It's time for a little dog update, I think. Here you see them pictured in their most natural state--sleeping. Or trying to. This they do, oh, about twenty hours a day. You can see the annoyance on their faces that Mommy is, once again, waving a flashing camera in their faces during one of their many nap times. FurGirl is cuddled up on the extra large dog bed she managed to guilt me into buying by pathetically folding her large self into Tallulah's tiny little bed.
Not much to report about FurGirl. She is her usual angelic self, causing no problems, making no waves.
Tallulah? Not so much. I think I've discussed here before Tallulah's tendency to fall upon her food as if it's been several months, rather than several hours, since her last feeding. I've found this "starving puppy" routine more and more worrisome as time has gone on. Finally, one day recently, I decided it might be time to up her portion size. I upped her 1/4 cup (she weighs a hefty 9 lbs) to 1/3 of a cup of food twice per day.
Well.
This adjustment had no impact whatsoever on Tallulah's ravenous ways.
I'm beginning to wonder if a half cup or whole cup at a sitting would make any difference. Or if even tossing her into the sack and letting her go at it would sate the dog. I have visions of her making like a goldfish, given unlimited access to food, and eating until her little body actually explodes.
While additional food has had no impact on Tallulah's satisfaction level, it has had an effect. On her poops. As in they have become freakishly large. Quite disproportionately large compared to the teensy increase in input. The first time it occurred, and I happened upon this HUGE poop in the hall, I mean it was half as long as the entire dog, I was all--Whoa, somebody got a treat I didn't know about!
And then it happened again. And again.
The upside? Is that the poop's enormous size is so intimidating that not even the food-obsessed poop-swilling Tallulah can envision eating it. The down side being, of course, that, yah, it's in the hallway. Still. Not every time, but way more often than it should be. In fact, it's been suggested that the dog. Well. Needs a spanking. You know, the whole rolled-up newspaper treatment.
And, people, you know for sure you're bad when your own grandmother pronounces you in need of an ass-whipping.
6 comments:
Ok, Dogwoman here. First, is she on puppy or adult food? Puppy food is a big marketing ploy and is way too much protein. Move to adult if you haven't yet.
And check this out
http://www.dogpausebowl.com/
I highly recommend it.
Lastly, does she have lots of Nylabones, or other appropriate chewables to chew? She may be confusing the need to chew with the need to eat.
Oops, that wasn't lastly. Next indoor poo, put Furgirl somewhere out of hearing range. (Really, do this for her sweet self.) Bring little Busy Butt to the pile, on a leash or, better, closed in the room without access to an exit. Take your rolled up newspaper and yell at the poop. Beat the floor next to the poop. Scream all of your frustration at the poop. Don't even look at the little poop maker.
Whether or not this has any effect on the offender, you'll feel much better! (But usually it does help modify the behavior.)
Oh and your adult food protein shouldn't be over 21%.
I have taken to watching Cesar on Nat-Geo quite a bit. As you know, I have my own doggy issues. Anyway, Ta-Lu may be suffering from anxiety that her food will be eaten by Izzy if she doesn't hurry up with it. That was what was happening on one recent episode. Anxiety...pure and simple. As for the hallway...well, they say dogs usually go where they get in the habit of going. It's sorta hard to change their minds once they get started.
I'm absolutely no expert in dog behavior, but almost all my dogs tended to tuck right into their bowls at feeding time and keep munching until the food was gone. And one of them always consumed her food with vacuum-cleaner intensity and speed. I never worried about it as long as I knew they were getting the recommended daily amount of their dog food.
The Current Occupant and owner of the several dozen chew toys and three cozy dog beds which enrich the decor of this Condo? Eats like a finicky cat. Although he doesn't starve himself, and manages to wander over to the food bowl enough to polish off what's in there each day.
I just can't imagine a super poop coming out of that cute little dog!
I have been tempted, on more than one occassion, to photographically document the poo and post. Believe it or not, some remaining internal sense of delicacy forbids me doing so.
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