# Feeding Policy when Tired



## UConnGSD (May 19, 2008)

What do you do when you have gone for a hike and come dinnertime your dog is too tired to eat and would rather nap? Do you...


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## UConnGSD (May 19, 2008)

I personally do the last one but I'm curious about how the others handle it. We did a hike today and Wolfie is bushed. No dinner yet and I will wait until he's wide awake to feed him.


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## jake (Sep 11, 2004)

because I always make Jake focus and do a little something for his food(walk away-sit-watch)I don't put his food down if he is not focused or awake usually if he's tired I am too and we both usually eat at same time somewhere between 5pm and 7pm.


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## I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO (Oct 4, 2006)

none of the above, my dog has never been too tired to eat. if he is sleeping, i get his food ready and call him into the kitchen. he comes running, eats his food, and goes back to sleep.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

LOL, I can't even answer this. I've never seen my dogs too tired to eat! I'm not comfortable giving them big/full meals after _hard_ exercise (sprinting, fetch, swimming), but I'd bet money that my dogs would eat an entire bag of kibble even after a hike. Having three, they are competitive when they eat. Not food aggressive, but they aren't going to leave anything in their bowls for the next dog to wander over and finish!

In general, my dogs get fed when I decide to feed them and they take it when they can get it.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I'm with the 'my dog is NEVER too tired to eat' crowd.

When Mauser was sick, even with green snot running from his nose and a temp of 104.5 - he ate his food. Not with the same gusto but still atr it all.









As for my Cocker Spaniel - Tazer would have to be DEAD to refuse food.


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## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

I have and will do all three depending on the dog. Raya does best if she doesn't skip meals, so if she is not interested in eating, I will wait until she has had a nap, I will skip a meal with her if she is just being plain fussy.

Cheyenne is in the crowd usually never too tired to eat.

DeeDee and Lakota are sorta free feeders the food is in their dish they eat when they want to. If it is supper time and they haven't eaten their breakfast I don't give any more food that day. Lakota has Pancreatitis and I don't force him to eat, if he is feeling a little off then he is better off not eating. He is really good at regulating his eating to what works best for him. But he has a maximum set amount for the day just as DeeDee does.

Val


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## GranvilleGSD (Mar 28, 2007)

My dogs, skip a meal? If I don't feed them, they'll find a way to feed themselves!


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

I need the option of: Sleepy? What's sleepy? We're HUNGRY!!! FEED US WOMAN!!!









It's more of us making sure they calm down after being out running around and deciding when to let them eat, and if we have to wake them up, it's NOT an issue!


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## bergwanderkennels (Mar 26, 2009)

If you hiked where we hike you would also wait until they were awake. As a matter of fact we wait until we are awake also


















This is the top of the wankberg in Garmisch Partenkirschen in May a few years ago.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: Lauri & The GangTazer would have to be DEAD to refuse food.


Both of my GSDs are like this! They could be totally crashed from running and swimming for hours, but the second I say "are you hungry?" they pop up, wide awake and alert, and ready to eat. They may crash again immediately afterwards, but they will not delay a meal for ANYTHING!


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I don't think in 20+ years of all day hiking, backpacking and xxskiing with my dogs that this has ever happened!


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## UConnGSD (May 19, 2008)

WOW, all these comments make me think I have an aberration in my hands!! Wolfie has always been finicky about food anyway and so if it's a choice between a loooong nap after playing and food, he'll take the former. He does the same thing after daycare too and according to the daycare folks, Wolfie doesn't nap there and he doesn't let his pals nap either -- doesn't matter how many hours he's there for. It does sound like him.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

It may also depend on how much he is fed and how often. My dogs sometimes only eat one meal a day, so they are HUNGRY (however I am more careful not to allow them to have it right before/after hard exercise....but that doesn't mean they'd refuse it!). My adults eat two cups a day, total.


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## UConnGSD (May 19, 2008)

I usually wait at least an hour after vigorous exercise but I think he'd rather take a longer nap than eat.


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## JenM66 (Jul 28, 2005)

Too tired to eat?!! That's not an option for Gracie. If we have played hard that day and she's asleep at dinner time, I'll feed her when she gets up. I don't let her play or have a long walk before dinner, I usually will plan it around dinner time.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

I've had some pretty tired, zonked out dogs but never had a dog too tired to eat. Amazing the energy reserve that seems to be there when they hear food bowls clinking around.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Eating..they don't care. They would all pick if they had the choice but at 9:30pm sharp Jax is ready to play..arrrggghhhh


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## UConnGSD (May 19, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Jax08Eating..they don't care. They would all pick if they had the choice but at 9:30pm sharp Jax is ready to play..arrrggghhhh


This is exactly how Wolfie is -- yesterday he ran around the house squeaking his loudest Cuz at 10:30 PM







Then, he did zoomies in the kitchen and living room for 10 minutes straight.


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## emsoskar (Oct 17, 2008)

Allie is the only one who won't eat every now and then. In that case she just skips a meal and ewaits until next time. But seriously between the three, she is the only one who has ever done this! The boys would have to be dead before they passed up food!


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## mmarie (Feb 25, 2009)

We're not big hikers, but after an extra-exciting day out or with the whole family around Bella and Duke both get pretty worn out. If they're actually asleep I let them sleep and feed later (but if I'm tired I mix up their food and cover it so I just have to put it on the floor when they wake up), but if they're just acting lazy I'll give it a try and if they don't want it they get a second chance later.

But, for a change of pace I would like to note--my dogs do definately get too tired to eat! Even my good-eater Duke


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