A treat or food is welcome anytime in a dog world.
Feeding
ones dog & many others is an important routine in a dog lovers
life, but it is important to make sure that the food served is respected
by the respective dogs. There are many cases i have worked upon where
the dog lovers & owners have complained about their dogs not
interested in the food off & on, not finishing their food or
preserving it for a long time before finishing it. There are other cases
where the dogs are super excited for food & once they have the
bowl/food on the floor then start protecting it to the limits that they
show aggression when the human providing food approaches the food or the
bowl.
Lets first talk about the basics,
- Food requirement for dogs as per their age :
Till 60days - Puppy should remain on mothers milk;
From 61st day to 180th day - Puppy should be on 4meals a day;
From 181st day to 360th day - Puppy should be on 2-3meals a day as per his requirement;
From 1st year onward - A dog should be on 2meals a day.
- What to feed :
India is a land of diversity in all aspects & food habits are as diverse. A dog is a carnivorous being & there can be a large debate on the subject but, i wouldn't indulge in it because i believe in nature & love to keep it the way it is meant to be.
Feeding your dog is obviously your prerogative, but for a healthy & well balanced dog one should have meat a part of their diet. One should also include on daily basis raw & boiled vegetable diet carrots, green beans, cucumber, zucchini & a boiled potato is good too but make sure, no raw potatoes. Also, fruits like apples, oranges, bananas, and watermelon are good once or twice a week but make sure to remove any seeds first. Seeds, stems, and leaves can cause serious problems. All the above should be included in a dogs life as early as possible after they are off their mothers milk & feel free to consult your vet.
Going back to the topic, dogs are leading a leisure life as pets & a sorry life on the streets... in both situations matters are made worst when human starts to over pamper them or feel sorry for them respectively. Human needs to respect the animal in a dog who is free willed, who is self sufficient & who will never want to harm them selves in anyway both as a pet or on the street because their first instinct is to "SURVIVE".
And to survive they will go lengths to please you & by please you, i mean being a good dog respecting the human in you & what you provide.
Lets look at different behaviors when it comes to food,
- Dogs not interested in the food off & on :
There is no reason for the dog to not be interested in his her food, unless the dog is overfed by giving them small meals throughout the day, the dog isn't getting enough exercise to digest the food they have already consumed or lastly they are very well aware of your weaknesses & know something else will be dished up soon;
- Dogs not finishing their food or keeping it for a long time before finishing it :
These are our over pampered lazy little four legged friends, who are enjoying the leisure life without any challenges & will mostly be very dominating/demanding dogs;
- Super excited & food protecting dogs :
These are dogs that are not fed a full diet & are unsure of when their next meal is coming.
All of the above behaviors are a cause of human error but in return worries/hurts the human further. So now lets look at what all can a human do to regain that respect for themselves & the food they provide with their hard earned money,
- Firstly, a responsible dog owner will make sure that the puppy has spent first 60days with the mother on her milk & added meals;
- Put them on a healthy diet with variety of food suggestions given above after consulting your vet if you wish;
- Control the level of excitement when food is provided to the dogs by being patient using basic commands like sit & stay;
- Make sure the quantity of food is enough depending on the requirement & size of your dog;
- Make sure to adjust the food in your dogs bowl while they are eating or ask them to wait till you adjust their food;
- Make sure enough exercise is provided to the dog on daily basis;
A dog always enjoys good leadership & by being a good leader for ones dog, one earns a lot more in life.
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At Canine Solutions we do not differentiate between the pure breed or the strays dogs. We are open to provide our services to all Pet Owners, Animal NGO’s, Shelters, Volunteers, Co-operative Housing Societies to rehabilitate the toughest dog behaviors & give them a chance to find a loving home. Our aim is to provide a loving home to the dogs and a peaceful, balanced relationship with the dog for the pet owners because we believe a human family is never complete without a pet dog.
You can write to us with queries at Canine.Manoor@gmail.com & join us on our new page on FaceBook - facebook.com/CanineSolutionsRehabilitationCentre for regular updates.
Manoor Sachdev - Canine Solutions
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