Arrgggghhhhh!

I'm having a nightmare with my three this last week or so!

All three dogs are on different foods, the elder two having a meal at 8am & 8pm and the baby 8am, 12noon, 4pm and 8pm.

The 8am and 8pm feeds are getting worse! 

I feed them all in seperate places, Dougie one side of a baby gate, Ruby in their room which has a baby gate and the pup in the kitchen, and all of them want to eat each others but not their own!

This morning Ruby was sat barking everytime Geoffrey the puppy went near the pen, but didn't want to eat her food, Dougie wasn't eating his, and Geoffrey didn't want his own but wanted Dougies, phew!

Ruby and Dougie used to have the same food and used to eat together, and were fine (we watched them obviously), but now they are eating different foods its easier to separate them, so anyway, this morning we decided to feed them together after twenty minutes of faffing about and they then decided that they would eat, but only each others!

Neither of them are faddy eaters, I really don't know why they are acting like this.

We do the down for twenty minutes and if not eaten then up but then I feel bad as its 12 hours till the adult dogs next feed.

The joys of dog ownership! :-)

Nicki xx

The wacky world of multiple dog ownership.

I have one oldie - few teeth - likes peace to eat slowly
one fussy, faddy pain in the neck who more often than not, leaves all his dinner for others to gobble up
One Olympic standard food snaffler - inhales it with one gulp - needs slimming down, nightmare
Her daughter - in training to take over her world record
Two pups on 3 meals a day, easily distracted and wander off
One slow eater who enjoys fending off all others with accompanying grumbles and groans
and so on and so on.

You just get used to it and whats more...the dogs do too.

I tell my 'hungry' adults that life's not fair when others get meals when they dont!! "Get over" it I say ......but Oh the Dirty looks :-(

Ha ha thanks Toolz, laughing my head off at that!

You'd think the older two would be into their new routines now its been happening for four weeks, its like if they don't have the competition of the other dog next to them they don't want it, Ruby used to be the same as one of your dogs, inhaled in three seconds, Dougie wasn't far behind! Geoffrey the pup is also the same as your pups, far too distracted, and I think he is enjoying not having his 12 litter mates to compete with a little too much!

I'm sure they will learn, it's just hard because I need them to eat their own different kind of foods, and Dougie is on the verge of being fat so he really can't be eating anymore than he has already!

They're a pain in the ass, but I love them to bits so they're worth it :-)

Nicki xx

The really funny thing is...when my hubby feeds them...he just shoves any old thing down and it's a free for all.
Thankfully not often but he thinks I fuss too much.

If they are hungry he gives them more........ if not he just leaves them...simple he says!!

Goodness knows what size they'd be if I were to be hospitalised

ROFLOL, my OH is exactly the same and when I was in hospital last month for 5 days Lunar my 2 year old bitch put on a kilo in a week ( I made him weigh her!! :-o she is 8kgs normally) as he gave her more as she was hungry She has now lost half a kilo and knows exactly who to go to when shes 'hungry' LOL

god am I lucky or what.... my 3 eat... one in her crate.... the other outside the crate... Mum in the hall with door shut , I put food down turn around and its gone!!!!! how good is that LOL

STARREYES mine used to be like that, it's only recently they have started playing silly buggers with me :-)

I made a point of leaving it down for 10 minutes this morning, I kept looking at them as if they were humans saying "if I were you I'd get started, you have three minutes to start eating it and then thats it, it comes up, your not playing this game with me every morning!" I was having a right little rant I was.

When they didn't eat it I asked my OH to try again at half ten before he went to work, for ten minutes only, I haven't had the lowdown yet as he isn't home from work yet :-)

Nicki xx

I would presume its because of the puppy receiving extra meal that has messed up the routine. The last youngest of ours now 3 yrs when she was on4 meals a day I would hold back a little from the older dogs  ration then give it to them when feedng the puppy so they didnt feel left out , its not long before they are all on two a day and things will go back to normal.

If they dont eat it I wouldnt wait around just pick it up eventually they will get the picture they wont starve themselves.

R~