Feeding time, change it up

 
Bone all clean, time for the rest of breakfast.


After bones on Saturday morning, Luke and Elsa had their breakfast from a fork.  They'd both had a good amount of meat off of their raw meaty bones and just needed a little something else.  I grabbed a fork and a can of dog food that I keep on hand.   It is normal for Luke to not want food after he has a meaty bone; sort of like when we eat too many appetizers and then don't want dinner.  He has his hunger quenched and doesn't see any reason to eat further.  So I thought I'd switch it up.  Changing things is good with dogs; too much same ole can really get you into trouble.  But Luke sometimes doesn't like change.  He likes his things in place and on time; so he needs to have it changed up even more so. 

Elsa is good with change; as long as I am clear about the rules of change she always "gets it."  Luke is a fussy pants so it can take some work to make him feel comfortable enough to accept change.  I brought the can out and sat on the double lounge.  Elsa was there in a flash and more than happy to eat out of a can.  Luke, not so much.  He turned his head when I tried to offer him some food.  "I've eaten, what is this?" his body language said.  I continued to feed Elsa and offered some to Luke between her bites.  Luke also likes baby bites, at least to start with.  If you offer him a big chunk of anything; there is no way you'll get him to eat it.  Along with tiny pieces, it also helps if you tell him it is a "baby bite."  Yep, he likes to hear about it first; then if he hears that it is a baby bite, he will try. 

Once you finally get that first "baby bite," into him he's good to go.  But it is that first initial piece that is the toughest.  He is very clear on how he will and will not accept change.  He is the funniest guy; when he is done eating he simply leaves.  He turns on a dime and walks out of the room.  I have explained to his sitter that the normal coaxing to eat type methods will NEVER work for him.  He is who is he and that is Luke.  So being that he likes what he likes, where he likes it; it is essentially  important to do different with him and all dogs for that matter. 

Luke and Elsa eat inside and they eat outside.  Sometimes they have treats midday on the grass; sometimes it's in the evening downstairs on the couch.  Changing where and when you feed your dog is really a great thing to implement.  If you have a fussy dog that is hard to feed under normal situations; imagine trying to get him to eat on a road trip?  If you had to stay at someone else's home for several days; what if your dog wouldn't eat? 

I am easily bored by routine, I like to switch things up.  So switching up feeding times is easy for me to implement.  I think it is good for everyone involved to change it up.  Change not only goes for time and place; it should also be about what you are feeding.  Do you pour the same old food in the same bowl every day?  Variety, more about that in another blog. 


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