Other Solutions For Picky Dogs
A slow feeder dish can entice picky eaters.
- Adding kibble to puzzle toys is a great way to make mealtime more exciting. This might be an actual puzzle feeder dish or a toy like a KONG. Feeding meals in a puzzle toy was a go-to when our dog Walter was a puppy. He still eats one meal a day from some sort of interactive toy.
- Sticking to a schedule helps your dog understand theres a finite time to eat and that food is not available all day.
- Drinking more water can help kibble-avoidant dogs. I like to keep extra bowls of water out. Investing in a pet fountain may encourage hydration, as well.
Give Them Food High In Calories
Your German Shepherd deserves nothing but the best.
To help them gain weight, give them food with a high amount of calories. So when choosing their dog food, check the labels for calories.
As you may know, dog foods are not equal. Some may have more calories than others. Choose the one with higher calories and fat to help your pooch gain weight.
Warning: Dont buy dog foods that are made of filler ingredients. Filler will not satisfy and make your German Shepherd healthy.
Getting Your Dog To Eat More
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Reasons Why Your German Shepherd Eats Poop + 7 Tips
Your German Shepherd eats poop at every occasion they get
Its embarassing, worrying and disgusting.
But your German Shepherd acts as if its the most tasty thing in the world! Is this even normal?
And most improtantly, how do you stop it?
Keep reading to find out:
- What your dog is feeling that made him act this way.
- How your dogs health is associated with poop-eating.
- What other factors make dogs eat their feces and how to stop it.
- 9 easy things you can do immediately after your dog snacked on poop.
- And much much more
Hes Stressed Out Or Anxious
You and your German Shepherd are attached at the hip, but you know how anxious and nervous he tends to get when youre out of his sight, especially if your dog is very clingy.
If your German Shepherd spends long periods of time alone at home, he might be experiencing excess stress and anxiety, which would directly reduce his appetite. To find out a ton more on separation anxiety in German Shepherds and how to stop it, you may find this post, German Shepherd Separation Anxiety: Training, Help & Treatment, exactly what you are looking for.
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Keep Your Dogs Living Environment Clean
When your furry friends surrounding is clean and free from mess, there wont be anything for him to pick up and munch on.
This does not only refer to the inside of the house. The yard also needs to be kept clean, especially if this is where your dog takes his dump.
As soon as your German Shepherd does his business, pick up his poop. This might sound like the simplest and most obvious thing to do.
But its often one of the most effective methods to unteach your German Shepherd from eating his poop.
Note: If you have a cat, keep the litter box clean and out of the big poochs reach.
Type And Quality Of Food
Another reason that can cause your German shepherd not to eat is the type of food offered. Stale and rotten food will not go well with your dog. Dogs cherish the food that is fresh as it is more palatable.
Check on that 10 kg of kibble that you bought six months ago. Perhaps its spoiled. Check the sell-by date before you buy your dogs food- as the food may spoil way earlier, even before the dog is half away.
Also, check on the quality and texture of food. Some dogs prefer moist food as compared to dry kibble. And such a reason can make your dog lose appetite or even stop eating.
Highlight: while on that note, avoid foods with high preservative content. Some preservative can be toxic on your German shepherd.
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Social & Emotional Issues
Just as a major life change like moving to a new city, changing jobs, or a breakup can affect your appetite, an upheaval in a dogs life could affect their hunger as well.
Hohenhaus has even witnessed a dog patient stop eating after being re-homed following the death of her owner.
She was on a bit of a hunger strike, and I think it was because her life was upside down, says Hohenhaus. There are two kinds of people. When your life is all upset, either you eat a lot, or you eat nothing because youre distracted by whats going on in your life. I would say the same is true for dogs.
German Shepherd Breed Overview
The German shepherd as a breed originated in Germany. No surprises there. But, believe it or not, their name was changed soon after the war. Before the war this breed was commonly called the Alsatian in Great Britain and parts of Europe.
There are still parts of Europe that refer to the German shepherd as the Alsatian however, most of the world has converted back to calling them German shepherds.
Pretty interesting, right?
As for life expectancy, German shepherds normally live for around 9-13 years.
The color of a German shepherd can range considerably from gray to black to tan, and even a silvery color.
