[nagdu] Re problems eating
Tamara Smith-Kinney
tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Fri Jun 4 19:04:05 UTC 2010
Gary,
Mitzi is a pretty dainty eater, too, and really never has taken to scheduled
eating -- especially breakfast. I did find it would help a lot to put
something yummy in her food to motivate her... A bit of plain yogurt or non
fat cottage cheese seemed to get her excited about eating and get her
started. She also really does like for me to be around while she eats. I
started making more of a point of doing that as part of our after dinner
ritual after the recent discussion on the subject, and it really does seem
to make her happy. So I do my stretches and talk to her while she eats
again. Then Daisy wants in on the action, so we end up doing the food bowl
dance, but oh, well. High maintenance mutts!
Apparently, poodles are a bit slow to reach full physical maturity, and the
males can continue to fill out until they are 4 or 5, so Bogart may be in a
growing phase. Or he could just be not eating much because of the change to
his environment and people. Poodles are a bit sensitive to that sort of
thing and can respond to the stress with loss of appetite.
Hm... Sometimes if it seems Mitzi isn't eating enough, I will make sure to
get her out for rowdy exercise, then use kibble for rewards for recall and
so forth to get her appetite going again. She does seem to have a strong
need to get out where she can run wild, run free in the great outdoors.
/smile/ We have a pretty good sized back yard, and we play some there --
although the footing is iffy until we get it landscaped some more. We also
play in the house. But she still needs to get out where she can just turn
on the afterburners and run, run, run. /lol/ Otherwise, she starts to get
a little low and loses her appetite. Which keeps her from getting fat
during the rainy season, at least. /smile/
Oh, and she seems to need a lot of cheerleading to keep her happy. If we're
happy with her, she's happy. So I always make a point to just be joyful
over my poodle even when nothing special is going on. And to talk to her
and give her some face-to-face contact even if I can't always see her eyes.
Daisy's Dad also gives her quite a bit of attention, which she eats up like
candy.
Anyway, I can't think of anything else off hand. Hopefully, Bogart's loss
of appetite is just the stress of the change of place and people, and the
adjustment to new routine and ritual. If it continues, though, or if he
shows signs of lethargy and listlessness, then it might be time to call the
school or the vet. That can be a tough decision, but better safe than sorry
if you see signs for worry going on over time.
Black poodles rule!
Tami Smith-Kinney
-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of GARY STEEVES
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2010 3:25 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Re problems eating
Hello Everyone:
Well I've returned home with my wonderful black poodle Bogart. I am getting
a little worried though. He is about 5-7 pounds under weight and I am having
troubles getting him to eat his food, especially breakfast. This was a hit
and miss thing at the school but since coming home he has hardly ever ate
his breakfast. Supper isn't much better but over time he seems to eat most
of it.
Right now we are going through a food transition from the garbage the school
was giving him (which I can't even get here anyways) to a slightly higher
quality food but that is similar to the school food. He never really gulped
down any of his food but I am getting worried since he is already very
skinny and can't really afford to lose more weight.
I have been reading some of the ideas already written about on the list
which I was on the path to trying but I am curious if anyone has this issue
with poodles or has had something similar happen after returning from
school?
Thanks
Gary
----- Original Message -----
From: Tamara Smith-Kinney <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010 1:08 pm
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Re Annoying Behavior
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Yeah, me, too. Made me remember to be sure to compliment
> the chef, who
> loves feed people as much as love to eat his cooking. /smile/
>
> And I've been watching my delicate eater in a new way,
> too. I've gotten out
> of the havit of being with her while she eats -- I used to do
> stretcheswhile she was taking her time over the dinner bowl, but
> lost the habit when
> we moved in here. So I remembered praise her and give her
> a pat while she
> was eating. Which made Daisy remember that routine, so
> then they grumbled
> at each other over the food bowl and I ended up dancing the food
> dance with
> them, which made me remember why I got out of the habit of
> sticking around
> while the two of them eat together. /lol/
>
> Still, I think Elizaeth is on to something. The poodleness
> does seem to
> prefer for me to be with her over dinner, which I guess is fair
> enough,since she likes to share my dinner time with me.
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On Behalf
> Of Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)
> Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 9:39 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Re Annoying Behavior
>
> This is beautifully written. I'm not the person that started the
> threadbut I love this.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Elizabeth Rene
> Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 2:56 PM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nagdu] Re Annoying Behavior
>
> I was touched, yesterday, by the story of the German Shepherd
> dog guide
> who
> didn't want to eat her dinner without her human companion nearby.
>
> This seemed so sad to me as I thought of my seven Labrador guide dogs.
> The
> owner needed to be busy outside the kitchen at feeding time, and found
> her
> dog's refusal to eat alone to be a problem.
>
> NB: If this story is about you, gentle owner, I apologize for
> not
> remembering your name. You deserve to be addressed
> directly. Let me
> just
> tell you about my own experience and thinking about feeding
> dogs. If
> you
> want to write directly to me, please feel free.
>
> I love to cook and to feed people. It gives me great
> pleasure to savor
> their company and enjoyment of what I've made, and to express my
> fondness
> for them through food and a relaxing evening. For most of my
> professional
> life, I have worked a 50-60-hour week, and have known what it is
> to be
> busy.
> So these evenings of cooking and entertaining have been oases from
> stress
> for me.
>
> My Labradors have all wolfed their twice-daily meals, and have not
> minded if
> I stepped away as they ate. But they've all wanted me near while
> drinking
> water, to the extent that they've stopped drinking if I
> moved away.
>
> Each of them has shown me some way--by stopping to lick me, by
> flippingme a
> splash of water, or by washing me when they were done--that they
> wantedto
> share the experience of "dining" together.
> I've always seen this to be a tender and sweet expression of my dogs'
> love
> for me, and have found deep peace in these moments.
>
> Though sometimes I'd like to be doing something else, I've
> learned that
> mealtimes and watering for my dogs signify nurture just as much
> as they
> do
> the slaking of hunger and thirst.
>
> And so I try to consciously offer my dogs' food and water with praise,
> and
> with the same loving attention that I give my friends. And
> I do so with
>
> gratitude.
>
> Praise and regular attention to their needs is all our dogs ask
> from us,
> and
> they work so hard for us in return.
>
> How lucky we are that our dogs communicate so clearly that we
> matter to
> them, and that they want us near.
>
> Best to all busy humans and your dogs.
>
> Elizabeth
>
>
>
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