Free feeding your dog

March 23rd, 2007 § 1

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When I got Teddy, my black lab/golden retriever/irish setter
mix, I decided that I would free feed her. Free feeding means making food available to your dog all the time – as
much as they want.  If you start when
your dog is a puppy, free feeding is really easy. I just put out a bowl of dry dog food and
filled it whenever I noticed it was empty. Teddy self regulated herself – never overeating. It helped that I made sure she got lots of
exercise. My vet warned me repeatedly
that with her lab genes she was going to get fat. I told him I’d watch her and if it became a
problem I’d change. (Ironically, Teddy
is now wasting away from kidney disease. She never was overweight though.)

The reasons I wanted to free feed were:

  • I don’t like it when dogs fixate on food. You know the type, it’s dinner time and they are jumping and
    slobbering all over. I had a roommate who had a cat who thought he ought to be fed at 6am every
    morning. If she wasn’t home he’d gallop down the hall and slam into my door. Repeatedly. And he weighed 30 pounds.
  • I knew I wouldn’t be home everyday at the same time and I didn’t want my dog feeling like she was starving.
  • I figured she could self regulate and just eat what she needed better than I could regulate for her. On weeks where we went backpacking and 6 mile runs, she might need more food. On days where I spent all day in meetings and went out for dinner instead of running, she might need less food.

A couple of warnings or caveats:

  • It’s much harder to start free feeding when your dog is already used to a
    scheduled diet. You can try but for the first few days they are sure to stuff themselves. They may or may not even out.
  • You should stick to dry food. Wet food shouldn’t sit out all the time.
  • Introducing a new dog into the situation creates difficulties. I had to stop free feeding Teddy when
    Chase joined us. She would gobble down all her food as if she was terrified Chase would eat it all and there wouldn’t be any more. Now we pretty much free feed both of them but Chase still insists on being fed at 6pm. If there’s still food in the bowls, we pick up the bowls, pour food from one to the other and put them back on the floor. Then he eats!

Photo by leff.

The Fox and the Hound

March 21st, 2007 § 0

177358634_63c5ab30afEveryone has probably read or watched The Fox and the Hound but I wonder if dogs and foxes would get along if raised together?

One summer there was a litter of foxes that hung out by our normal walking path.  They all watched the dogs but the dogs never seemed to notice them!

Do you have any fox and dog stories?

Photo by Rob Lee.

Help! My puppy chews my shoelaces!

March 19th, 2007 § 0

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First, remember your puppy is just exploring the world.  But don’t forget that cute behavior in a two month old puppy might become unbearable in a two year old dog so now’s the time to teach your puppy what’s acceptable.

If your puppy is pulling on your shoelaces, don’t laugh or ooh and ahh no matter how cute he is.  Tell him no very firmly and offer him his toy.  Praise him when he lets go of your shoelace and takes the toy. 

Any other methods that work well for you?

Photo by grazie, davvaro.

Don’t let your dog down!

March 18th, 2007 § 0

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Dogs pay a lot of attention to routine.  My dad came to visit once and I let him sleep in my bed and I slept in the living room.  Every morning he took Teddy for a walk while he was waiting for me to wake up.  After he left, I couldn’t figure out why Teddy kept running around my bed in the middle of the night.  Turns out it wasn’t the middle of the night, it was 5 am.  Walk time!

Photo by It’sGreg.

How fast can a dog run?

March 17th, 2007 § 1

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Greyhounds have been clocked at 35 mph!  Our chocolate lab loves to get out of the truck at the beginning of the dirt road that leads to the lake.  He then runs to the lake.  He is so excited that he usually runs at 20 mph for almost a mile.

Note that your dog just doesn’t have to be predisposed to being fast, he also needs to be in good shape in order to run fast!

Photo by Amnemona.

Can your dog carry a cup of coffee?

March 16th, 2007 § 0

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This dog is balancing a coffee cup on his head.  One of my dogs, Teddy, can balance a grape on her nose.  She holds it there (going cross eyed) until I say ok.

The trick to teaching your dog how to balance something is teaching them "hold still" while holding their head firmly but gently.  If they move and drop the item, no treat.  If they hold still until you say ok, then they get a treat.  (Note that this method made my dog very treat focused.  She doesn’t hold still unless you are trying to balance a grape on her nose.)

What tricks does your dog know?

Photo by SuperFantastic.

What’s your cutest story?

March 15th, 2007 § 0

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Do you have a photo or a cute story you would like to share?  Send it to me, humansfordogs@nospam@gmail.com,  and I’d be happy to post it!  (Remove the @nospam from my address.)

Photo by –morgan♥♥.

Geese Police: A New Career for your Dog

March 14th, 2007 § 0

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David Marck’s border collie loved chasing geese so he started going to the local golf course twice a day to let her run.  Pretty soon he was being offered money to keep the geese off of golf courses, corporate grounds and parks.  Now he makes $2 million a year running Geese Police – a company you can hire to keep the geese off your property.  He employs 27 trucks and 32 dogs in the New York/New Jersey area.  Thanks to Unusual Business Ideas for the story.

Photo by Phil Romans.

The Secret to Keeping Snow Off Your Dogs Paws

March 13th, 2007 § 0

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I’ve written about keeping dogs warm in the winter and about buying a sweater for your dog, but I haven’t written about one of the most important things, keeping your dogs paws warm and snow free when walking in the snow.  Here are some things to consider:

  • Dog booties.  We have tried a lot of different types and a lot of different brands.  The ones that stay on the best are ones we bought were flourescent orange hunting ones we bought at Cabelas.  (We used them not just for hiking in the snow but for also covering injured paws that we didn’t want the dog to chew on.  That worked until Chase chewed through one …)  Some booties are just for warmth and some also have traction.  The higher up on the leg they come, the more likely they will stay on.
  • Medical tape.  This is my favorite. I just wrap medical tape around their paws.  This works really well when it’s not too cold but you have a dog with long hair that is always catching snow and forming icicles between her toes.
  • Trim the hair.  You can trim the hair between the main center pad and the toes, but not between the toes.  This will help cut down on icicles.  If your dog does get snow balls, let them melt, don’t try to pull them off or cut them off.  (I ended up cutting my dog trying to do that on one snowshoeing trip.)
  • Vaseline can help sooth paws already irritated by the snow and it can also help prevent snow build up if you put it on before you go out.

Any other tips to share with us?

Photo by nuanc.

Best Ways to Wash Your Dog

March 12th, 2007 § 0

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There are several ways to give your dog a bath.  Here are some of my favorites:

  • Groomer.  Make an appointment, drop your dog off, pick them up clean.  I use this for emergencies, like the time Teddy rolled in something so stinky that I still couldn’t be in the same room with her after three baths!
  • Dog wash.   There are dog wash businesses that have all the facilities for washing your dog from a tub with ties to shampoo to hair dryers.  Definitely the easiest do it yourself way.
  • Bath tub.  To be avoided at all costs unless you have a small or very docile dog.
  • Shower.  This is my favorite.  I get in the shower with the dog.  They have no where to go and usually stand still with their tail between their legs while you soap them up and rinse them off.  Beware when you let them out though!  Everything will get wet!  I usually turn off the water and give them a few minutes in the shower to realize it’s over and to shake well.  Then I dry them off and wait to see if they’ll shake again.  Then I let them out in the bathroom.
  • A hose in the backyard.  I hang on to the collar with one hand and wet, soap and rinse the dog with the other hand.  This is the hardest method physically and usually the messiest – but the mess is outside.

Any other ways you wash your dog?  Any tips for us?

Photo by longristra.

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