# bad manners



## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

well i just finished eating dinner and as always randy was sitting rite there waiting for me to give him some. its really bad that i give into him and give him a tiny piece of meat. then another, then another. his begging must stop. im not sure how to stop this all. 

he doesnt eat regular dog food. none at all, he hates it. idont think he will ever eat dog food again. so anytime he sees me eating he expects to eat what i eat. what should i do?


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## Amandarose531 (Aug 9, 2010)

Start by getting him on a "dog food" schedule. It doesn't have to mean kibble from a bag, but it doesn't mean he eats what you eat.

Also, stop feeding him scraps and it should help. 

You're his enabler, it's not his fault.


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## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

Amandarose531 said:


> Start by getting him on a "dog food" schedule. It doesn't have to mean kibble from a bag, but it doesn't mean he eats what you eat.
> 
> Also, stop feeding him scraps and it should help.
> 
> You're his enabler, it's not his fault.




he will rather starve that take a sniff of any type of dog food whether its kibble or canned. 

he does have a badd begging problem. but its only with my mom and i.


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## Amandarose531 (Aug 9, 2010)

Healthy dogs wont starve themselves, if you stop feeding him junk he'll eat the food when he's given when he's hungry.

It's just a matter of stopping the enabling.


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## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

Amandarose531 said:


> Healthy dogs wont starve themselves, if you stop feeding him junk he'll eat the food when he's given when he's hungry.
> 
> It's just a matter of stopping the enabling.



oooooh, mkay gotcha.

but once i did try last week. i left him some canned dog food from 2am then went to bed, did my regular daily routine then at 8 30pm his food was still there and he was so hungry and i felt so bad!


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

My leila sits sometimes and watches me eat. I usually just tell her "ahah" or ignore her. But I NEVER give her any. Obviously that is why he continues his behavior, because IT WORKS!!! :laughing8:


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## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

cherper said:


> My leila sits sometimes and watches me eat. I usually just tell her "ahah" or ignore her. But I NEVER give her any. Obviously that is why he continues his behavior, because IT WORKS!!! :laughing8:




ooooo..... your right. i just cant resist him.

but it is my fault.
i just want him to start eating dog food, but i dont want to starve him.
& lol awww you laugh at her.


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

No not laugh, ahh ahh meaning "no". lol
what kind of dog food do you have him on?


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## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

cherper said:


> No not laugh, ahh ahh meaning "no". lol
> what kind of dog food do you have him on?


oh okay.
i think it was ceasers.
yepp ceasers.


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## Amandarose531 (Aug 9, 2010)

Start doing a little research on dog food and the medium that you want to feed them.

Caesars is really pretty bad stuff for nutrition. I wouldn't eat it either.


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble
There ya go!  Go for 5 or 6 stars.


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## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

Amandarose531 said:


> Start doing a little research on dog food and the medium that you want to feed them.
> 
> Caesars is really pretty bad stuff for nutrition. I wouldn't eat it either.




oh my! really?
oops. ugh, well what do you usually feed your chi?


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## FeFiFoFum (Nov 12, 2010)

*Killing them with kindness*

I hope this helps...

I adopted Fifi a few months ago, she's 2 years old, she came from a family that had a 5 year old daughter. I found out right away (first meal I ate when she was with me) that Fifi was used to getting scraps at the table - she yapped and whined and kicked up a HUGE stink expecting to get what I was eating! She wouldn't eat dog food either when I first got her. So - even though it was hard at first, I had to put up with a lot of noise at mealtimes, and Fifi had to starve for a few days, and I had to leave her bowl of kibble out untouched, before she learned that "dog food is all you will get, so take what you're given because it's all you will get!" You can try mixing a bit of gravy, or chicken, vegetable or beef stock, in with the kibble, or feed canned dog food at first, to get your dog to accept the dog food more readily. I found this worked for Fifi! Don't worry, they WILL NOT starve themselves and will eventually eat what is available, once they learn that you will not give in, and feed them your food! Another trick that works is to warm the food before serving, this increases the scent and makes it more appealing! 

