yet to learn.

1) I just got her proper bed today. How do I go about getting her away from sleeping in her cage (she has a cage with a box with bedding in one half, and paper in the other half with water for when she needs to eat and toilet during the night) and into sleeping in the bed every night? She's napping in it as we speak, so she's getting used to it, but I don't think it'll be that easy come bedtime.

2) She keeps eating my feet. It's cute but I know it's a bad habit. Saying no and moving her away just makes her treat it like a game. What shall I do?

3) The breeder said to feed her up to four bowls of food a day. I just fill the bowl up whenever it gets empty, but she only seems to go through 2 bowls a day, 3 at the most. Is that normal I should I be actively trying to make her eat more?

Thanks!

i wouldn;t actively try to make her eat more, but i would give her four meal times, rather than just leaving a bowl of food down as that's a start of a bad habit.

having meal times could encourage her to eat more than what she has been by comparison, but i really would break the habit of leaving food down

1. Why not use the crate as her bed? Crate training has some great advantages - toilet training, secure space for the dog, used to a crate if she ever needs crate rest or is kept in at the vets, such as for her spay.

2. Sit with your feet tucked up This is all part of learning bite inhibition. Some people recommend a 'yelp' as though she has hurt you, removing yourself (or your feet) or even a 'time out' if need be.

However, this is an interesting view from Ian Dunbar worth a read.

3. Weigh her daily food allowance at the start of the day and split into four. Give her these meals at regular intervals - perhaps 4 hourly from 7 AM with a little dog biscuit before bed to see her though the night. Take up the bowl after ten minutes. Some people do 'free feed'. But best to establish good habits first.

Remember to compensate for any training treats by reducing the overall food allowance.

Its so long since I had a pup, I can't remember when you cut down to three meals - I think it is six-seven months. Then two at a year IIRC. I think some depends on breed - with my tiny Crestie she had five meals at first.

Good luck!!

Shirt Slicer, what exactly are you giving your pup each time you feed her?

I had two sister pups together and they have never ever left a thing, and even now at a year-old they still love their food! Maybe having two at the same time caused them to eat everything in case one thought the other would get it!

The first couple of days I was feeding her the dry food the breeder gave me, now we're slowly moving onto the dry food I bought, which she seems to prefer, then I'm going to move her onto wet food mixed with the dry. Didn't want to just go throwing the wet food in there right away though incase it upset her little tummy.

I don't know what other people do, but because puppies teeth are small, for the first few weeks I used to mix some warm water or gravy with my pups' dry Eukanuba puppy food to soften it along with some Butchers' tripe as I think it's much easier for little teeth to cope with.

1) Why would you want to get her out of sleeping in her crate? used correctly, they are the best thing ever invented for puppies - they help speed up house training, and protect both the puppy and your home at night and when you are out

My eldest girl has never been crate trained - but is always to be found resting in the corner of one She even delivered 6 out of her first 8 pups in one


2) Bite inhibition - you need to be firm and consistent - think about a child if you took their toy away - they would sulk or chase it thinking it was a game. Push pup away firmly with a strong command - there is lots of information on bite inhibition on the internet - find what works best for you and stick with it - some pups can be persistent little blighters.

3) Food: Four regular meals a day - don't just fill the bowl up - the food should be measured in keeping with the brand and the pups age - put down, give pup a fixed time to eat if, if they don't - remove it - do not just leave it down - it does sound like pup may be being overfed which can lead to all sorts of problems.

If you are feeding her a good complete dry food, you don't need to add wet stuff. The dry stuff cuts down on poo and is nutritionally balanced, no need for anything else. make sure she always has fresh water available though.

You dont say how old the pup is now. She will gradually cut down her feeds naturally, down to 2 a day at age 6 months usually.
Why sleep the pup out of the crate? Its her home where she feels safe and it saves any accidents/destructiveness when you are out at any time or need someone else to look after her at any time. You are lucky she has taken to it so well - to her it IS her bed.Maybe use the other one for her daytime/evening dozes.
Biting - be firm, and stop her in any way you are happy with [tips on dogcare all over the internet]. Be the pack leader, quiet and consistent. Read Cesar Millan book.

PS - best to keep on dry food [always with water left down] for main meals - keeps teeth and gums clean and healthy. No merit in wet food.

Are you an authority on that?

In my opinion, part of the reason many of our dogs lack the constitution and robustness of years gone by is because they have such a narrow diet.

My dogs fed originally on barf / raw have much stronger constitutions than those fed all the way through on dried food.

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The issue with the OP is that they are leaving the food down all the time rather than giving specific meals and they also don't appear to be working to any guidelines.

No problem with Barf/raw diet, just don't think you need to feed complete dry food and wet together. Make your choice and stick with it. There are too many overweight dogs around ususally cos owners want to vary/give dog a choice or any number of human values on food when all they need is the correct nutirition.

Please don't read or take any notice of Cesar Millan & his outdated & discredited methods. You don't have to try to be the "pack leader" or dominate your dog ~ this is just a load of old-wives tales' that now seems to have become set in stone with constant repetition since the days of Barbara Woodhouse! Even the Daily Mail carried an article recently saying that these sort of dog training methods have been shown to be wrong. The latest research has been carried out by Bristol University & backs up the findings of other research in the way dogs interact with other dogs & people.

Kindness & consistency are the best ways to teach a dog what is acceptable behaviour & what is not. Ian Dunbar's article on teaching bite inhibition is much better. (StressMonkey provided the link earlier on this thread).

As for food & nutrition, my dogs are fed mainly on the BARF diet & from personal experience & from what I know from all my friends that feed the BARF diet, it produces much healthier dogs, reduces allergies, keeps teeth clean & promotes strong healthy gums etc. But also, I think, gives much needed enjoyment & mental stimulation at mealtimes. The very act of chewing, tugging & tearing at a raw meaty bone is exactly what dogs are designed to do.