The males grow to be approximately 24 inches at the shoulder and the females tend to be a little shorter, measuring around 22 inches at the shoulder.
As for weight, males average around 80 pounds and the females are a bit lighter at around 60 pounds. There is no denying that these are big dogs!
Now, as I mentioned earlier, German shepherds are known for their physical strength and intelligence. As working dogs, they were bred to be confident and powerfultwo traits which often scare people away from wanting anything to do with the breed.
Its this combination that makes them quite incredible beasts. They have strong muscles. Theyre obviously large, and yet, in their minds, theyre also very confident, watchful, and alert.
If you have a puppy, I encourage you to check out my Puppy Coach training program.
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Interested In Training Your German Shepherd The Right Way
If you havent trained your German Shepherd properly, then this is the perfect time to start. Whatever bad behavior your shepherd has, whether its barking at night or other bad behaviors, using the right training program is the key to having an obedient and happy pup.
The training program I love and highly recommend is Brain Training For Dogs.
With Brain Training For Dogs youll save yourself a ton of time and effort. Instead of banging your head against the wall trying to figure out why your dog wont listen, youll follow a path that has been tried, tested, and most importantly, thats given proven results. Not to mention the fact, youll be able to fit the course around your schedule, not fit your schedule around a trainer or obedience class.
So instead of worrying about whether theyre going to be well-behaved or not, youll only have to worry about how much fun youll have with them!
And in most cases its still going to be:
- Cheaper than hiring a professional.
- Cheaper than replacing everything they might break.
- And definitely cheaper than a lawsuit against you, if they decide to bite someone.
Just imagine how great it will feel to finally be able to trust your German Shepherd completely and never worry whether theyll be naughty or not. Instead, youll have the peace of mind that you have a well-behaved pup, and the boundaries you set for them, will always be there, EVEN IF YOURE NOT.
Best Dog Food For German Shepherd With Sensitive Stomach
Sensitive stomach and allergies can usually be solved by one formula. Dog food companies generate recipes that solve both or either problem. Experts say more dogs have allergies in the past 10 to 15 years due to low-quality dog food companies marketing their ill-designed food to gullible or ill-informed consumers. Luckily, high-quality brands can step in to solve the problem.
Hills Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach and Skin Dog Food is a great way to battle both itchy skin from allergies and a sensitive stomach. Simple, minimal ingredients allow for easy digestion and a settled stomach. A boost of Omega 6 fatty acids and Vitamin E help nourish skin and build a glossy coat. Vitamin C and E build a stronger immune system so that allergies are diminished.
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Dont Turn Your Dog Into A Picky Eater
Your job as a pet owner is to make sure that your furry friend is well looked after. A big part of that is ensuring that they eat well-balanced, quality meals.
The problem is when your dog doesnt agree with your food choices, which makes them a lot like kids that fall into the picky eater category.
Many dogs will end up loving the animal equivalent of junk food. You may even have heard that certain breeds are pickier about food than others, but the fact is that its the owner who is usually responsible for creating that pickiness.
You know more about whats good and bad for your dog than they do.
If you notice that they are eating less or skipping meals altogether, it may be a health issue as opposed to an aversion to a particular food or brand.
Its always a good idea to take them to the vet for a quick check-up when their eating patterns change. If health is not the cause of the behavior, there are other things to consider.
You need to remember that a healthy dog wont just set out to starve themselves. It may be they have become bored of the same food every day.
Owners often try to get around this by adding extra treats to meals to get them back to the bowl.
A little healthy treat every now and again is fine, but if you are doing it just to entice your dog to eat, you are on the path to creating a picky eater.
After your dog receives a clean bill of health from a vet, get into the habit of putting their food down to see how they react.
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There is also chondroitin and glucosamine, which assists with a German Shepherds mobility, as well as both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to help with a shiny coat and healthy skin.
There has been some suggestion however that the kibble size is too small for some dogs, however this is not necessarily a negative for all dogs.
Additionally, this dry food is gluten free and does not contain any artificial colors, preservatives or flavors, as well as being poultry-free for any dogs that may have poultry allergies.
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Behavioral Issue: Your German Shepherd Is Picky
Behavioral factors can alter your dogs level of appetite. For example, your German shepherd may decide not to eat any kibble unless offered on a purple bowl.
