Pre season diet

[cocker boy]

1 hour ago, London Best said:

I have always fed dry food/kibble since the early ‘70’s. 
But I have spent nearly four years trying to find a dry food my current dog will eat. 
She only seems interested in tinned meats. It’s driving me mad...and bankrupt!

Step 1: Put the food down, the food YOU decide she is having, and if she doesn’t eat it straight away take the food away. 
Step 2: Repeat Step 1 until the dog eats the food.

[London Best]

21 minutes ago, cocker boy said:

Step 1: Put the food down, the food YOU decide she is having, and if she doesn’t eat it straight away take the food away. 
Step 2: Repeat Step 1 until the dog eats the food.

Did that 46 years ago when I put my first Labrador on to dry food. The poor ****** ate stuff he obviously hated for two years until I changed to something more palatable for him. The dog was visibly happier.

It was just like my mother trying to make me eat fish as a kid. I couldn’t be near it without throwing up. I still won’t sit at the same table as anyone eating fish to this day.

[cocker boy]

8 minutes ago, London Best said:

Did that 46 years ago when I put my first Labrador on to dry food. The poor ****** ate stuff he obviously hated for two years until I changed to something more palatable for him. The dog was visibly happier.

It was just like my mother trying to make me eat fish as a kid. I couldn’t be near it without throwing up. I still won’t sit at the same table as anyone eating fish to this day.

But you are a human and understand the concept of choice ????? How did you know the dog hated the food  I’ve had lots of dogs and never had 1 turn it’s back on any food I’ve fed because I always follow step 1 and step 2 .

[WelshAndy]

37 minutes ago, cocker boy said:

Step 1: Put the food down, the food YOU decide she is having, and if she doesn’t eat it straight away take the food away. 
Step 2: Repeat Step 1 until the dog eats the food.

 

1 minute ago, cocker boy said:

But you are a human and understand the concept of choice ????? How did you know the dog hated the food  I’ve had lots of dogs and never had 1 turn it’s back on any food I’ve fed because I always follow step 1 and step 2 .

I’m with you on this.... dog will eat what it’s given - I give quality kibble. 

[Walker570]

In the last 40yrs until I lost my last dog two years ago, all my dogs had a scoop of Chudlieghs Working Crunch once a day. They stayed fit and active probably out on average twice a week shooting, beating or picking up. Never altered the food at all.

[London Best]

That first lab would leave his food for days before he ate it. This bitch is the same. I have known her not eat for three days. Give different stuff and she eats it. I have had two different bags of kibble actually go mouldy because she eats so little. I used to be feeding my dogs half a ton a month. This one would make a bag last all year!

[cocker boy]

4 minutes ago, WelshAndy said:

 

I’m with you on this.... dog will eat what it’s given - I give quality kibble. 

I just don’t get it ???? I’ve seen the quote “ my dog won’t eat that brand off food” loads of times and my thoughts are “it would if it was with me !!!!!” The best quote I have ever seen on these dog feeding questions was one reply that stated “No dog as ever starved itself to death”.

[London Best]

Just now, Walker570 said:

In the last 40yrs until I lost my last dog two years ago, all my dogs had a scoop of Chudlieghs Working Crunch once a day. They stayed fit and active probably out on average twice a week shooting, beating or picking up. Never altered the food at all.

I was like that with the Skinners, never changed it and they all ate it. Not this one.

Just now, cocker boy said:

I just don’t get it ???? I’ve seen the quote “ my dog won’t eat that brand off food” loads of times and my thoughts are “it would if it was with me !!!!!” The best quote I have ever seen on these dog feeding questions was one reply that stated “No dog as ever starved itself to death”.

Myself, I would rather eat grass than fish. No good feeding me fish. Of course the dog won’t starve. As I’ve said, I’ve done it that way and the dog was obviously miserable.

It is not as if I am new to dog ownership, having had 14 labs and 2 cockers as gundogs. Not counting the Jack Russel, Collie and Fox Terrier.

[cocker boy]

21 minutes ago, London Best said:

I was like that with the Skinners, never changed it and they all ate it. Not this one.

Myself, I would rather eat grass than fish. No good feeding me fish. Of course the dog won’t starve. As I’ve said, I’ve done it that way and the dog was obviously miserable.

It is not as if I am new to dog ownership, having had 14 labs and 2 cockers as gundogs. Not counting the Jack Russel, Collie and Fox Terrier.

How was the dog “obviously miserable” ? What did the dog do to portray this feeling? What food was it ?

Edited September 1, 2020 by cocker boy
Missed a word out

[London Best]

The food was ‘Evenlode’, one of the early offerings of dry food. It was extruded stuff and looked like pony nuts. I haven’t seen it for years and don’t know if it is still made. The dog showed no excitement or interest at feeding time, and would completely ignore the grub. He was fine when I changed it.

[WelshAndy]

Been feeding mine CSJ for a while now, have friends who were feeding top brands and have changed to CSJ - Tis a quality feed. 

[London Best]

Not heard of that one. Willing to try anything.

