Aa
How much is to much food
My dog is just a year old about 30 pounds and tall as me 5'3 looks like a lab/roc but he wants food all the time and he has a runner in the yard because he has gotten to much for me to walk.H e pulls me like he is on a dog sled team mush...lol help me please.
COMMUNITY LEADER
If you have enough money to cope with this additional expense, you could hire a dog-walker to come for say....two hours a day? I'm not sure what that would cost, but it would give you some peace of mind, and take the strain off you.
AireScotty has a great idea! If there is a person in your neighborhood with a dog-friendly dog who wouldn't mind another dog along with them while they play, that would be a great way for him to get some exercise while giving you a break!
That's just so sweet of you to do this for this dog even though you're having such a difficult time of it. Have you tried putting a notice on the bulletin board at your vet's office that you are looking for a home for him? If he is part Lab, that would explain a lot in terms of his hyperactivity and constant need to be moving. Labs are bred to just run and hunt all day, so it's going to be difficult for you to keep him satisfied, especially if he's from a high-drive hunting line. I give you a lot of credit for sticking with it as long as you have. Too many people would have just turned him in to a shelter, but you're sticking with him until you can find another home for him.
You might try locating an organization that trains search and rescue dogs. They look for drive-y dogs who have lots of energy, and training him for something like that could be just what he needs to channel his energies. He, and you, might be happier all around if you could rehome him into a group like that. It's something to think about.
Ghilly
That's just so sweet of you to do this for this dog even though you're having such a difficult time of it. Have you tried putting a notice on the bulletin board at your vet's office that you are looking for a home for him? If he is part Lab, that would explain a lot in terms of his hyperactivity and constant need to be moving. Labs are bred to just run and hunt all day, so it's going to be difficult for you to keep him satisfied, especially if he's from a high-drive hunting line. I give you a lot of credit for sticking with it as long as you have. Too many people would have just turned him in to a shelter, but you're sticking with him until you can find another home for him.
You might try locating an organization that trains search and rescue dogs. They look for drive-y dogs who have lots of energy, and training him for something like that could be just what he needs to channel his energies. He, and you, might be happier all around if you could rehome him into a group like that. It's something to think about.
Ghilly
Do you have any other dogs in the neighborhood? If there's a friendly dog and owner nearby, your dog might really enjoy some play time with them. Another thing I do to wear my dogs out is to make them "work" for their food. I take the actual food out of their bowls and either throw it through the air for them to catch, or shoot it across a smooth floor like a marble. They think it's a game, they don't eat too much food, and it costs me no energy whatsoever. It's great when I'm really sick, or in midwinter when we just can't stay out long walking.
As for the food, it can really depend on the dog's activity level and metabolism. My last Scottie ate twice as much as the current one, but I was healthy then and took him on day-long hikes.
As for the food, it can really depend on the dog's activity level and metabolism. My last Scottie ate twice as much as the current one, but I was healthy then and took him on day-long hikes.
Thank you for the imformation.I have a good ideal now from everyone that he is a high energy dog.And the food is all wrong,and he needs more exercise and he needs better training.Now as for the breed of dog not sure.Father was a lab I think .The pet was a gift for my grand son and he has since moved with his motherand I have the dog for no other reason they couldn't keep him.I have tried to get him a new home but it never happen.My husband and I are not able to give the dog a proper life and I a lone have done the best to make his life a good one.He has taken over my shed when it rain even with his two doghouses on each in of the yard he refuses to get in them.H e barks non-stop till I come out at all hours of the nite to put him in.So to say I am so tired and at the end of my rope ,just don't know what he needs .I will try the de-worming next and hope all is good.But this dog thinks of me as his toy and I need to be on call when he is bored.Again my heath is not good but I am doing my best.Thank you for listening.
I TOTALLY missed the portion of the question that dealt with the food! That's what I get for reading when I'm tired! :D
Thomas is absolutely correct when he states that grocery brands often leave dogs unsatisfied and wanting more. A better dog food, while more expensive, will actually require you to feed less, so the money kind of balances itself out in the long run. You pay more for the bag of food, but it goes further because you don't feed as much. With a grocery brand, you might have to feed as much as six cups a day for a medium sized dog, while a premium brand will require you to feed two cups for the same sized dog, and the dog's nutritional needs will be met MUCH more adequately.
Have you had your dog wormed? An internal parasite load can also make your dog want to eat more than he should need. A tapeworm can do the same, and normally, you won't see a tapeworm on a fecal exam. The only way you can tell they have a tapeworm is if you see rice-like segments in the stool. If you have not wormed him, take a stool sample to the vet to make sure he's not carrying a parasite load.
What breed of dog is he? It could be that he is just a high-drive breed or mix of high drive breeds, and he just needs tons and tons of exercise each day to wear him out to make him calm down. It's important to research the breed or breeds you're getting so that you know what you're going to be in for.
Ghilly
Thomas is absolutely correct when he states that grocery brands often leave dogs unsatisfied and wanting more. A better dog food, while more expensive, will actually require you to feed less, so the money kind of balances itself out in the long run. You pay more for the bag of food, but it goes further because you don't feed as much. With a grocery brand, you might have to feed as much as six cups a day for a medium sized dog, while a premium brand will require you to feed two cups for the same sized dog, and the dog's nutritional needs will be met MUCH more adequately.