Serve the food in a different bowl, and the dog wont touch the food from morning to evening.
Also, your dog may decide to eat certain foods that he feels they suit his taste buds. One thing is that most human beings predispose dogs to develop a picky eating behavior that later leads to a lack of eating or loss of appetite.
No Daily Feeding Routine
All dogs, not just German Shepherds, rely heavily on routine. Having routines helps them understand their day and allows them to become comfortable in their environment.When it comes to eating, its really important to set two appropriate times once in the morning and once in the evening and then stick to it. Most adult GSDs are fed just twice a day. For puppies, this varies.Day grazing should not be something you engage in with your German Shepherd. He shouldnt have too many treats or tidbits throughout the day, and his food should not be left out for him to pick at.
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How To Get Your German Shepherd To Stop Eating Rocks
There are a number of things that you can do to reduce how much your German Shepherd eats rocks that I will mention below.
You can look at the book Training Your German Shepherd on Amazon to get more tips about how you can train your GSD.
Make sure its diet is right
Giving your German Shepherd a good diet could help to reduce its rock eating. Its thought that dogs will eat dirt sometimes when they arent getting enough nutrients so getting a good diet is something that should help to prevent rock eating. You can read on nutritional guidelines at petswebmd here.
If you are unsure of what food to get for your German Shepherd, consider getting dog food designed specifically for German Shepherds. You can get a GSD specific dog food on Amazon here and one for GSD puppies on Chewy here.
Give it exercise
Since boredom could be what is causing it to eat rocks it would help to make sure that it is getting enough exercise provided that it is definitely not ill. Generally, it is recommended to give a German Shepherd an hour of exercise daily. You can do so by teaching it to play fetch, letting it swim, walking it for an hour or having a dog walker do it for you.
Give it other things to chew on
Train it to come to you
You can also train your German Shepherd to come to you when you call it. That way when you see your German Shepherd eating rocks or when it is about to eat them you can call it to come to you which will help you to reduce the number of rocks that will be able to eat.
How To Get Your German Shepherd To Stop Eating Everything
There are a number of things that you can do to get your German Shepherd to stop eating things that it shouldnt. I will mention a number of things that you can do about it below.
You can look at the book Training Your German Shepherd on Amazon to get more tips about how you can train your GSD.
Make sure that its diet is right
The first option you have is to make sure that it is eating the correct foods. You can read more about what you should and shouldnt feed your German Shepherd here.
Take it to a vet
It would also help to take your German Shepherd to a vet. By doing so you will be able to make sure that it is not ill, you are feeding it the right foods and that you are feeding it enough.
Give it exercise
Since your German Shepherd might be eating everything due to boredom it would help to make sure that it is getting enough exercise. You can make sure to give it exercise by walking it, playing fetch with it or having a dog walker do it for you. Generally, it is recommended that a German Shepherd get at least an hour of exercise per day.
Give it distractions
Another option you have is to give it things to be distracted with. Things that you could give it would include toys to play with or chews to chew on.
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Why Your German Shepherd Eats Everything
Each of the different reasons why your German Shepherd eats everything will likely come with a number of clues.
Below, I will mention a number of reasons why your German Shepherd might be eating everything and what you can do about it.
Its not eating enough
The reason why it has been doing it might be that it has not been getting enough food in its diet so it has been eating other things as well. Adult German Shepherds require 1300 to 1600 calories per day and a working German Shepherd requires 1700 to 2400 calories per day. You can speak with your vet to see whether or not you are feeding it the right amounts.
Its not getting the right nutrients in its diet
It might be the case that it is not getting enough nutrients in its diet so it eats other things to try and get the nutrients from other sources. You can read more about what you should and shouldnt feed your German Shepherd here.
If you are unsure of what food to get for your German Shepherd, consider getting dog food designed specifically for German Shepherds. You can get a GSD specific dog food on Amazon here and one for GSD puppies on Chewy here.
Its ill
The reason why it has been doing it could be that it is ill. This would be more likely if it started eating a lot suddenly and if it has been behaving differently in other ways as well. In this case, it would help to take it to a vet.
Its bored
Its stressed
It has separation anxiety
Nature