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My Golden Lab- HELP!

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  • 08-04-2010 3:59pm
    #1
    Quality
    Registered Users Posts: 6,900 ✭✭✭


    Right so I have the most adorable Golden Lab,

    Her name is Daisy, She is 5 months old. She is a clever girl, house trained, very gentle with my children, and can open the front door and let herself in.

    I have a few little queries for you clever people.


    Dry food: She is very fussy with her dry food, I have tried 4 different brands and she might eat a small bit but wont finish the portion, however if I mix gravy into it, she laps it up. Do you think this is ok?

    Tinkling: When she gets excited, she tinkles a lot. I try to keep her out to do her wee, but she still tinkles when excited.. will this go away?

    Eating Pooh; This is my biggest problem, she eats poo... cat poo there are a lot of stray cats where I live and they sh1te everywhere, so when she is out the front, she eats it up.

    She always seems to be hungry.. sniffing around the babys highchair for food, But I am sticking to the guidelines as I dont want her to get over weight.


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    #2
    PaulB91
    Closed Accounts Posts: 257 ✭✭PaulB91


    Quality wrote: »
    Right so I have the most adorable Golden Lab,

    Her name is Daisy, She is 5 months old. She is a clever girl, house trained, very gentle with my children, and can open the front door and let herself in.

    I have a few little queries for you clever people.

    first my congratulations on your baby :D
    Quality wrote: »
    Dry food: She is very fussy with her dry food, I have tried 4 different brands and she might eat a small bit but wont finish the portion, however if I mix gravy into it, she laps it up. Do you think this is ok?

    try a little salmon oil - you can get dog specific on eBay quite cheap
    Quality wrote: »
    Tinkling: When she gets excited, she tinkles a lot. I try to keep her out to do her wee, but she still tinkles when excited.. will this go away?

    wouldn't worry at this age, the 8 month German shepherd near us tinkles when she gets excited
    Quality wrote: »
    Eating Pooh; This is my biggest problem, she eats poo... cat poo there are a lot of stray cats where I live and they sh1te everywhere, so when she is out the front, she eats it up.

    awkward answer - don't leave her out the front, other than that train her to leave if she is a clever girl and you use positive re-enforement when she leaves the poop it hopefully won;t take too long
    Quality wrote: »
    She always seems to be hungry.. sniffing around the babys highchair for food, But I am sticking to the guidelines as I dont want her to get over weight.
    pups/dogs are always hungry, stick to your guns as it goes with her meals and times, only odd treats and no "human food"

    good luck :D


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    #3
    andreac
    Registered Users Posts: 8,000 ✭✭✭andreac


    How often are you feeding her? at 5 months she should be getting 3-4 meals per day.

    What brand of food are you feeding? You need to stick to one food so she gets used to a routine.
    Dogs are clever and will try and hold out for something tastier, like the gravy you put in as she knows she will get it as you will feel sorry for if shes not eating.

    Be tough and stick to a routine, put the food down, leave for 15 mins then take up again.
    Offer nothing else until next mealtime and repeat at each mealtime. The pup will soon learn she eats what she gets and doesnt get anything else.


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    #4
    Quality
    Registered Users Posts: 6,900 ✭✭✭Quality


    andreac wrote: »
    How often are you feeding her? at 5 months she should be getting 3-4 meals per day.

    What brand of food are you feeding? You need to stick to one food so she gets used to a routine.
    Dogs are clever and will try and hold out for something tastier, like the gravy you put in as she knows she will get it as you will feel sorry for if shes not eating.

    Be tough and stick to a routine, put the food down, leave for 15 mins then take up again.
    Offer nothing else until next mealtime and repeat at each mealtime. The pup will soon learn she eats what she gets and doesnt get anything else.


    Yeah I never thought of the routine, I was just leaving her bowl there for her throughout the day.

    I will try that, I am feeding her purina large breed puppy food. It is the one she likes the best.

    She is getting two meals a day, I will stretch it out to three from now on.

    Thanks for your advice! and to you too Paul...

    Will try the leave command but she is still very excitable!!


