# Building food drive?



## Angie Stark (Jul 10, 2009)

What things have you done with a baby pup that isnt a good eater? Supplements? Withholding food for x days?


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## Jojo Bautista (Mar 7, 2010)

Strictly feed during training so he learns to work for his food.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

I would think it is more of a health problem?

Are you feeding him too much so that he never feels hungry. How long do you leave him with the food bowl. How old is the "baby" pup? How much exercise?


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## Robbie Waldrop (Aug 31, 2013)

My first dog had the same issue. I started only feeding him during training and it did not take long for him to figure out that if he did not eat during training, it was not gonna happen later that day.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

one thing i would also add Angie, is that i have had dogs who came to me from owners who claimed the dog had "low food drive".

- the first thing i did was stop feeding them from a bowl and stopped making food a "meal time" situation
- i carried all the daily food ration with me and fed bit by bit. both as part of training and at other times, and almost never gave freebies and always required "something for something" 
- i would have the kibble (if it was kibble fed) as well as some "good stuff", like hot dog bits, with me at all times

- you might also be able to incorporate that technique into your "bite sessions" 

somewhat PITA and a slow process, but it worked. took a couple weeks to get the point across and eventually put more food in a small bowl (fed while holding), and finally got it to a regular meal bowl set up
- but overall food drive improved a LOT


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

i know a lot of people feed in a bowl and give the dog a set amount of time to eat it and then take it away if they don't finish the bowl.
- for a picky dog, i think they learn that even if the bowl gets picked up they will get another bowl sooner or later, and over time, that way slowly becomes ineffective. 
- meaning it doesn't always work to build food drive 

sometimes dogs read us better than we read them


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

I took it to mean that the pup is just not eating well during feedings...I would add yummy stuff for a while personally if I was concerned that the dog was not eating well enough...

I did not take this to mean food drive for training with food.


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## Alice Bezemer (Aug 4, 2010)

Angie Stark said:


> What things have you done with a baby pup that isnt a good eater? Supplements? Withholding food for x days?


Not sure what you mean by building food drive? Is the pup just a poor eater to begin with and do you want to fix that? Or do you want to build food drive for training purposes?

If its about the pup being a poor eater then there are several things you could try but you would have to tell what you have done so far to try and get around this problem. What age is the pup and what are you feeding him now? Depending on age I would not withhold food for x days and I would supplement with electrolytes to make sure his strength stays up. If he is on dry feed (pellets or kibble) it could be a simple teething problem and you could soak the dry food before feeding him. Everything depends on the pups age at this point. Some will eat one food and ignore the other, some will eat new food for 3 days because it tastes nice and then stop eating it until you get new different food. Dogs can be picky bastards if you let them! Every dog will start eating food if you just keep up with it long enough but with pups you need to be careful since they can turn from healthy to poor in 24 hours. Had dogs that were extremely poor eaters as pups and would make feeding a game. Took the kibble and would shoot it across the floor with my finger so they would chase and eat it, not out of wanting to eat but more out of possesive behaviour then anything else and always they would start eating with a short period of time. 

As for creating food drive for training? Can't advise anything on that since I simply see no use for it at all. I do not bribe dogs with food to get them to work so no help to offer from that angle.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

If food is being used in training to "bribe" a dog then it's being used wrong. :razz: :wink:


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

my posts were aimed at dogs that didn't have a normal appetite and would not finish a bowl of food for "whatever" reason, and removing the bowl has worked for me
- picky eater, low food drive; whatever term u choose

- whether you want to use food as a training motivator is a personal decision

from what i have read the dog doesn't seem to want to eat much and the body condition would probably be a good indicator for whether the dog needs to get a vet work-up


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## Benny Bekker (Nov 7, 2013)

rick smith said:


> my posts were aimed at dogs that didn't have a normal appetite and would not finish a bowl of food for "whatever" reason, and removing the bowl has worked for me
> - picky eater, low food drive; whatever term u choose
> 
> - whether you want to use food as a training motivator is a personal decision
> ...


 
Good Morning Rick,

had a puppy 2 weeks ago and i had the same problem, if i gave him the food he didn`t want to know anything about it.
after a while he eat it but more because he had to than something else.

first week was horrible he didn`t even eat his meal 3 times. the second week he was also not interested in his food so i let him sniff on it and placed is somewhere where he could see it but not get it.

took a few hours and there came the interest for the food, i kept it there the whole day.
and in the evening i have picked up his food and hold it in my hands for a while. he was getting even more nervous about it and at the moment that he was so exited that he was barking for it i placed it on the ground.

after that i have hold him a few times a couple of cms of his food so he couldn`t reach it. 
next day i have teased him again a little.

and now if i only go to his food he gets tottally crazy and is barking till he gets it. blink 2 times with your eyes and the food is gone:razz:

hope it helps.

Regards,

Benny


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## lannie dulin (Sep 4, 2012)

No dog doesn't go crazy for a raw diet. I'm just saying...


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

lannie dulin said:


> No dog doesn't go crazy for a raw diet. I'm just saying...


this is not true...


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## Benny Bekker (Nov 7, 2013)

lannie dulin said:


> No dog doesn't go crazy for a raw diet. I'm just saying...


