Another feeding question

codemonkey

Ok, I know I'm coming across as a bit dumb but I'm used to labs who hoover their food, rather than Scamp who, well, doesn't.

We switched him over to wet food and for the first day it was successful, but then it was back to a few mouthfuls and away. We've tried lifting his food and he doesn't care, if we leave his food down he will occasionally return to it during the day but not often. He seems to be the same with wet and dry food.

He's not underweight, he doesn't get many treats - aside from his frozen kong on workdays, and the odd bone, and he's bouncy and energetic with a cold wet nose and shiny coat. Should I just presume that some days he doesn't feel hungry and stop worrying?

joansgirl

My friends dog only eats when he feels like it. He's a Border Collie. Sometimes he'll go 2 or 3 days without a decent feed. He seems to be thriving on it though. I know what you mean about Labs though. Mine is a walking dustbin, all the time. It's difficult to compare another breeds eating habits with a Lab as they just don't care what it is so long as it's in their mouth!:rotfl:

codemonkey

joansgirl wrote: »

My friends dog only eats when he feels like it. He's a Border Collie. Sometimes he'll go 2 or 3 days without a decent feed. He seems to be thriving on it though. I know what you mean about Labs though. Mine is a walking dustbin, all the time. It's difficult to compare another breeds eating habits with a Lab as they just don't care what it is so long as it's in their mouth!:rotfl:

I guess because he's part lab I thought he'd be the same. :rotfl: I mean, I'm quite glad he's not, because it means that things can be left on the counters without him bothering them - particularly tasty treats like ham and so on have to be kept out of his reach though - and he only raids the bin if something tasty has been put in there. He's quite delicate about his bin raking ways though. It's a swing bin and he's managed to lift the lid with his nose just enough to investigate what's on top. If the thing he wants to eat is far down enough, he just leaves it. :rotfl: Means if we forget to empty the bin, there's not too much mess to clean up.

Ok, I'll stop worrying about him.

Mrs_pbradley936

For dogs that are not "good dooers" I do not begrudge a high price high nutrition food. For Labradors and other greedy breeds it seems a waste.

Border Collies, German Shepherds and English Setters are the worst eaters. When I had a boarding kennel we used to worry about how they would look at the end of a fortnight. The first two breeds pine and miss their owners the English Setters just do not have huge appetites. Labradors and Greyhounds eat everything and could care less who feeds them just as long as they can eat!

joansgirl

codemonkey wrote: »

I guess because he's part lab I thought he'd be the same. :rotfl: I mean, I'm quite glad he's not, because it means that things can be left on the counters without him bothering them - particularly tasty treats like ham and so on have to be kept out of his reach though - and he only raids the bin if something tasty has been put in there. He's quite delicate about his bin raking ways though. It's a swing bin and he's managed to lift the lid with his nose just enough to investigate what's on top. If the thing he wants to eat is far down enough, he just leaves it. :rotfl: Means if we forget to empty the bin, there's not too much mess to clean up.

Ok, I'll stop worrying about him.

What's he crossed with, do you know? Tbh I'd have thought a lab cross would still be a gannet as crosses usually end up inheriting the worst traits from the parents, but who knows? I think that maybe you're lucky. Oh to be able to leave stuff on the worktop! Bailie gets everything that she can reach down, food or not. Whatever it is she'll try to eat it but if she can't (for instance, dish cloth, tea towel) then she lays on it instead. She hasn't bothered with the bin though. It's a tall pedal bin and she just doesn't seem interested at all.