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    #5
    madrabui
    Registered Users Posts: 423 ✭✭madrabui


    I second what andreac says.
    As she's only 5 months and still growing just double check the amounts that she is to be fed on the packet.


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    #6
    andreac
    Registered Users Posts: 8,000 ✭✭✭andreac


    Yes a 5 month old pup needs at least 3 feeds per day but i would nearly feed 4, but thats me.
    From 6 months or so you can bring it down to 3.

    Do not leave the food down, thats the worst thing you can do if you have a picky pup as they get used to eating whenever they feel like it so dont be bothered to eat that much.

    Dogs thrive on routine so setting one up for them will benefit them a lot.

    It could take a few days for the pup to realise she has to eat up when fed so dont panic straight away and just stick to the routine and be tough. Dont give in or feel sorry for her if shes not eating as she will soon get the message.


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    #7
    cucoigcrice
    Closed Accounts Posts: 81 ✭✭cucoigcrice


    Quality wrote: »
    Right so I have the most adorable Golden Lab,

    Her name is Daisy, She is 5 months old. She is a clever girl, house trained, very gentle with my children, and can open the front door and let herself in.

    I have a few little queries for you clever people.


    Dry food: She is very fussy with her dry food, I have tried 4 different brands and she might eat a small bit but wont finish the portion, however if I mix gravy into it, she laps it up. Do you think this is ok?

    Tinkling: When she gets excited, she tinkles a lot. I try to keep her out to do her wee, but she still tinkles when excited.. will this go away?

    Eating Pooh; This is my biggest problem, she eats poo... cat poo there are a lot of stray cats where I live and they sh1te everywhere, so when she is out the front, she eats it up.

    She always seems to be hungry.. sniffing around the babys highchair for food, But I am sticking to the guidelines as I dont want her to get over weight.


    Firstly hi and congrats on your new addition!!:)

    With regards to food, i would pick a low protein dry food. Feed her 3-4 times daily and after each fed remove the bowl even if the food if not finished. Dont giv her anythings else in between meals as she will learn that this is her food and she has to eat it cause she wont get anything else. With the gravy i would try not too give it as it can cause diarrhoea and it could leave her always wanting it i.e. a habit.

    With toileting, young pups can do that so just keep a wee eye out and if you still worried in a few months ask the vet to take a look.

    eating poo!!! lovely lol!! this is a habit so discourage it.

    LAbradors are always hungry so just keep strong and you will beat the big brown eyes!!!

    Hope it helps:D


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    #8
    Quality
    Registered Users Posts: 6,900 ✭✭✭Quality


    Right I have a good one for yous now. Brought her out for walk and a bit of training on the green all went very well. Have noticed she doesn't pee when out walking so when we got back to the house i let her in closed gate she does her wee then poo then starts to eat her own poo:eek:eek:



    What do I do now?


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    #9
    star-pants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,429 ✭✭✭✭star-pants


    A good thing to try to stop them eating their own poo is to put in tiny bits of pineapple to the food. They like it going in but don't like it when it comes out the other end. Others have said this works rather well.
    That and trying to clean up asap and tell her 'no' firmly (but a lot of dogs will always try to eat it no matter what you say)


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    #10
    Quality
    Registered Users Posts: 6,900 ✭✭✭Quality


    Hey all just want to say thanks for all the help, I have been setting times to her meals and taking away her bowl and so far so good she seems to be eating a lot more regularly now...


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    #11
    Wisco
    Registered Users Posts: 637 ✭✭✭Wisco


    I agree with many of the previous posts with regard to feeding- pick one food (I'd go for something high quality- Hill's, Royal Canin, ProPac, etc) and stick with it. Changing food too often can cause your dog to be fussier. Also allowing access to food for a limited time can be effective. And don't worry if your pup doesn't take to the new routine straight away- she won't starve in a couple days!! I stick with the 'if they're hungry, they'll eat' principle.

    With regard to the poo eating- there are some capsules you can get to give the dog which makes the faeces more yucky tasting (I can't remember the name right now, but I know my mother got them in the US before- will post it if I find out what they are)

    Good luck!


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