Hiya all. As most of you all know, we have a new dobe pup who is now 12 weeks old (we've had her for 3 weeks) and although she is brilliant and gets along fabulously with our older male Dobe, we have one problem that worries me! I'm probably worrying over nothing at all but Salem has adult beta complete mix and Dizzy still has the puppy food that the breeder gave us. We thought it best not to change her food too soon after bringing her home but soon discovered that she much prefers Salems food!! So we started to change over from the breeders food to beta puppy which she likes better but she will still insist on pinching his adult mix. She has learnt that she shouldn't do it and will stop if we catch her but will eat his instead of hers anytime!! :) we have tried to feed them at different times, in different places, different rooms, tried to put some of his food in her bowl with her mix but all to no avail. He is such a softie, he just moves over and lets her help herself!! :D My concern would be is she going to be deficient in anything if she insists on eating his food instead of the puppy food? With Salem we went through of all the stages of puppy, junior then adult - but she is proving to be in more of a rush to grow up :D She does eat her own but really prefers his. She does not seem to suffer any adverse effects at all (cast iron stomach who likes to eat ANYTHING!!!!!!) I am getting a bit stumped but don't want to make it a big issue between them so any hints would be appreciated.
Thanks
Sharon

Have you got a create?

If so you could try feeding dizzy in there and leave her locked in till Salem has finished his food and then ahe can't get to him to push him out the way!

I sure others will have better ideas!

Tracy :)

I always feed my Dobes separately so I know who has had what and there is no risk of any arguments over food. It is very natural for one dog (or human) to prefer what another one has :)

Christine

Is that Dizzy the dog or Dizzy the poster :D ;) Good idea crate her roflol
The poster :D :D

Great minds think a like Mari.........:D ROFLOL

I had to read it a couple of times too :D Sorry Sharon - keep forgetting your pup is called Dizzy and presume people are talking about Dizzy Linda :D :D :D

Sharon, this is something I'm strict about. All of the dog's bowls always go down in exactly the same place. When a pup tries to pinch food from an adult, they are lifted (dozens of times if required) and put back to their own bowl. Sometimes it takes a week or two, but they soon learn. Adults are allowed to swop bowls when they are almost empty but ONLY when I say thay can.

I feed mine the same time and they know the score now by doing what Sharon says. Phoebie (pup) often finishes what she wants first and watches Sam like a hawk till he leaves his dish (empty lol) and then she moves in. She used to yap at him trying to get him to let her in but I picked her up, told her shush and put her back to her own. She also found out a few times if she didn't eat her own she ended up with nothing as I'd take her dish away and leave her with nothing and Sam would clear all his so she missed a few meals (well 1/2 meals as she'd always eat some). Sam is more of a gentleman - he goes to Phoes dish and then stares at me until I nod and then he clears hers if any left. He knows 100% not to eat out her dish without permission and she is nearly to that stage too.
Sara :)

Our rotty pup did exactly the same when we first had him, I just put a handful of puppy food in with the older dogs food and a bit of the adult food in with the pups food when they were fed all together in the morning, but only gave him his own food when he was fed the other times during the day, it certainly doesn't seem to have affected his growth and now that nobodies bowl is more interesting than the others they all eat from they're own! It's not too much of a problem if you only have a couple of dogs but I guess if you have more than that you need to be a bit careful to avoid a full on scrap at every meal time! :)