Our German Shepherd, Schultz, is kind of stupid. He has to be taught how to eat. (What? You think I'm kidding?)
Day after day we put food into his bowl. And day after day he sniffs it and walks away. I sniff it too, just to make sure it smells okay. It does. "Schultz, what is your problem? You're a dog. And dogs eat dog food!"
He just looks at me and plops down on the ground.
We've tried all kinds of tricks - mixing up the food, adding wet food, and throwing a treat or two in. He just won't eat. We took him to the vet, too. The vet gave him the once over and said he's thin, but otherwise okay.
Schultz eats maybe once a day. Sometimes not at all. It's ridiculous. So now we're trying a new approach. Training him to eat.
We take him over to his bowl and point to the food. "Eat!" we command.
He sits on his rear end and cocks his head to the side.
"Eat!" we say again, moving his food around with our fingers.
He gets up and sniffs. Then he sits back down.
"Eat your food!"
He moseys back over and takes a lick. Then he eats a kibble.
"Good eat!" we say, in our best animated happy voices.
He wags his tail and stops eating.
"Eat!" we command again.
This nonsense continues until every last kibble is eaten.
Is that not ridiculous? What a dumb dog!
LMAO oh what we do for them. Tried fifty different kinds of food, literally for the cat as he needed to eat wet. Think he'd touch it? Nope, not a chance.
ReplyDeleteAnimals can be so finicky!
DeleteOur dog at least eats. He doesn't eat like a normal dog (i.e., wolfs it all down at a single whack). Rather, he "grazes" all day like a cat. What I put in his bowl in the morning is usually still half there by dinner.
ReplyDeleteNow, if I could only get him to crap in a box under the stairs....
LOL! Wouldn't that be nice?
DeleteAhhh, but we've gotta love 'em!
ReplyDeleteYes, we do!
Deleteor maybe he is teaching his slaves how to feed him every bite :P
ReplyDeleteHmmm. You may have a point!
DeletePets are another form of children. We talk in silly voices to them, buy them toys, take them for checkups and pick up after them. We rejoice when they learn something or obey us.
ReplyDeleteMy observations, and experience.
The Z-Boys are offended because you said Schultz is dumb. Franklin has to be coaxed into eating. Harper takes his time. Scout eats as if there's no tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I'm sorry to have offended Z-boys. But you have to admit, an animal that would rather starve than eat kibbles, is not very smart. ;)
DeleteHe's so smart that he's training you to help him eat!
Deletesounds like tales from the crypt. agonizing!! my parent's have a beautiful big german shephard. i love those dogs! they always just put one bowl out and by the end of the day...it's gone. good luck :)
ReplyDeleteEvery dog is different. Mine is a picky eater!
DeleteAt least he'll never be obese:-)
ReplyDeleteHas Schultz always been like that? Maybe he needs to adjust to his new home. I wonder if a pet vitamin would help. Elliott loves to eat. The one time he didn't eat breakfast, we raced right to the vet! Maybe your training will fix Schultz right up! My sister's dog is finicky like that. He'll only eat if the bowl is upstairs where everyone is.
ReplyDeleteHe was picky before the move. He seemed to get worse while we were moving, so we thought that might be it - doggy stress. But he's still being a goofball. He seems happy enough, though.
DeleteDid this just start when you moved or has he always been like this with food? I've never known a dog who wouldn't eat. Cats, yes--but dogs, no. ;) I hope he's okay?
ReplyDeleteHe's a really strange dog. He's always been picky.
DeleteWow that is one picky dog
ReplyDeleteMaybe he's on a diet? :) Just kidding. It must be so frustrating to watch him finish his food every time.
ReplyDeletei had a shepherd lab mix who ate as he pleased too. i filled his bowl once a day and he ate when he was hungry
ReplyDeletequite the opposite of my current yellow lab who is alwsys hungry! dances for his food 2x a day! the pig!