I don't believe in feeding pets at the table, as I grew up watching my parents literally kill their dogs with kindness, making them fat with table scraps and having to put them to sleep at young ages because of cancers and other diseases caused by feeding them unhealthy diets. So - please take this as a caution and an inspiration - sometimes it takes a bit of "cruelty" in the short term, to be kind to your beloved pets in the long run!!

I also have a retired racing Greyhound who has lived with me for 7 years. He is in wonderful health for his age (11). He does occasionally get some table scraps mixed in with his dog food - vegetables and roasted, low-fat meats or fish. My vet compliments me on his excellent health, and he donates blood for other dogs in exchange for reduced vet bills (Greyhounds have a universal blood type). Fifi also gets some scraps, again, vegetables and low-fat meats/fish in her dog food, and, since she LOVES cheese, she gets a small amount of that, but only as a reward for training! 

None of my pets are allowed near the table at mealtimes. But - Fifi does bug my boyfriend at meals, because he does sneak her the occasional treat, and she knows this. Dogs are smart enough to know who the "soft touch" is! My cats bug him as well - when he complains about the animals circling him at meals, I tell him it's his own fault. You'd think he'd be as smart as the animals, and learn not to feed them if he doesn't want to be bugged while eating! Men - duh!:coolwink: (No offense meant to any male readers of this board!)

But please, please - make sure ALL of your family are aware that they are actually doing your sweet dog a favour by NOT feeding her at the table!! I've had to be very nasty and strict with my bf and his family about this, for my pets' sake, to the point of not bringing my Fifi to any gatherings where his sister attends - because she refuses to listen to multiple requests of "please don't feed my dog at the table" even after she killed her own Golden Retriever at age 8; he had to be put down last year because of spinal cancer caused by severe obesity, after numerous warnings from her vet! She still moans about her loss - but is still in denial about the cause!


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## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

cherper said:


> Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble
> There ya go!  Go for 5 or 6 stars.




oooo, okay. thanks 

and i have heard of blue? is that stuff any good for them?


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## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

FeFiFoFum said:


> I hope this helps...
> 
> I adopted Fifi a few months ago, she's 2 years old, she came from a family that had a 5 year old daughter. I found out right away (first meal I ate when she was with me) that Fifi was used to getting scraps at the table - she yapped and whined and kicked up a HUGE stink expecting to get what I was eating! She wouldn't eat dog food either when I first got her. So - even though it was hard at first, I had to put up with a lot of noise at mealtimes, and Fifi had to starve for a few days, and I had to leave her bowl of kibble out untouched, before she learned that "dog food is all you will get, so take what you're given because it's all you will get!" You can try mixing a bit of gravy, or chicken, vegetable or beef stock, in with the kibble, or feed canned dog food at first, to get your dog to accept the dog food more readily. I found this worked for Fifi! Don't worry, they WILL NOT starve themselves and will eventually eat what is available, once they learn that you will not give in, and feed them your food! Another trick that works is to warm the food before serving, this increases the scent and makes it more appealing!
> 
> ...





okay. i wasnt sure if e would literally starve himself to deaf!
but if he doesnt eat all day because he is being stubborn and my mom comes home she tells me "no you cant starve the dog leiah, what are you thinking". and "he'll get sick". so i usually just broil some chicken for him, which is BAD!!!

and yes i think i should start buying kibble now, instead of canned foods. at least he will sniff that.

and i do need to be tougher on him, but it makes me sad when he runs away from me. literally, if i say something wrong he flips on his back, but when im really angry he runs away.  so being madd at him and telling him to go away at the table might not work well at first. and besides he will just run over to my mom. its only her and i that live here.

&&omg, i had no idea that foods like this ive been feeding him were so unhealthy!!! i feel so bad now. have i been shortening his life span???    i hope not! i really want the best for him and for him to live long and healthy.


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## FeFiFoFum (Nov 12, 2010)

leiah&randy(: said:


> oooo, okay. thanks
> 
> and i have heard of blue? is that stuff any good for them?


I try to stay realistic when it comes to feeding my pets. 

