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Some dogs seem
to be more greedy than others – or are they? Just have a wee think back to the
first time those lovely brown eyes gazed at you. Our first thought may have
been: “Hey Molly, what is it that you
want, do you want out?” We go to the door and open it and they simply continue
to look at us. Next thought – oh you must be hungry – let’s get you a wee
snack.
And hey presto!
Our dogs have trained us to get up from our TV programme, go in to the kitchen,
open the cupboard and feed them. They get a treat and we get a) relief from the
pressure and frustration of guessing and b) a feel good factor from making our
dogs happy.
Now, of course,
some dogs are indeed more foodie than others. What happens with those greedy
dogs? Why are they always on the hunt for food? Well science is uncovering many
new reasons regarding why some people seem to need to eat more than others; why
some get more joy from eating; and why some put on weight whilst others don’t.
And guess, what – it’s the same for dogs. There are indeed genetic and other
inherited aspects. But our brains and our dogs’ brains also develop habits.
That very first
time our puppy gazed lovingly at us and we thought – oh let’s get you a snack –
was the first step towards a foodie habit.
Just think.
What if, instead of reaching for the cookie jar we did a little training, or
played a wee game, or took them for a walk, gave them a pat or taught them to
go and lie down in their bed. How would that have affected the puppy’s
experience with food?
After all, it
is much easier to never let a habit form than to change habits later.
So, for
puppies, during their first few weeks and months (and for newly rescued dogs),
simply keep temptation out of the way and don’t presume that they’re always
looking for food, or get them into the habits of getting more extra treats than
they need.
There are of
course some dogs who do seem food obsessed. Keeping food out of reach works for
them too, helped by distracting them onto other mentally stimulating
activities.
Obesity is one
of the top preventable diseases in dogs. Fat dogs aren’t just fat, they suffer
from all of the other related medical issues that we do: joint problems, heart
stress, diabetes and so on.
There's an excellent chart on measuring dog thin-fat levels here - Is my dog fat?
Is your dog bored? Look here for motivational ideas.
For help with greedy or fussy dogs or
puppies or for any other behaviour problems, please do just get in touch at
PawsAbility.co.uk.
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