[nagdu] Idea for picky eaters

[Tracy Carcione]

I just heard something on the radio that might be useful for people whose 
dogs are not enthusiastic eaters.  The theory went like this:
In a pack, alphas eat first, then the rest eat.  You are your dog's alpha, 
and eating while the alpha has not eaten may make some dogs anxious, so they 
stop eating if you watch them.  So leave the room, or completely ignore the 
dog while he's eating.
It seems a reasonably sound idea, so I pass it on.
I've only had one dog who didn't care about eating.  At first, I made the 
common mistake of trying to handfeed him, but then I started ignoring 
him--just put it down and walk away--and that seemed to work a bit better. 
Still, he didn't start eating well until he'd quit the stressful job of 
guiding, and went to live as part of my parents' pack.
Tracy