I am just telling what my experience is. If i have Some time i Will make video to show you


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## lannie dulin (Sep 4, 2012)

Benny Bekker said:


> I am just telling what my experience is. If i have Some time i Will make video to show you


Your feeding a raw diet and your dog doesn't want it? If so have you been to the vet? Have it's teeth and what not checked.


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## Benny Bekker (Nov 7, 2013)

Dear lannie,

In my case this gas nothing to
Do with His teeth, the Dog just was not as happy with is food in first place. And if he really had something with His teeth than i should have still the same issue And i Dont.
I am not saying that you are incorrect cause there Will be people which has the issue u mentioned but it has not always something to do with His health.

Try to give the Dog His food which was 10 minutes in warm water. Some breeders do that to soften it up a little And maybe the Dog is just not ready yet for hard pieces.


"Lannie i think we misunderstood each other, i am not feeding my Dog RAW meet but just dry puppy food"


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## Angie Stark (Jul 10, 2009)

All of the above has been tried. Hes 10 weeks old now

raw. different kinds of raw.
different kibbles
ground kibble
ground kibble with warm water
ground kibble with raw
whole kibble with raw
hand feeding
tried THK beef version this morning, made him 1/2 a cup and he ate it so will keep on that plan and hope it works.

he eats a couple of bites and he's done. In 2 weeks he has cleaned his bowl twice.

Hes been getting nutri-cal. Next stop, the vet for blood work.


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## Alice Bezemer (Aug 4, 2010)

lannie dulin said:


> No dog doesn't go crazy for a raw diet. I'm just saying...


Then you are saying wrong... 

Have had plenty of dogs that couldnae give a rats furry but over raw and preffered their bowl of kibble. Have had dogs that were extremely poor eaters (shepherds are notoriously bad eaters) that could not be enticed with raw to get them to eat. Have even had one dog, Robbie1, that preffered a slice of dark brown bread over raw.

No 2 dogs are alike, just because yours like raw doesn't mean all dogs go nuts over it.


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## Alice Bezemer (Aug 4, 2010)

At 10 weeks they cant really eat much but they should be able to deal with a ful cup of food. Does the pup enjoy treats or does he show no real interest in these as well? Does he scavange the ground a lot outside? I had a friend who's dog was a poor eater (8 weeks old) and it turned out the little furry bastid would eat pebbles and had half his stomach filled with the damn things. 



Angie Stark said:


> All of the above has been tried. Hes 10 weeks old now
> 
> raw. different kinds of raw.
> different kibbles
> ...


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## lannie dulin (Sep 4, 2012)

I've never met a dog that didn't prefer raw. It's crazy to me how many ppl are saying they have dogs that don't prefer raw. I'm in the bay area so the community of raw feeders is pretty large and we have co-op that a lot shop from and volunteer. I've just never heard before "nope, my dog prefers kibble".

But to the OP, yeah a vet visit for sure, and a 2nd vet if the 1st doesn't find anything (if it were me).


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## Angie Stark (Jul 10, 2009)

Alice Bezemer said:


> At 10 weeks they cant really eat much but they should be able to deal with a ful cup of food. Does the pup enjoy treats or does he show no real interest in these as well? Does he scavange the ground a lot outside? I had a friend who's dog was a poor eater (8 weeks old) and it turned out the little furry bastid would eat pebbles and had half his stomach filled with the damn things.


He eats a couple of BITES, thats it. All he wants to do is play and bite people. They have figured out to put the bowl in his crate and be quiet so nothing gets his attention but you can see ribs on him. I dont want to see ribs on a 10 week old puppy. He is never unsupervised out of his crate so he for sure hasnt ingested anything odd. He isnt interested in treats or food of any kind from your hand, he just wants to bite you. Its beyond frustrating. Hate babying a dog to eat.


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

lannie dulin said:


> I've never met a dog that didn't prefer raw. It's crazy to me how many ppl are saying they have dogs that don't prefer raw. I'm in the bay area so the community of raw feeders is pretty large and we have co-op that a lot shop from and volunteer. I've just never heard before "nope, my dog prefers kibble".


One of my shorthairs doesn't like raw. He'll eat it if you cook it but would rather have kibble or a dog biscuit.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Sarah Platts said:


> One of my shorthairs doesn't like raw. He'll eat it if you cook it but would rather have kibble or a dog biscuit.


I have had dogs that like to play with the bigger Raw parts...or attempt to hide or bury them..instead of eating them..LOL


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## Terrasita Cuffie (Jun 8, 2008)

Angie Stark said:


> All of the above has been tried. Hes 10 weeks old now
> 
> raw. different kinds of raw.
> different kibbles
> ...


Try wearing him out with a long walk, tug, etc. [pent up drive/frustration release] and after a little rest then feeding in a non-stimulating environment. 

T


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## Angie Stark (Jul 10, 2009)

Terrasita Cuffie said:


> Try wearing him out with a long walk, tug, etc. [pent up drive/frustration release] and after a little rest then feeding in a non-stimulating environment.
> 
> T


 
tried it


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## Alexis Roy (Dec 7, 2011)

I have 2 of the littermates here. The male has much better food drive than the female, but the female I get to eat by introducing it as prey. Making her run around and chase me for it, then throwing a piece and running, that kind of thing. I use Primal pre-made raw pieces or Turkey sausage mostly. You can see ribs on both of them and honestly I think its just the way its going to be with these dogs. But they both act normal and healthy and are still crapping daily, so they're getting enough


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