02/26/13

Dogs Know That You Know

Recent research concludes: Dogs steal food in the dark.

But why is that significant?

Dogs steal food in the dark because people can’t see them do it.

But why is that significant?

That means that dogs know that human sight is inhibited by darkness. Or, in other words, dogs have an awareness of human perception.

 

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When they look at you, do they know that you know?

When they look at you, do they know that you know?

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10/25/12

Tempting Fussy Eaters

First, I must say, I do not believe in catering to fussy eaters. To me, fussy eaters are made, not born, and it’s simply a bad habit that many people encourage.  For dogs that are just naughty in not eating, then I strongly recommend Sue Ailsby’s guide to teaching a dog to eat.

However, sometimes, there are medical reasons that may mean that a dog is disinclined to eat.  For Clover, her pregnancy has made her nauseous and cease to eat.  Sometimes, in times of extreme stress (such as in boarding kennels), dogs choose not to eat.  In these cases, it’s often cyclic – I know that when I don’t eat, I feel sick, and so I don’t want to eat.  I am sure the same principle applies to dogs.  There is also a rumour that dogs reduce stress by eating, so another positive in encouraging a dog to eat.

For times of medical need, or stress, I’ve compiled a list of tactics to encourage a dog to eat. These should only be used when medical illness has been ruled out and only on a short term basis.

Competition and hand feeding – two possible options for a fussy eater.

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