We have a pig for a puppy and need help!

[vmvnpv]

DH and I just adopted a puppy about 3 weeks ago.  We feed her twice a day but  when we go to feed our older dog the puppy runs right for her food and eats it all.  Our older dog is really submissive and just lets her.  We have been feeding them in separate areas but don't want to have to continue doing that.  How do we break the puppy of eating all her food and then eating our other dogs food too?

[chasha33]

You could try the approach of every time she attempts to eat your other dogs food carrying her back to her own food and continue doing that for a few days.Each time she stays at her own dish and eats let her know what a good puppy she is.It took me over a week to break my Peke from eating my Bulldogs food ,But finally he gave up.Good luck...Chan

[vmvnpv]

Thank you for telling me that.  I didn't realize she should eat 3 times a day.  We are feeding them separately ad will continue to do so until the puppy is older.  Thank you again.

[Ghilly]

The only way you're going to get a handle on this is to either feed them in separate rooms (with the puppy behind a closed door) or to put the puppy in a crate for feedings and keep her in there until the older dog is finished eating.  It's not fair to the older dog to have the puppy taking her food, and it's not good for the puppy to be getting double the amount of food she should be getting.  Although, depending on how old the puppy is, she should probably be eating three times a day and not two.  Until they are about six months old, they should eat three times a day, then you can cut her down to two feedings a day until she's about 11 or 12 months old, and then after she reaches a year old you can cut her back to one feeding per day.

Ghilly

[vmvnpv]

We had the same problem with our puppy in the beginning.  I think it was her nerves and getting used to a new home.  Now she can't stop eating.  She claims everything she sees as her own.  How long have you had your puppies?  Maybe they are still getting used to a new home.

[April2]

I have the opposite problem. I have two puppies that I don't think are eating as much as they should, according to the puppy food we give them. They still play, etc., but are only eating about half of what they say to feed them. They're toy poodles so I know they're going to be small to begin with. I just want to make sure they're getting enough for growing pups!

[vmvnpv]

We actually feed them Canidae which is for all stages of life.  It doesn't take them long to eat when they are separated but it takes them forever to eat when they are together because the puppy runs to whatever bowl our older dog is eating from.  lol.

[April2]

I don't really think you have a choice. I think you're going to have to separate them when you feed them. I'm sure they don't take that long to eat, right? I know it's a pain but you really don't want the puppy eating adult food since it needs different nutrients than an adult dog and it's system might be a little more sensitive. Maybe when they're older you can try again to feed them together but for right now, I think I'd keep them separated.