[bigbird]

CSJ is made literally a mile down the road from me - wasn’t a huge fan but haven’t tried it for years and I hear it’s good stuff now 👍

[WelshAndy]

15 minutes ago, bigbird said:

CSJ is made literally a mile down the road from me - wasn’t a huge fan but haven’t tried it for years and I hear it’s good stuff now 👍

Mine all do ok 👍🏻Also check your messages 😂

[bigbird]

Oh crud sorry I forgot to reply!! Anyway the answer is no I dont but I’ll keep my ears open 👍😂

Update on CSJ - I won a bag recently or rather my cocker bitch did and we’ve noticed (we’ve been away on hols and mate used that bag) that poos are smaller and more white and firm and dogs look great on it 👍

[WelshAndy]

7 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Oh crud sorry I forgot to reply!! Anyway the answer is no I dont but I’ll keep my ears open 👍😂

Update on CSJ - I won a bag recently or rather my cocker bitch did and we’ve noticed (we’ve been away on hols and mate used that bag) that poos are smaller and more white and firm and dogs look great on it 👍

Thanks Ally 👍🏻
 

 

[bigbird]

28 minutes ago, WelshAndy said:

Mine all do ok 👍🏻Also check your messages 😂

Be putting my FTW cocker in soon but she’s not a big dog. Enough thread hijacking now anyway 😂👍

[WalkedUp]

To give this conversation some context... I would say that approximately 95% of dogs in the UK are overweight and less than 1 % underweight. 

85% of working dogs are overweight. People take care looking at parents’ hip scores then throw a load of weight on a dog which will wreck its joints and health. 

Everyone has been conditioned to expect Labradors to be very fat. That’s fine if you just wild fowl down on bitter foreshore and they need the blubber. But no good for picking up pigeons on a sunny August day. 

Top athletes do not eat pizza and chips, uninformed choice is not always in a person’s or dog’s interest. You are it’s owner, you should be looking to give it a good diet. Kibble is a complete food, bones, egg shells and pony carrots as snacks. I’ve done raw when it first came back. The dogs loved it but having spoken so many vets felt that the risk was too much - I couldn’t afford irradiated frozen meat then. 

[cocker boy]

2 hours ago, chilly1981 said:

No no dog will let it self starve to death and will eat  but that don’t mean they enjoy it  

you would force yourself to eat **** you don’t like to stay alive but you wouldn’t enjoy it. 
 

you invest a lot of time and money into training a dog why would you not feed it something it clearly likes rather than forcing it to eat something it doesn’t. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mean spoil it and take it out for Michelin starred food but a happy medium. And end of day a happy dog will work better for you. 
 

and for most people the dog is part of the family and you wouldn’t make your mrs eat just beans on toast every day just because that’s what you have in the house  especially knowing she didn’t really like them. 
 

I have seen every dog under the sun eating, from hounds eating flesh to a Pomeranian eating a pouch of Caesar, and never seen a dog look un-happy eating .

Edited September 2, 2020 by cocker boy
Spelling

[bigbird]

26 minutes ago, cocker boy said:

I have seen every dog under the sun eating, from hounds eating flesh to a Pomeranian eating a pouch of Caesar, and never seen a dog look un-happy eating .

Please don’t tell me you have a Pomeranian, that totally ruins my image of you 😂😂😂

[WalkedUp]

I can attest that he works a brace of Pomeranians, very hard hunting and excellent on a blood trail when tracking deer. The struggle in some of the stronger tides on the foreshore if the wind is pushing too, but that’s not their natural habitat. Get them in stubble turnip and it’s magic to behold. 

The dog at the back is mine, from his bitch. 

[cocker boy]

1 hour ago, bigbird said:

Please don’t tell me you have a Pomeranian, that totally ruins my image of you 😂😂😂

Of course I have one, you know what I’m like !!!! 

[bigbird]

34 minutes ago, WalkedUp said:

I can attest that he works a brace of Pomeranians, very hard hunting and excellent on a blood trail when tracking deer. The struggle in some of the stronger tides on the foreshore if the wind is pushing too, but that’s not their natural habitat. Get them in stubble turnip and it’s magic to behold. 

The dog at the back is mine, from his bitch. 

Brilliant 😂😂

Cute and fluffy? You must have mellowed 😂😂

[cocker boy]

36 minutes ago, WalkedUp said:

I can attest that he works a brace of Pomeranians, very hard hunting and excellent on a blood trail when tracking deer. The struggle in some of the stronger tides on the foreshore if the wind is pushing too, but that’s not their natural habitat. Get them in stubble turnip and it’s magic to behold. 

The dog at the back is mine, from his bitch. 

You , my friend, are a down right liar !!!! Absolute lies to try and get a laugh !!!! Do not spread gossip if you don’t know the truth !!!!! My Pomeranian has NEVER EVER tracked a deer because my blow pipe drops them on the spot !!!!!! Have it !!!!!!

[bigbird]

12 minutes ago, cocker boy said:

You , my friend, are a down right liar !!!! Absolute lies to try and get a laugh !!!! Do not spread gossip if you don’t know the truth !!!!! My Pomeranian has NEVER EVER tracked a deer because my blow pipe drops them on the spot !!!!!! Have it !!!!!!

And there was me thinking you’d mellowed 😂😂😂
Blow pipe 😂😂😂 ‘Ave eet 😂

Or... ‘Get oot’.... 😉

Edited September 2, 2020 by bigbird