Why is My Dog Not Interested in Food?
Is your dog not interested in food, but otherwise healthy? Then, the cause of your pup's lack of interest in your lavish meals is most likely very simple: It's not hungry! Many dog owners tend to spoil their dogs. After all, with all the yummy new fancy dog foods and treats, it's tempting to give them a little more!
And though your dog may love the extra attention and care that it receives, it really doesn't need these additional "snacks". In fact, your dog should be given meals at specific hours of the day as part of creating a structured environment. If you feed your dog when it isn't hungry or give food as an expression of affection, then you can actually cause far more harm than good.
As Daniel explains:
"I'm not even joking 95%of people I meet overfeed their dog. If you're watching this video that means you're probably one of them. And, I'm not being insulting or criticizing - I've had this debate with a lot of clients. We think that by making your dog happy through food, they're going to love us more, we're going to be happier and everybody's going to be great. But, actually, it's detrimental to your training, it's detrimental to their discipline, their focus, their - you know, levels of distraction - everything, you name it. But, also to their health."
So, what is the magic ratio or formula for feeding your dog? Well, it can vary depending on the size of your dog. But, give Daniel's tip a try: One cup of food, that's all. Not a cup per meal or even per day. Start with just one cup.
"If the dog isn't ravaging that food and just. like. inhaling it - wolfing it down for lack of better words - then take it away, Daniel explains.
"When you go back to feed them in the next feeding session, whatever's leftover is all they get. If they don't finish that, take it away. Whatever they get in the next feeding session the next day, that's all they get whatever's leftover.
So, they'll quickly teach themselves that food is not a commodity - that food is a luxury. And, when food becomes a luxury for dogs, they become attentive to you. They become focused. They become hungry. And, they become better dogs."
So, give it a shot and watch as your dog's behavior begins to transform.
Useful Ressources
Focus and Attention
The Beacon Dog Academy is a fun, interactive experience for dogs and their owners that will help you build laser-sharp attention skills in any environment.
The Primal Power of Food
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Problem-Solving Theories
Learn how to correct dog behavior problems (including food possessiveness and aggression) in order to make your life with a dog so much easier.
How to Get Your Dog to Focus on You
Many people have difficulties with their dogs not paying attention to them and getting distracted by other things. This can be a complicated problem, but there are some ways that you can work on it!
How Do I Get My Dog to Ignore Distractions?
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The Basics of Dog Psychology
You love your dog, but do you really know what your pup is trying to tell you? Most people don't. Dogs have a complex language of their own, and if we want to learn how to communicate with them on a deep level, we need to understand this language better.
How Do I Get My Dog to Like Training?
Think about it, if you don't enjoy training your dog, neither will they. To get your dog to like training, you're going to need to find ways to make it more fun!