[WickedNRed]

Hello,

Today we got are adoptee! He is a 4 mth old Shepherd cross, very skinny and a little shy, the people I got him from warned me that he gulps his food, they have 5 other dogs and I was thinking he was not getting enough.

He does not even chew it and that worries me...I take into account how new he is to our home, however he came with this habbit, hoping this awesome community will have some answers, ideas or tips.

Thanks

[OrangeDog]

all my dogs eat this way, it is normal. However there are things you can do to help prevet bloat (which is fatal and some experts believe is ralated to eating to quickly).

ALWAYS, ALWAYS no matter how old your dog is add water to the food!

You can also buy something called the bloat bowl or another product designed to slow a dogs eating but no matter what always add water to it.

what do you feed? sometimes a better quality food that makes the feel full can help a dog slow down a bit.

[WickedNRed]

Thank you so much for the info it will be a great help, I googled some products and found a bowl I'm going to get him tomorrow, I will from now on add water to his food!

This has been a huge help! Thanks so much for the fast reply!

[OrangeDog]

always happy to help!

just curious what you are feeding him? you mentioned he as very skinny... it sounds like he needs to be on a very high quality diet.

Also, I would begin working with him to make sure he does not develope food aggression, he sounds like a prime candidate! Make sure you drop treats in his bowl, put your hands in it, take it away while he is eating, etc. do this daily to make sure he does not become aggressive.

[Todd]

if he's a fast eater i'd also highly recommend purchasing a rack for his food bowl so it's elevate off of the floor. this can help prevent bloat.

[CorkyMax]

Am putting a link here that I did a while back in here that I try to bring to the attention of owners of German Shepherd/mixes :
Attention-german shepherd/and gs mixes
As noted in other replies here--Needing a better food plus this thing that German Shepherds have a problem with getting the nutrition out of their food anyhow may be part of the problem---Esp. since you mentioned how skinny he is! Also wondering if the gulping and not chewing is even making it harder to get the nutrition out of it--'Double Whammy!' Sounds like raw feeding or even home-cooking would be what this particular dog needs pretty badly.

Also thinking that adding a little vinegar (couple teaspoons) would be something good to add to his food--May even slow down the gulping! Here is another link on vinegar and all the good things about it!: What About Vinegar!!

[Todd]

shepherds are prone to bloat which can result from gulping food. here is a post from another forum from a pre vet student and her recommendations;

There is no set cause of bloat. Some think its exercise before or after eating. Some think its from eating too much. Some think that elevated feeders will help, other think the exact opposite. Some think that feeding once a day is bad, others twice a day is bad.

My point is the only way to ensure that your dog will not bloat is to get a gastropexy done. This is a surgery where the stomach is tacked to the body wall so it wont torsion and bloat. I have done it on both of my danes and will always do it on future dogs.

1 in 4 Danes on average will bloat at least once in their lifetime. That is a bit high risk for me!

So if anyone is ever interested in getting a Dane, seriously consider getting this surgery done.

Depending on what technique is used, it can cost anywhere from $500-2000. The traditional belt loop technique is what I had done at work, for super cheap because I work there.

If a dog were to bloat, almost every time they will have to do the surgery anyways to save the dog or to keep the dog from bloating again. In emergency surgery you are looking at at least $4-8K in vet bills.

So the way I see it, doing the preventative surgery saves a lot of heartache that can quite possibly happen in the future. I have personally known more Danes than I can even count who have died from GVD. We had a foster dog die just the other week from it.

(as i said, shepherds are prone to bloat as well)

[CorkyMax]

Speaking on the subject of bloat, all people reading this thread---Here is a good link:
Bloat in Dogs

also: http://healthierdogs.com/dog-stories/gdv/

and: http://healthierdogs.com/dog_health/...htening-facts/

Note: There is controversy about the elevated feeders! I 1st read that they were suppose to help so I bought one--after buying I heard just the opposite so who knows!!?? But it is good to read the above links as tells symptoms, what to do, etc if bloat happens---You have to be aware of the signs and act quickly--very quickly or your dog could die while you ponder what to do!!!

[Bacis Dad]

I think there was a lot of good advice given.. and I just wanted to piggy back on it...

The Bloat bowl is GREAT! Or you can make one yourself, you can screw on "posts" through the bowl, so the dog has to eat around the post not just shovel in his mouth. Or some people put a ball in the bowl while they eat..