Have you had your dog wormed? An internal parasite load can also make your dog want to eat more than he should need. A tapeworm can do the same, and normally, you won't see a tapeworm on a fecal exam. The only way you can tell they have a tapeworm is if you see rice-like segments in the stool. If you have not wormed him, take a stool sample to the vet to make sure he's not carrying a parasite load.
What breed of dog is he? It could be that he is just a high-drive breed or mix of high drive breeds, and he just needs tons and tons of exercise each day to wear him out to make him calm down. It's important to research the breed or breeds you're getting so that you know what you're going to be in for.
Ghilly
COMMUNITY LEADER
He sounds like a good strong healthy young dog. But that is a good point about the quality of the food he gets. High quality is always best.
However, the more energy he burns, the hungrier he will be. And then again, some dogs are VERY food-oriented, always have been, and always will be. Mine is like that.
He does need some leash-training. He should behave (when on a leash) exactly as you WANT him to behave, and not like a wild thing.
But it is another thought that he must need some other kind of running/exertion exercise. Does he chase frisbee? Ball? Or some other strong aerobic exercise? Some dogs, depending on breed and temperament, could need as much as 2 hours or more of this kind of exercise a day. It is possible to buy a "ball-launcher" (which means the Human doesn't have to get a dislocated shoulder while throwing ball for extended periods!) It's like a 'cup on a stick' -you flick it, and the ball goes a long way, giving the dog a good run to fetch it back.
I have a feeling if he got this kind of work-out, he would be calmer to train on the leash afterwards.
Of course, like I said, the more exercise he gets, the hungrier he will be.
I always use the same guideline to how much food is too much or too little: feed the dog according to the instructions for his weight (and age) If he exercises hard every day, give him extra. If he starts to gain a little weight on this, cut down slightly. If he starts to look a bit too lean, give him a bit more....etc. till you get the balance right.
However, the more energy he burns, the hungrier he will be. And then again, some dogs are VERY food-oriented, always have been, and always will be. Mine is like that.
He does need some leash-training. He should behave (when on a leash) exactly as you WANT him to behave, and not like a wild thing.
But it is another thought that he must need some other kind of running/exertion exercise. Does he chase frisbee? Ball? Or some other strong aerobic exercise? Some dogs, depending on breed and temperament, could need as much as 2 hours or more of this kind of exercise a day. It is possible to buy a "ball-launcher" (which means the Human doesn't have to get a dislocated shoulder while throwing ball for extended periods!) It's like a 'cup on a stick' -you flick it, and the ball goes a long way, giving the dog a good run to fetch it back.
I have a feeling if he got this kind of work-out, he would be calmer to train on the leash afterwards.
Of course, like I said, the more exercise he gets, the hungrier he will be.
I always use the same guideline to how much food is too much or too little: feed the dog according to the instructions for his weight (and age) If he exercises hard every day, give him extra. If he starts to gain a little weight on this, cut down slightly. If he starts to look a bit too lean, give him a bit more....etc. till you get the balance right.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I wholeheartedly concur with Ghilly's suggestions...the only comment I would make is that it sounds as if this pup would benefit from going straight to the Gentle Leader instead of a harness. I use a Gentle Leader for my 100 lb 9 month old Mastiff pup and it works wonders!
What kind of food are you feeding your pup? If you are feeding a grocery store or generic food, it could be that he isn't getting enough energy from the food and therefore is constantly wanting more.
What kind of food are you feeding your pup? If you are feeding a grocery store or generic food, it could be that he isn't getting enough energy from the food and therefore is constantly wanting more.
There are a couple of different options here. There is a no-pull harness that you can buy that will stop him from dragging you all over the place when you take him out. It goes around his chest and up under his underarms, and it feeds through d-rings on a belt that goes around him. This way, when he pulls, it causes the rig to pull up on his underarms, making it extremely uncomfortable for him to pull you.
There is another option called the Gentle Leader halter. It fits over the head and controls your dog in exactly the same way a halter controls a horse. The theory here is that if he pulls you with the head halter on, it will pull his head ar ound TO you so that he's no longer facing the direction in which he wants to go. Pulling, instead of gaining him ground, ends up with him facing in the opposite direction from that in which he had wanted to go.
If you don't want to try either one of the above things, you can enrol him in a basic obedience class. This will not only serve to teach him how to correctly walk on a leash, it will train YOU how to correctly train HIM. The end goal of an obedience class is not really to train the dog, it's to use the dog as a prop to train the human HOW to train the dog. Something like this would be very good for you, and it would also help him to learn how to concentrate with all kinds of other dogs around him. It's not only a great training tool, it's a great socialization tool.
Good luck to you, whatever route you decide to take! :)
Ghilly
There is another option called the Gentle Leader halter. It fits over the head and controls your dog in exactly the same way a halter controls a horse. The theory here is that if he pulls you with the head halter on, it will pull his head ar ound TO you so that he's no longer facing the direction in which he wants to go. Pulling, instead of gaining him ground, ends up with him facing in the opposite direction from that in which he had wanted to go.
If you don't want to try either one of the above things, you can enrol him in a basic obedience class. This will not only serve to teach him how to correctly walk on a leash, it will train YOU how to correctly train HIM. The end goal of an obedience class is not really to train the dog, it's to use the dog as a prop to train the human HOW to train the dog. Something like this would be very good for you, and it would also help him to learn how to concentrate with all kinds of other dogs around him. It's not only a great training tool, it's a great socialization tool.
Good luck to you, whatever route you decide to take! :)
Ghilly
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