Thread: Hand feeding...
View Single Post

 
  #2  
Old 16th February 2010, 10:43 AM
Caney Creek's Avatar
Caney Creek Caney Creek is offline
Boxer Insane
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: USA, Georgia (Woodstock)
Posts: 3,249
She will not grow out of it as long as you keep doing it for her, so in that sense it can develop into a "bad habit" in that she won't eat unless you are there feeding her every piece from your palm. There are plenty of other ways to slow down feeding though You can buy a "slow feeder" bowl with a bottom that is not flat, so that your pup has to work around "obstacles" to get the food. You can get the same affect by putting things in the bowl, which is what I do for Creek. I use 3 small marrow bones that have been chewed on previously so the centers are hollow, and they sit upright (so that the centers face up) in Creek's bowl. She has to work around the bones to get her kibble AND get kibble that falls in the centers as well... it takes her at least 5 minutes to eat now when it used to take about 5 seconds.

You can also feed meals in a puzzle toy or treat-dispensing toy... which is what I do for Caney (she used to have marrow bones in her bowl like Creek but on her current allergy trial she cannot have marrow bones). I actually made my own treat-dispensing toy which she LOVES. I took a giant gatorade bottle, washed it out, and used a lighter to burn about 5 holes around the sides of the bottle. With the lighter I was able to make holes in the plastic bottle that are perfectly round and just big enough for her kibbles to fit through. I put her kibble in the top of the bottle, put the cap on, and set the bottle on the floor on its side. At first I had to roll it for her to show her how to get the kibbles out... and, every time she tried to chew on it I'd take it and roll it again, to show her that THAT is how to get them out. After a few days she never again has tried to chew the cap off.
__________________
Zoë
Creek - Fawn Female, born 03/23/2001
Caney - White Female, born 03/27/2007
Photo Album