Elevate the dish always all around good practice! Joints, digestion, prevention.. Win- Win

Orange dog made a good point about food aggression, but if you do take his food away, Be Sure to reward him with a high value treat right away and then put his food right back down!

and the gastroplexy is a great option if you can afford it, and of course High quality foor always makes a huge difference, but wont remedy the gulping of the food!

Good Luck!

[CorkyMax]

[QUOTE=OrangeDog;
Also, I would begin working with him to make sure he does not develope food aggression, he sounds like a prime candidate! Make sure you drop treats in his bowl, put your hands in it, take it away while he is eating, etc. do this daily to make sure he does not become aggressive.[/QUOTE]

Just got this info from a newsletter I get--on food aggression:
How To Reduce a Dog’s Food Aggression
October 19th, 2009 by Chet
When you’ve got a dog with food aggression issues, also known as ‘resource guarding, it’s important to start addressing the problem right away. The strategies I’m about to share with you are perfect for brand new puppies, as well as dogs who’ve just started to develop food aggression issues.

Please Note: If your dog has SEVERE cases of food aggression, you should seek the help of a trained professional by doing a search in google for dog behavior specialist, or dog trainer. This article is not meant to be the replacement of a professional trainer.

Also make sure you check out the type of training that the trainer you find uses. There are many different methods for training dogs, so it’s important to choose a trainer who uses positive reinforcement, and not electronic collars or punishment.

If you’d like to tackle your dog’s food aggression issues yourself, here are three things you need to do:

1.Train your dog the ‘Leave it’ command. One way to train this behavior is to take something your dog likes, like a piece of cheese, and let your dog see you put it under your foot. Most dogs will try to dig out the food from under your shoe. Make sure to keep the cheese covered until the dog gives up. When your dog is no longer trying to get the food out from under your food, say “good boy” and let him have the food under your foot. If done early in a young puppies life, this stops dogs from ever developing dog aggression issues.The reason this technique is so powerful is it teaches the dog that there is an APPROPRIATE way to get the things he wants, and that he doesn’t have to growl or bite to prevent you from taking things from him… he just has to obey.

2.Train your dog the “Drop It” command. The drop it command is easier to teach then most people realize, and is another MUST train behavior if you want to prevent your dog from developing dog food aggression. It is also based around the philosophy that you just need to teach your dog an appropriate way to get what he wants, instead of biting.Here’s an example of how this works:
Let’s say you have a dog who is chewing his bone and will growl, or nip at you when you reach down to take it. The reason the dog growls is because he values that item HIGHLY. Most pet owners will yell, swat or tell their dog that they are bad for growling or biting. But this is not a very effective strategy, and only makes the dog try to protect “His” property harder… often escalating the aggression.

Instead of making our dog feel like he has to protect an item we want to take from him, or he’ll lose it forever… we need to change his thinking. We need to teach him that giving up things he loves means he gets even more rewarding things.

This is done in a training environment where we can control what the dog receives. To start, give your dog something that he only ‘kind of’ wants like a ball for example. Tell your dog to ‘drop it’ or reach down to remove the item from your dogs mouth while saying drop it and take the item from your dog. Because we’ve chosen an item that your dog values very little, your dog shouldn’t be bothered that you’re taking it from him… and as soon as he lets you take it say ‘good dog’ and give your dog a treat.

Done repeatedly this teaches your dog that giving up things in his possession means he gets MORE good things!

As your dog becomes better and better and giving up items he likes, start asking him to give up higher valued items. By teaching your dog to give up higher and higher value items every day, always getting a better reward, you can reprogram your dogs brain to respond to your drop it commands instead of feeling like he has to protect what he has and keep you from taking it.

3.The third and final technique for reducing your dog’s food aggression is simple and often VERY effective. Get your dog fixed. There are many studies out about how many behavior problems, as well as health problems can be fixed or avoided all together by getting your dog fixed before they reach puberty around 6 months of age. It doesn’t always fix the problem but it’s a very good idea.

[Lara's mom]

None of my brood gulp their food. They always have their kibble to nibble on throughout the day. They get their home cooked meal for supper. Could you try leaving down a bowl of kibble?

