# A grazer and a puppy?!?



## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

My first post, so forgive me if this is in the wrong spot.
We have a 4 YO "mutt" (1/2 Blue Heeler, 1/2 Basset Hound....yeah, he's quite the mix) who is the most well behaved dog.

We just got our GSD puppy (6 weeks old), and are trying hard to feed him twice a day, 7a and 7p. The problem is that our other dog is a "grazer". I know, I know...not a good habit, but it is what it is.

Any suggestions/ thoughts on how to keep the puppy on a good feeding regminen, and not have him succum to our older dog's "grazing"?

We have considered trying to re-train the older dog to eat on the same schedule, but not sure if that will work. We are finding that the puppy is discovering the other dog's bowl, and going to it....thus beginning grazing.

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom!


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Feed the puppy in his crate or puppy playpen.


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## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

Thanks for the insight Emoore!
We are kennel training the puppy, so does having him associate sleep/ kennel additionally with food pose any problems?

Do you think trying to re-train the older dog (again, he's 4) to eat when fed an effort in vain?


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Actually, feeding your puppy inside his kennel will help him form positive associations with being there. He learns to associate his kennel with being fed and rested. I put my puppy in his kennel with his food for an hour or so, 3x a day. He would eat and then sleep. It kept him out of the older dog's food and the older dog out of his food. Then he'd wake up and it was time to go outside to potty and play!

I think re-training the older dog to eat when he's served is a good idea. You'll find there aren't very many of this forum who leave food out all the time, and very very few who have multiple dogs that do.


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## Falkosmom (Jul 27, 2011)

Why would you be feeding a six week old puppy only twice a day?


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## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

Wow, I sure am glad we joined this forum.
Great insight, and thank you.

Last question, similarly related:
Any tips on getting either the puppy OR the older dog to eat when food is given?
I have to admit that we have been a little worried about the puppy when we put food out and he doesn't eat. Maybe it's the "parents" in us (we have children). We worry "is he getting enough nourishment?".
Any tips/ ideas/ insight would be most welcome! 
We're going to start feeding BOTH dogs on a schedule, not as grazers.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Falkosmom said:


> Why would you be feeding a six week old puppy only twice a day?


Oh, good catch, it's very hard for a young puppy to get all the nutrition he needs in 2 feedings. Best to go with 3 feedings until the pup is 5-6 months old.


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## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

To Falkosmom: Purely going off of the recommendations from the breeder we got him from. Do you guys recommend more often for feedings? 
Thanks for giving your thoughts! They are welcome.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Put the food down. Wait 15 or 20 minutes. Pick it back up. When the next mealtime rolls around, put the food down, wait 15 or 20 minutes, and pick it back up. No healthy dog or puppy will starve itself. Within a day or two they'll both start eating when they're served.


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## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

Great! Thank you guys so much.
We'll try the 3x daily with your time suggestions included.
Thank you thank you thank you! The way I look at it, if this is the worst problem we are having, we're doing pretty good! It's pretty funny watching the heeler/ bassett mix "herd" him.......such a good "big brother"!!
Again, thank you so much. If anyone has any additional ideas/ comments, please post them!


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

What area of Austin are you in? I used to live there and know it well.


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## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

We are in Oak Hill, near the "Y" as it's called. Know the area?
I also posted just now under the training section re: protection training....would love your input.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Oh yeah, I know that area well. I replied to your thread.


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## Falkosmom (Jul 27, 2011)

DukeTxDad said:


> To Falkosmom: Purely going off of the recommendations from the breeder we got him from. Do you guys recommend more often for feedings?
> Thanks for giving your thoughts! They are welcome.


A puppy should not even be away from its mother and siblings till at least eight weeks, it can bring on a lot of socialization issues and the pup is just to young. But now that you have the puppy, I personally would be feeding him at least four times a day and, if that were not feasible, I would let the puppy graze, you can always change that later, but that is just my personal preference. I would probably start three meals a day around twelve weeks.


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## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

Falkosmom said:


> A puppy should not even be away from its mother and siblings till at least eight weeks, it can bring on a lot of socialization issues and the pup is just to young. But now that you have the puppy, I personally would be feeding him at least four times a day and, if that were not feasible, I would let the puppy graze, you can always change that later, but that is just my personal preference. I would probably start three meals a day around twelve weeks.


Thank you for your insight and we'll try more frequent feedings.


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## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

Just curious if anyone else out there has worked through this problem.


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

DukeTxDad said:


> We're going to start feeding BOTH dogs on a schedule, not as grazers.


That's what I would do. Your puppy shouldn't have a problem with that, and your other dog may take a little while to adjust, but he'll soon figure out that if he doesn't eat when you put the bowl down he'll have to wait until the next mealtime to eat. Separate them to make sure they are each only eating from their own bowl - that can include anything from feeding your puppy in his crate, to simply putting both bowls on the floor in the same room but standing between them until both dogs are finished eating, whatever works for you. 

