[nagdu] annoying behavior

[Allison Nastoff]

Hi Marsha,
My guide dog is a yellow lab, and he inhales his food and does 
not even notice if I leave the room while he is eating, but 
growing up, I had a german shepherd as a pet, and she too was not 
interested in food.
Our family basically did what you are already doing.  We would 
put out her food and give her half an hour to eat.  If she didn't 
eat in that time, we took the food away and she was out of luck 
until the next meal.  It sounds like tough love, but it worked 
well because eventually, she was hungery enough that she would 
eat.  So I would reccommend continuing to do that.
Also, my guide dog Gilbert will sneak a bite of cat food too, and 
unfortunately, I couldn't train him to resist this temptation, 
and he was often really good about making sure no one caught him 
in the act, so when the cat would meow a few hours later for 
food, it was too late to discipline Gilbert (grin).  So we 
started pushing the cat's bowl under one of our kitchen counters 
and blocking it with a chair so that the cat could fit through to 
get her food, but not Gilbert.  Would it be possible for you to 
feed the cat somewhere out of Emma's reach?
I hope this helps.  I would also advise you to be patient.  I 
think all dogs have some annoying behaviors that are hard to 
change, but just like little children, their love and loyalty to 
us makes their annoying behavior well worth puting up with.
Allison and Gilbert

> ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Marsha Drenth" <marsha.drenth at gmail.com
>To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users'" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Mon, 24 May 2010 10:12:47 -0400
>Subject: [nagdu] annoying behavior

>Hi Listers,

>Emma is having a bit of annoying behavior, and I am not sure how 
to solve
>this problem, thus why I am writing.

>I feed Emma twice a day, on a pretty regular basis.  She gets her 
food in the
>kitchen every single day.  So in other words our routine is very 
normal.  I
>even put her food in the same spot almost every day.  She is a 
shepard
>granted, so maybe this is normal.  I am not sure.

>So for the problem.  If I am not standing right there with her, 
she will NOT
>eat her food.  If I am needing to do work at the sink, or some 
place in the
>kitchen she is fine, but once I walk away, out of the kitchen she 
stops
>eating.  And in some cases has gone for the cats food.  I have 
caught her in
>those situations, and given her a nice firm Fooyie.  I have even 
offered her
>the cats food, and when she goes for it, given her a Fooyie.  Its 
annoying
>because, I would like her to eat, and for me to go on with my 
business of
>the day.  Not to stand with her and hold her hand while she eats.  
If she
>walks away from the food, I do not give her the chance to go back 
to it.  And
>if I am not in the room, and the cat is, she will chase after the 
cat, and
>again not eat.

>I know, I know, shepards aren't that interested in food, but I 
want her to
>eat.  Emma definitely falls into the GSD's who do not care about 
food.

>Any suggestions on this matter.  I am more concerned with her not 
wanting to
>eat while I am in the room.  The cat food bowl is across the 
room, not next
>to her, so she has to leave her food to get to it.  Maybe I am 
over reacting
>in this matter, its just annoying!

>Thanks for any suggestions in advance,
>Marsha and the Emma brat!


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