[Bacis Dad]

Lara's Moms suggestion is a simple and pretty effective technique for preventing food agression... Simple concept, food is always available, no need to inhale it all right away....
I personaly dont like to do that myself but to help overcome any aggression is a good approach...
Also be wary though sometimes for dogs they wont stop eating and you cant fill the bowl fast enough! they'll just eat and eat and eat and eat, and that could cause bloat unfortunately but it is all dependant on the dog!
If he does inhale every scoop you put down that is a simple effective technique, then after a month or so go back to a schedule.... IMO

[Todd]

Originally Posted by Bacis Dad

Lara's Moms suggestion is a simple and pretty effective technique for preventing food agression... Simple concept, food is always available, no need to inhale it all right away....
I personaly dont like to do that myself but to help overcome any aggression is a good approach...
Also be wary though sometimes for dogs they wont stop eating and you cant fill the bowl fast enough! they'll just eat and eat and eat and eat, and that could cause bloat unfortunately but it is all dependant on the dog!
If he does inhale every scoop you put down that is a simple effective technique, then after a month or so go back to a schedule.... IMO

that's exactly what i was thinking. depends on the dog. hell, my dog would sit there and eat bowl after bowl after bowl after bowl is i kept filling it up lol. some breeds are better grazers than others.

[OrangeDog]

Free feeding (leave food down all day) is highly frowned upon by vets, trainers, breeders and other pet professionals. It can create house training problems, weight problems, changes your relationship with your dog and also makes training (obedience, manners, etc.) less effective.

[Yogi]

Originally Posted by OrangeDog

Free feeding (leave food down all day) is highly frowned upon by vets, trainers, breeders and other pet professionals. It can create house training problems, weight problems, changes your relationship with your dog and also makes training (obedience, manners, etc.) less effective.

I have to agree. As one who raises terriers, this is never really recommended.
Granted, there are some dogs and breeds that for the sake of argument are not prone to eat more than they need but on the whole, the end result of dogs that free feed is more often they can be faced with weight issues as well as possibility of diabetes and other over weight issues. Food aggression is not an uncommon thing but in my case, feeding in their crates which helps enforce that the crate is a good place resolves the issue. If you have but one dog than obviously feeding in the crate is not needed. For me personally, I cannot justify putting my hands down and taking food away from a dog when I intentionally put it down for them to eat. Simply put, trying taking my food dish away when I am not done and see what happens.

[Woolsy]

My parents have several dogs at one time and then there is a time when they only have one. I noticed that dogs usually gulp the food when there is competition. When the dogs are alone, they usually are lazy and sometimes don't even care when you are calling them to eat.

Okay, this is really out of topic but I just can't make a new topic out of it because it is very simple. Are there other names for German Shepherds? I mean do all Shepherds have a prefix name of German? If there are other kind of Shepherds, what are their names?

[CorkyMax]

[QUOTE=Woolsy;81453

Okay, this is really out of topic but I just can't make a new topic out of it because it is very simple. Are there other names for German Shepherds? I mean do all Shepherds have a prefix name of German? If there are other kind of Shepherds, what are their names?[/QUOTE]

Here are a couple other 'shepherds'---taken from my book on breeds: Australian Shepherd----Belgian Shepherd Dog---- And here is a link to a long list of all breeds where -if you take the time-can go through the alphabet listing and find more I am sure! This link is the page for one kind of shepherd. Just go back to home page and select all breeds and you will get the alphabet I mentioned.
Sheltie Shepherd, Shetland Sheepdog / German Shepherd Hybrid, Sheltie Shepherds

[Yogi]

Less we forget the Anatolian Shepherd. You really cannot use Belgian Shepherd unless you mean and breed with the title Shepherd or Sheepdog. The Groenendael is actually listed as the Belgium Sheepdog, cousin to the Belgian Tervuren. Belgian Shepherd I do not think is the actual breed name. Now there is a breed called the Dutch Shepherd. The actual given name for what we call in the US Belgian Shepherd is actually the Belgian Sheep Dog. These come in if 4 varieties, Groenendael, Tervuren, Lakenois and Malinois. All were bred for sheep herding originally which is where the actual breed name came from.
They are though crossed with GSD's, and Briards and possibly with Dutch Shepherds.

[Woolsy]

Thanks for the information guys! Those were really helpful. So if my understanding is correct, shepherds are all descendants of a sheep dog.

Why is it that you said:

You really cannot use Belgian Shepherd unless you mean and breed with the title Shepherd or Sheepdog.

I'm quite confused on what you really mean.

[Yogi]

Originally Posted by Woolsy

Thanks for the information guys! Those were really helpful. So if my understanding is correct, shepherds are all descendants of a sheep dog.

Why is it that you said: I'm quite confused on what you really mean.

The actual original breed name was Belgian Sheep dog not Shepherd. Shepherds were bred to tend to flocks of sheep therefore many over the years have adopted the "shepherd" title in lieu of the original "sheep dog" title.
Based on this, most dogs that carry the title "Shepherd" were or are related at least in breed function to the Sheep Dogs.