Can anyone tell me pls, can dried food make a dog hyperactive ?
I am just wondering if it's Zac's diet that makes him so psyched up even thinking of having him
castrated but do not think that is the answer ,But if I stop the dried food he gets a dodgy tummy
Freddie is so much more laid back .

Would appreciate your advise

Pat xx

Check the protien level if it is above 20% try something lower. It could be that you dog is a normal youth, just have patience. JA:)kie

Yes, I definitely think so. Stinky Fat Collie changed her behaviour completely when I changed her onto a hypoallergenic no GM senior diet, she became really laid back.

And we have just changed Carrie Hoover onto a different (lower protein) diet as she was just bouncing around all the time like Tigger :D She is a BIT calmer.

I think you may have to change until you find something that suits his temperament and his tum.

Good luck.

9th [$ The Laid Back Spaniel ])

I agree with Jackie :-)

Check the protein levels. Also, some foods have a lot of colouring added and that should also be taken into consideration.

Castration doesn't always stop a dog from being hyper ;-)

Since taking Holly off Bakers and putting her onto Nutro we've noticed a marked improvement in her behaviour. It could be a coincidence but I'm convinced that reducing the artificial colours in her food have helped her to calm down.

Fiona
x x x

Thanks guys, I am going to do that this week ,I do agree about the artifical colouring
I had to watch that when I kept getting migraine, I always look at the E'S in the food now .

Going back to Zac he and Freddie are on heavy boned puppie diet Eukanuba
freddie loves this and is fine a real cool puppie .
We try not to take Zac and freddie out together now Zac makes freddie play up .

But I do add to the dried food only a little chappie and grated cheese If I do not do this
Zac will not eat the dried food little swine .

thanks for the advise going to look on the internet now for a new brand

Pat xxx

IMO puppy food is nearly all too high in protien for the older puppy and encourages too quick growth in the larger breeds. It's is JMO but I change my dogs to junior long before the suggested time. Jackie

Sorry if you've said before.... What breed is Zac and how old are both of your dogs. Sometimes a comparison, esp. between the sexes is misleading just due to gender/age differences :D

The best cure for over-activity in a youngster is maturity - they do generally calm down as they get older.

With regard to food, yes, the colourants can affect activity levels and so can the types of protein - I think it was in one of Ian Billinghurst books where he said something about coal, bootleather and something else making up the same protein and other levels that can be found in some dog foods.

We naturally assume that all the protein = meat. It isn't. There is a lot in the grains and cereals and these can also affect activity levels. It is not just a case that lower protein is better - it depends upon the type.

Quite a few years ago now when I did the Canine/Human Interface course with John Fisher we had to study dog foods (which resulted in quite a few insults flying back and forth between us <g> I would have loved to have met him) because it is almost impossible to find out from the dog food companies exactly what goes into the food - they just won't tell you. Chicken is chicken whether it is bones and flesh or feet, feathers, heads or even just produced excrement as far as come companies seem to be concerned.

Never take for granted what it says on the can or packet always try to read between the lines.

Christine

Eukanuba doesn't have any added colourings or preservatives, nor is it high in protein because of the amounts you need to feed :-) I know some folk don't like Eukanuba for a number of reasons but then there are a lot of foods I wouldn't feed my dogs so it's personal opinion really. I feed the maintenance for large breeds and they do great on it. By adding anything to a complete diet you are unbalancing it so maybe this is what the problem is?? I bet if you didn't add anything to the Euk and just left the bowl down for 10mins before lifting it Zac would start eating it after a few days. IMO and past experience dogs try their luck but they're not stupid and won't starve themselves. :-)

Claire I must agree with you freddie is fine on this and the breeder of freddie
said always keep him on this diet .Zac was on beef when I first got him would not touch dried food then he became unwell and the vet said to me Zac a very good weight for his age but was concerned about the vitamin intake so said would really like him on dried diet.I really think Zac has a problem going out as I said he is great indoors a little naughty but would not expect any thing different from him with his age.I am
really coming to the conclusion that the out side world spooks him not people or kids or other animals just the big open space he hates traffic .

Christine I couldn't agree more with you re calming down with maturity. My 18mth male was a right handful, he just wouldn't sit still and although he is still very active (but then he is a weimaraner....lol) he has calmed down a lot. I think there is a big difference between being hyperactive and being young and daft. :D

Good Morning Eoghania, Zac and Freddie both Bouvier des flandres [belguim cattle dogs]
Zac ten and half months Freddie 4 and half months but really such a difference in temperament.On thinking about Zac love him the dam was very shy and the sire
we only see photo's of but he did belong to the breeder although the breeder is a smashing lady. Indoors Zac is fine and under control but out side it's like having
jekyll and hide on the lead .Freddie fantastic on the lead and we can get him to sit at the road and wait .I did once have a dog Jenny my bull terrier hated going out loved the home ? But I really do not want Zac too spoil Freddie's good behaviour.


Pat xx

Pat,
Thanks for answering back. I just couldn't remember if you've posted about them before. :)
Zac ten and half months
Freddie 4 and half months

hmm, both are puppies of a very large (are Bouviers considered giants?) breed. Zac is entering his early teens...activity, restlessness, and recklessness are traits of this age...sometimes moodiness also manifests during this maturation.

Freddie is at that easy age still. Just wait, he'll probably have his part too when he hits Zac's age. Don't blame Zac for corrupting him, it will happen naturally :rolleyes: Of course, no two dogs are alike. Each will have their own version of the terrible tweens ;)

I met a couple of male Bouviers abt. 10 years ago. A couple of my dog handler friends had one each from the same litter in Maastricht. Bouncy Bouncy Bouncy dogs... Hairy Giant Schnauzers on steroids :D :D :D ;) the 10 month old about bowled me over :D

Food will make a difference, but you don't want them growing too fast. Others on here are much better with that balance of growth in large breeds than I am ;) :)

Good luck with raising two so close in age + being so large. It has to be a handful at times.
toodles

Don't know if this helps but whilst my bitch did well on Eukanuba (and her stools were wonderful!! well as wonderful as they can be!!) it made her silly and she also kept getting cystitis. I am not saying the Euk gave her Cystitis don't get me wrong but according to my vet once she got it, the food was aggravating the condition. She can not tolerate cereals and this is what makes her silly so she is now on a natural diet - more expensive I find but what the hell, she is doing well and has had no more cystitis or uncontrollable hyperactivity. Hope you get sorted

Ellie Hi is this a dried diet pls let me have the name ,

Zac is going to have a trail run on a new diet but want a dry food one
he pinched a tea cake yesterday went round for 15/mins before we found out
he looked like the god father .
Freddie staying on Euk

Pat xx

I would just like to say that we had someone get in contact with
us last year for advice on a Weim they had bought off someone
and it was very hyper. Apart from the house change and the
issues they had to deal with they were feeding Bakers complete
to the dog. We told them to take her off it and feed her a
different food. They called a month later to say the improvement
was dramatic. Always read the packets is my advice and
feed the better quality foods.
Nutkin