# Normal puppy behavior or is he really this hungry.



## 3Boys2GSD (May 3, 2009)

My husband had Major on 2 meals a day and he is far from being an underweight little pup. However, he is consistently roaming for food, scowering the dining room for leftover food and in general acts like he is starving, even if he just ate. I'm wondering if this is normal behavior (our older GSD has always been very dainty and a very picky eater) or if I need to split his 2 meals a day into 3 meals (not increase the quantity but spread it out a bit more)?

Thank you in advance!!

Kristin
Sasha, 2 y/old Female GSD
Major (Jaeger), 6 mo/old Male GSD


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

Jethro would eat me out of house and home if given HALF a chance. You can try three meals a day but knowing Jethro, it wouldn't make a difference.







Jethro is NEVER full and will eat anything he can get his mouth on. 

Pssst he is only 5 months.


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

Denali acts like I starve her! She roams the house eating every tiny piece of anything on the floor and is always excited about her meals.
After she's done eating she'll paw her bowl and whine LOL.
She'll also take any treat you give her. People would think I don't feed her! LOL

She eats 1 cup 3 times a day. But she's only 3 months old.


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

Jerzey is the exact opposite. She will only eat when she's actually hungry so when she's searching around for food we know she's having a "hungry day" so we give her a bit more. As a puppy, Jerzey ate WELL over what the bag recommended but she never became fat and always ate it all so we just left it as it was. 

You could try splitting into 3 meals and, if that doesn't work, try giving just a tad bit more food. Maybe he _is_ really hungry!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Karlo is a hunger monger. He inhales his food. He is the heaviest of the litter and I have him on 2 feedings a day with a midnight snack. He gained an average of 4# a week til this last one, he only gained 2...41.6#@16 weeks. I take him every tues at lunch time to get weighed-our vet is convienently 8 houses away.
I think he wants to resemble a jollyball(he would if I let him!)


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## SWCC50 (Jun 21, 2009)

Lol, my puppy, only 7wks old. I feed her 3x a day 1/2 cup each feeding, 8am, 1pm, and 6pm. she wont eat all in one sitting, most of the time she will wander around a bit before finishing it. unless i sit there over her watching her eat it. 

is that abnormal? she also gained 4 lbs from 6-7 weeks old.


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## Technostorm (May 24, 2009)

My 9 weeks old now won't eat off the stainless steel bowl I got him. But he will readily and happily eat from my hand. Therefore, the dredging hand feeding by me or my daughter 3 times per day. Sigh...

In the beginning, I though hand feeding was a fun and interactive way since it carries my scent or my family's scent. But now, I'm beginning to think we just simply spoiled this rotten brat!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

LOL! my pup doesn't even pay attention to what he is getting his meal out of, as long as he eats! 
I feed raw, and when I give chicken I just hand them the piece, they go to a designated spot of their choice to eat it. Karlo will eat it where I hand it to him. So it has to be away from the others and the deck/patio or it leaves stains.


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## 3Boys2GSD (May 3, 2009)

Thanks all for the responses, I'm gathering that perhaps he is just being a normal voracious puppy but may try lowering his morning meal a bit and giving him a lunch time meal. He IS convinced that he is starving and I really should record some day the crazy barking antics he performs when it is meal time - though I must say, the dog will do anything for food and will sit like a saint until he is released to eat!



> Quote:Jethro would eat me out of house and home if given HALF a chance. You can try three meals a day but knowing Jethro, it wouldn't make a difference. Jethro is NEVER full and will eat anything he can get his mouth on. Pssst he is only 5 months.


Yeah, I realized the age after I posted but my luck, a migraine took hold and I was too tired to fix! Glad to hear that is exactly like his brother in regards to eating habits!!

Kristin


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## GSDinOly (Apr 19, 2009)

OMG I had to ask the same question! I brought it up to my vet, and she said no worries! My baby acts as if I starve her, and will eat 24/7 if she is allowed!! She sniffs her food cupboard door, oh, about every time she passes it. She Hoovers the floors. She checks her bowl. Same with her water, she drank so much of it one day a while back, all at once, she burped and water came up. Just depends on the individual dog I was told.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

Hmmmm Jethro has not yet learned to sit until released for food. That has been a challenge. How'd ya do it?


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

Ruq, just keep picking that bowl up if he breaks his sit. Over and over and over and over.......


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## 3Boys2GSD (May 3, 2009)

> Quote:Ruq, just keep picking that bowl up if he breaks his sit. Over and over and over and over.......


Yup, that is pretty much what I did. When he doesn't move I say "take a break" and then he devours his food like he hasn't eaten in weeks. Took a LOT of patience but he's a smart little guy and it only took like 2 meals for him to understand that it took less time if he cooperated.









Kristin


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## Jacobysma (Jun 17, 2009)

Jacoby(6mos) hops like a kangaroo then sits (and drools and drools) until we release him to eat. He eats 1.5 cups 3 times a day. He is 65lbs. We have to put him in his crate while our other dogs eat otherwise he turns into a hoover vacuum and sucks up their food!


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