Two things to look at, first:

1. How many pets do you have? (How much food do you need?)
2. How much money do you have to spend on them?

Lots of folks on this board will tell you to go for the high-end foods that cost a lot. That depends on how much you have to spend, and how many dogs you're feeding, and what breeds, and what all of their needs are. I personally have two - one Chi who eats very little, and one Greyhound with irritable bowels (and believe me, you don't want to have to clean up after a Greyhound/horse with the runs). 

Here's a quickie guide to choosing a half-decent food for your dog(s).

Look at the list of ingredients on the bag of any food you're considering buying. Avoid the following:

"by-products" 
examples: chicken by-products, beef by-products, etc. By-products can be anything that comes from the animal, including bones, beaks, feathers, fur, eggshells, fetuses, dung... you get the picture! 

"meal" 
examples: beef meal, chicken meal, fish meal, lamb by-product meal, etc - same as for "by-products" but worse - can also include sweepings from the dirty stable floor!

Any food that lists a grain such as rice, corn etc as the first or second item in the ingredients list - that means there's more grain than meat in the food. Ingredients are listed in order based on percentage of content, for instance, if a product is mostly meat, meat will appear first in the list of ingredients, and so on. 

Note: there is nothing wrong with a food that contains some vegetables such as sweet potatoes etc as long as they appear below the meats in the ingredients list. Dogs naturally eat both meats and veg, and some very high quality foods include veg as ingredients.

Anyway - this is just a very basic "primer" as to what's healthy to feed your dog. I personally feed a combo of commercial and home-made foods to my pets, and there are lots of options available, including cookbooks to make home-made foods for your pets. I suggest you go to the Nutrition section of this board for more details!


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## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

FeFiFoFum said:


> I try to stay realistic when it comes to feeding my pets.
> 
> Two things to look at, first:
> 
> ...



~well i have 1 pet. a chi. boy. and it cant be expensive food. my mom works hard enough.

~oooooh wow! i didnt know that.
so no by-products and no "meal".
and always look for grains as the first thing on the list. okay.

~and sweet potatoes are a vegetable??? Really! ididnt know that. wow i really need to go to school 2marrow.


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## FeFiFoFum (Nov 12, 2010)

leiah&randy(: said:


> &&omg, i had no idea that foods like this ive been feeding him were so unhealthy!!! i feel so bad now. have i been shortening his life span???    i hope not! i really want the best for him and for him to live long and healthy.



Don't feel bad at all!!! You've asked for advice, and you want the best for your pup, and that's what really counts! As long as you do the best for him now, he will live a long and happy life with you!! :hello1:

Also (I forgot to ask before) we love to share pics around here - so please feel free to post some of your doggie! We'd love to see what he looks like!


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## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

FeFiFoFum said:


> Don't feel bad at all!!! You've asked for advice, and you want the best for your pup, and that's what really counts! As long as you do the best for him now, he will live a long and happy life with you!! :hello1:
> 
> Also (I forgot to ask before) we love to share pics around here - so please feel free to post some of your doggie! We'd love to see what he looks like!



okay. yes i will def. start to change things because he is my best friend. and i will take some pics rite now for ya!


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## FeFiFoFum (Nov 12, 2010)

leiah&randy(: said:


> ~well i have 1 pet. a chi. boy. and it cant be expensive food. my mom works hard enough.
> 
> and always look for grains as the first thing on the list. okay.


Duh - I guess my "quickie guide to dog food" wasn't very clear! My fault! 
Don't worry, I can't afford expensive food right now either, but I'm lucky enough to live close to a grocery store that has a "house brand" that's pretty decent - no 'by-products' or 'meal'. 

And, what I meant to say in my earlier post, was that grains should NOT be the first item on the ingredients list of a good dog food! After all - dogs aren't horses, or cows, or sheep - they don't naturally eat grain as their main source of food! So why would we want to give our dogs kibble that's mainly made of corn, or rice, or some other grain? Doesn't make too much sense, does it? 

So - it's OK if a grain is the second or third thing on the ingredients list, for a dry kibble. But, you don't want it to be the first thing. I hope I've cleared up any confusion!