And I agree, twice a day is not enough for a 6 week old puppy, no matter what your breeder advised. Many states have laws against selling puppies under 8 weeks old, so the fact that your breeder is selling them at 6 weeks old should give you an indication of the quality of their advice.


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## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

Good point of view Cass.
We're taking Duke to the vet in the morning (nothing wrong, just an initial checkup and we are also good friends with the Vet, so we want her to meet him!). Will verify that the eating thing is nothing medical, just behavioral.

Follow up point, we began feeding Duke (the puppy) every 4 hours today, but he was only interested in the food a couple of times...the other times he sniffed it, looked up at us with the same expression of a patron served a tuna melt when the ordered filet mignon, and then promptly ran away to attack the heeler mix. LOL! 
He is actually CONSUMING about a cup and a half of food a day at this point. I know the whole "dogs won't starve themselves", but I worry about his development stage (especially in light of comments made about us getting him as young as 6 weeks), and want to make sure he is highly nourished.
Keep the comments coming please, and thanks!


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

A cup and a half a day for how many days now?


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## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

Well, we got Duke last Saturday (17th).
He was putting away about 3 cups of food a day until Tuesday-ish (don't remember exactly).
He slowly went down to about a cup and a half, and has stayed constant there.
Maybe we should supplement with some wet food? 
I was thinking maybe (due to his 6 WO age) it has to do w/ teething? Maybe his mouth is sore?


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

So only about 2 days? It certainly would not hurt to put water on his food. Although I remember my pup had hungry days and not-so-hungry days. What is he eating?


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## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

Thanks Emoore.
Iams Puppy food for now.
When I say "wet" I mean canned....is that a no-no?
I don't want to radically change the diet, but was just thinking about mixing in a little bit of canned food.
Thoughts?


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

Not teething, no. That occurs between roughly 4-6 months, so he's too young for that. Adding a little canned food to his diet shouldn't be a problem. 

A vet visit is a good idea, especially if you haven't taken him in yet. I would carry him, don't let him walk on the floors. Do you know if he's had any vaccinations yet? If your breeder gave you vaccination and worming records be sure to bring those with you so your vet can update the file.


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## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

Thanks Debbie.
Ok, curiosity is getting me....why not walk on the floors at the Vet?
Yep, we have shot records from the breeder, and will bring them with us (thanks for reminding me, I just put the records in front of me and probably would have forgotten them otherwise).
We'll give the canned food "mix in" a shot....


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

Until your puppy's immune system is fully developed he's at increased risk for diseases such as parvo, which can be deadly. As you might imagine, just as there are sick people in hospitals, there are sick animals at a vet clinic! So you want to limit his exposure as much as you can.

Basically, I carried my pups at the vets until they were too big and heavy to do so, which was right around the time they'd had enough vaccinations for me to feel safe. Your vet should take precautions, but don't be afraid to speak up if they aren't as careful as you think they should be. I didn't take my puppies to pet supply stores (or if I did, they rode in the cart), and I didn't take them anywhere else where other dogs had been. I did do brief walks in the neighborhood after the first couple of weeks, but mine came home at 9 and 10 weeks old. 

At his age he's probably still got some immunity from his mother, but the series of puppy shots are designed to hit the time frame when those antibodies wear off. Since nobody can say for sure exactly when that's going to happen, there are a series of shots that are usually given 3 weeks apart.


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

Here's a thread where someone is going through treatment for parvo right now: http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/health-issues/179052-my-14-week-old-has-parvo.html

Some puppies do survive, but many don't, so this is definitely something you want to avoid.


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## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

WOW....and "omg" (I now sound like my wife).
YES, definitely something I want to avoid.
Thanks thanks THANKS for the head's up, and will certainly take your advice!!!
Still saying "wow".....


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## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

Oh, and happy 7 WO day for my Duke!


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## 1337f0x (Feb 21, 2012)

I have an 8 year old Bichon and my now 14 week old GSD.

First off, I would feed your puppy breakfast, small lunch, and dinner, after the 13 week mark or so you can try decreasing the lunch portion so it'll work up to twice a day. 

What I do, is I feed them both at the same time. I'll add a teaspoon of pumpkin to simba's food or even some shredded carrots, sometimes meat - and I give Bingo his food (different from Simba's). I make sure to feed them at the exact same time, so they're distracted by their own foods.


Alternately, I would go with the kennel feeding options posted, that'll work great. The above method has worked for me though =)


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## DukeTxDad (Mar 22, 2012)

Great ideas! Thanks!
For anyone following this thread, I will add that we got some great advice from our Vet today (took Duke in for his 7 week checkup, and he's 100% perfect health!).
She recommended adding the following to BOTH dogs' (the puppy and our "grazer") food to encourage the "eat it now" mindset:

1. Canned green beans. I said "WHAT???" She explained that they add very few calories/ fat/ etc. but act as natural fillers, and give the dogs the idea that it's a treat/ human food.
2. Chicken broth. Again, very little benefit other than flavor.

We tried it...twice today. Both bowls empty in a matter of "snarfs". 
Hope this helps anyone else in the same boat!
Thanks to everyone for their input!


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