Understanding eating behaviourPet Type Dog Issue General Health Understanding eating behaviour - A animals attitude to food, and their behaviour around it, are not the same as ours, and understanding this will allow you to better understand your pet.
- For dogs in particular, food is not about taste or pleasure, it is about a social hierarchy, and who has access to it.
- Access to food will establish your dogs position in the family pack -
- Your dog will see that you control its access to food, and therefore should view you as above it in the family packs order. However, this will only happen if the access to food is controlled and consistent.
- You should only feed your pet at set times, and then only from his feeding bowl to ensure you remain in control.
- If you feed your pet on demand,they will thenfeel that they in charge of whenthey get fed, and may become aggressive or demanding if you refuse to feed them.
- It is important your dog has a solid and consistent idea oftheir pack position. He or she will then feel secure in the family home, knowing they don't have to struggle for position, and a secure dog is a happy and well behaved dog.
- Food as a reward -
- If you use food to reward good behaviour, or as a training aid, you must ensure it is used correctly and consistently, otherwise it can actually cause bad behaviour!
- Many people will use food as a way of 'apologising' or making amends to their pet, if, for example, they have been left alone a long time. This is very bad for training, as the animal then gets a treat for doing nothing. This can lead to demanding behaviour, such as over-exuberant greetings or aggression.
- If you are using food as a reward for training, ensure the reward is given immediatley as your pet does what they are told. Also, keep the treat out of sight until they have finished the task, as you can get into a situation where they will only perform if they can see the treat!
- Once training has been established, for example the 'sit' command, do not give a treat every time, otherwise your pet will come to expect it, and can be demanding if they don't get it. Treating every 3rd or 4th time means they cannot predict a pattern and are always hopeful.
- Do not vary the diet
- Unlike people, animals do not get bored with food and do not need regular dietary changes.
- Regularly changing the food can encourage your pet to be fussy and start to refuse what they are given.
- If your pet refuses a type of food, and it is quickly replaced with another kind, this is rewarding the fussy eating by providing a different dish, and will reinforce the bad behaviour.
- You decide what your pet eats.You should chose agood quality foodwhich willcontain all the nutrition they need.
- If your pet does not finish their food in a given time, then remove them from the room and then take the food away. This will encourage good eating patterns as your pet will start to finish the food, which will stop them from getting hungry before the next meal time and begging for extras.
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