Troubleshooting Tips for Picky Dogs: Rethinking Our Very Human Point of View on Feeding
As we head into the busiest part of the year, we here at Habibi Bears very much would like to remind all of our generous, well-meaning dog parents to pay extra attention to how much holiday indulging is extended to your Habibi Bear puppies of all sizes. If food is your love language, we completely understand the strong impulse you may have to pamper and spoil your Habibi Bear guy or gal with Christmas treats and goodies, but let’s take a look why we need to rethink that impulse and avoid the behavior for the sake of your pups.
Dogs are Canines, not Human
We know that is a pretty obvious statement, but let’s take a closer look. In contrast to a human eating style, several meals daily, dogs have evolved over hundreds of thousands of millenia with a feast or famine type of eating style, which is consistent with their role as a follower of human migratory tribes for a large portion of their food. They were used to eating the scraps of what hunters or farmers threw away, or the scraps of larger predators (bears, mountain lions, wolves, oh my!). If a friendly and familiar hunter was successful, the dogs could eat well and they could now go several days without needing to eat because their stomachs could extend to take in large amounts of food all at once, just like their cousins, the wolves. Their feeding style was based on food availability, which was irregular and erratic.
Many thousands of years later, our Habibi Bear dogs share the same capability, believe it or not. Even as small (or smallish Teddy Bear dogs), your Habibi Bear puppy can safely go without eating for a number of days without suffering any detrimental effects. However, in contrast to those ancestors of old, we no longer recommend table scraps or a large dependence on human food, unless it is specifically formulated human grade dog food, with all of the corresponding nutritional benefits made especially for dogs. We recommend and use Viva Raw, Pawtree, and Life’s Abundance here at the Habibi Bear Central Hub Headquarters, and our pups love it!
Tips for avoiding ‘picky’ dog syndrome eating
Dogs by nature are not selective eaters, They will, 99% of the time, eat whatever food you may present to them. This is not to say that they do not have preferences, and sometimes our good intentions can create more of a problem when we think we need to change their dog food because of a perceived lack of interest. Remember, as in all changes to your dog’s world, a change to your dog’s food needs to be gradual and incremental over the span of at least four days. Think twice or even three times before jumping to the conclusion that your dog’s food needs to be changed. There could be a few different reasons that your Habibi Bear pup is not eating their food, such as their tummy being off, a seasonal time change, too many training treats, or being overstimulated from playing or rough-housing. Contrary to what some may think, a dog has no great or overwhelming desire for food variety, in fact, too much variety can cause stomach upsets and loose stools.
Before you change your Habibi Bear’s dog food, try these tips first:
- Leave food out in the morning for 30 minutes at the most. If your Habibi Bear pup isn’t interested, remove it and try again in the late afternoon. We are not punishing the dog, we are trying to do a “soft” reset of their eating habits. Repeat the process again the next day (with fresh food) until your Habibi Bear puppy’s normal eating resumes.
- If you have removed their food, remember not to give them treats, stuffed Kongs or other edible bones. That would be the equivalent of withholding a nutritious proper meal for your toddler, then plying them with ice cream, popcorn and candy.
- Refrain from giving them any table food.
- Refrain from giving them any table food.
- Refrain from giving them any table food.
We completely understand the normal impulse to spoil and pamper our precious baby Habibi Bear puppies because of our extreme love and affection that we have for them. But there are times when our human desires for our canines can actually be at odds with what is best for our dogs. If you are having feeding issues or need help troubleshooting any other matters, reach out to one of our team and let us walk you through the process. We are always here for you, cheering you on!
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