How do i get my chocolate lab to stop begging around his meal time?
We have our lab on a feeding schedule because he is so aggressive about eating. He has always woofed down his food as if he hadn’t eaten in days. He barely even chews the food! So he doesn’t over eat, our Vet recommended that we give him a feeding schedule. He eats at 7am and 7pm. We (me and my husband) stick to this very strictly unless there is a reason we will be out of the house during that time and won’t be back till late. Then we split it into two smaller portions, one before we leave and one when we get home. Our problem is that he will start to beg for his food and get overly excited at our every move we make about two hours before his dinner/breakfast time. He does not bark at us but he wines and sits and stares at you until you move. If we aren’t out of bed in the morning he wines at us by our bed. We will kick him out of the bedroom and he wines outside of the door. Please help us find a way to calm our dog down before his feeding times!
I have had several labs and currently have a 3 yr. old yellow lab. They are all the same THEY LOVE TO EAT! ha ha
However, I have never had the begging, whining problem. A couple of questions here. Is he getting enough to eat? His weight normal? Did you change your routine and the time you get up?
Dogs have an internal clock that you and I can only dream about. They DO get excited near feed time. Our routine is to feed after exerciseand he knows when he will get fed. I suggest not giving in and continue your routine. He/ she will eventually stop the behavior once he realizes it will not be rewarded, just like a kid holding his breath. You never mentioned his age, but I am betting he is young. Maybe instead of throwing him out of the room (labs hate solitude when people are present and it only worsens the situation in my experience), try taking a moment and giving him some attention. It may take some time, but it will work!
PS. Eating the food fast or woofing as you say is a bigger problem than whining. Labs are suspect to bloat (see link), which can potentially be fatal. To solve this problem, I have an area where I spread out his food which forces him to eat slower.
Oh, one more thing! Can your dog see or smell his food before meal time???? If so, move it out of sight and smell. It is like having a steak on the counter that you can’t have. lol lol
Good luck!
La Esperanza Vineyard Volunteer Wine Making Video.mov
|
|
CORK BORER (SET OF SIX) £25.99 SET OF SIX (1MM TO SIX MM)… |
|
|
Successful Wine and Beer Making … |
