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Post by bobbenson on Mar 24, 2007 11:42:08 GMT -5
I now only have one dog. In the past I had two boxers and automatic dog feeder. Dog food was always available. Automatic waterer as well. I never had problems between the dogs for food because it was always there. Now, as my puppy is growing I always have food down for him. I want him to get all the nutrition / food he needs while growing. Just dry dog food.
I have seen posts where by giving and taking the dog food, helps you become the alpha. Is what I'm doing or did in the past when I had two dogs a bad thing?
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Post by sibemom on Mar 24, 2007 12:18:25 GMT -5
What you are doing is not wrong by any means as long as when you go to take the food away the dog does not growl snap etc.... I always free feed a puppy, because they do need that extra nutrition, but I also spend alot of time handeling them, playing with their food while they are eating and taking it away and giving it back. I have to say I have never had a food aggresive dog and by that I mean towards a human. When you have kids in your home you really want to make sure the puppy understands that it is not allowed to get posesive over their food. Now between dogs well that's a whold different issue I can't really say that mine wouldn't eat together they just don't because I feed them all seperatly. Now they will share toys and I don't give them rawhides, and if I do give them a bone they are also seperated. I do not feel they should have to be pestered by the other dog when they are eating, or if one of the others finishes first and wants more I do not feel they should have to gaurd their food from them either I am glad your dogs ate together with no issues that is great
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Post by bobbenson on Mar 25, 2007 0:10:40 GMT -5
Actually, what happened with my prior dogs is they always had one feeder which was a tall tube full of food and an opening at the bottom. They both ate from the same feeder whenever they felt like it. There was enough food in it to last for a week or so without refilling.
I suspect they didn't fight over it because they ate at different times, as well as it was always there - so it was nothing special. They didn't get fat, but then again, the food was "nothing special".
Bones with these two dogs was a different story. If I gave each of them a bone, the dominant dog wanted the other dogs bone. I never had an issue with asking for the bone or anything else. The dominant dog would take the other dogs bone though.
I have a feeling that boxers are a fairly easy breed for this sort of stuff though. They are really good people / kid dogs. I can't imagine one being agressive without some abuse along the way. They like to play rough if you let them, but that is play, even though it can hurt you.
It would be interesting to see how a puppy like mine would interact with a 1 year old child. Would he realize that the child was fragil and be careful, or would he get wound up and play rough? I know as a 5 year old boy I loved to play with the neighbors boxer, but by then I could deal with some rough play and probably liked it.
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