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## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

http://www.chihuahua-people.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5380&stc=1&d=1295419367

http://www.chihuahua-people.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5384&stc=1&d=1295419583

http://www.chihuahua-people.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5383&stc=1&d=1295419410

http://www.chihuahua-people.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5382&stc=1&d=1295419403

http://www.chihuahua-people.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5381&stc=1&d=1295419393


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## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

sorry i dont know how to excactly make the pic come up on here.


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## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

FeFiFoFum said:


> Duh - I guess my "quickie guide to dog food" wasn't very clear! My fault!
> Don't worry, I can't afford expensive food right now either, but I'm lucky enough to live close to a grocery store that has a "house brand" that's pretty decent - no 'by-products' or 'meal'.
> 
> And, what I meant to say in my earlier post, was that grains should NOT be the first item on the ingredients list of a good dog food! After all - dogs aren't horses, or cows, or sheep - they don't naturally eat grain as their main source of food! So why would we want to give our dogs kibble that's mainly made of corn, or rice, or some other grain? Doesn't make too much sense, does it?
> ...





oh okay sorry. i got it now.


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## FeFiFoFum (Nov 12, 2010)

Awww - he's cute! No wonder it's hard for you to resist feeding him at the table!


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## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

FeFiFoFum said:


> Awww - he's cute! No wonder it's hard for you to resist feeding him at the table!



ahaha, yes. thank yu. but it will stop. i just gotta learn to not be so easy with him.


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## ExoticChis (Jun 20, 2010)

I know its hard for you to resist his puppy eyes but you really have to. Its not healthy for him at all. 
I never feed my animals what I am eating and If they sit and stare or try to beg, they get a firm NO
Nothing worse then trying to eat a meal with an animal staring at you the entire time and Begging. I know fiends who are enablers with their animals, and I hate eating there!!
I hope you sort it out soon


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## leiahrandy (Jan 18, 2011)

ExoticChis said:


> I know its hard for you to resist his puppy eyes but you really have to. Its not healthy for him at all.
> I never feed my animals what I am eating and If they sit and stare or try to beg, they get a firm NO
> Nothing worse then trying to eat a meal with an animal staring at you the entire time and Begging. I know fiends who are enablers with their animals, and I hate eating there!!
> I hope you sort it out soon



yes i will be much firmer starting today.
thanks


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## AC/DC Fan (Sep 15, 2010)

leiah&randy(: said:


> oooo, okay. thanks
> 
> and i have heard of blue? is that stuff any good for them?


I'm assuming you're asking about Blue Buffalo. That is what I feed mine. I'm happy with it and the kids like it.

Dog Food Reviews - Blue Buffalo Small Breed Chicken & Brown Rice - Powered by ReviewPost


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## jesicamyers (Dec 27, 2010)

I feed a combination of blue buffalo and raw meats/bones/organs. Jax sometimes begs but i come down hard on hubby if he gives in because our other dog, a chow chow/border collie mix, is overweight for this very reason. Follow the guidelines for his weight, leave it out for 15-20 minutes, then take the food away. He will learn to eat at mealtime. Also, how often do you offer him food? I feed Jax twice a day and he does fine but some chi's are fed three times a day.


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## tulula's mum (Jan 4, 2010)

tulula begs when we are eating, she doesn't geta thing from me or the kids but hubby he feeds her what ever he is eating, i am always telling him off. my are fed raw and cooked meat.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

There are many options. You don't have to feed kibble. You can feed home cooked, prepackaged such as The Honest Kitchen (a powder that you add water to) or even raw! Yes, as in RAW meat!  That's what I feed Brody. The less processed the food, the better. Kibble was created for convenience. If you are going to feed it, do your research and buy the best you can afford. It will actually save money in the long run as your dog will be healthier and eat less. 

As a general rule, don't buy dog food in a walmart, target, or grocery store. Those are very low quality foods. Petco or Petsmart are a step up and have some good brands .... Wellness, etc. Specialty pet supply stores will carry the high end foods such as Orijen, ZiwiPeak, Evo, etc. (Or you can order online at amazon or at a pet food supply).

Or you can just shop for your dogs food at the meat department at your grocery store like I do.


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