Dog food manufacturers must love people who put out a full dish of food for their dogs, in
stead of measuring out the amount prescribed on the bag at specific mealtimes.
Remember that awful scene in the film Mommie Dearest where the daughter of actress Joan Crawford refuses to eat an extremely rare steak? Her mother makes her sit at the dining room table until she eats it. Throughout the day and into the night, the girl refuses to cave in and eat the congealing meat.
Are you playing Mommie Dearest with your dog? Do you fill up the dog’s dish in the morning and leave it out all day?
Maybe you are thinking:
“My dog is alone all day. I’ll fill up her dish in the morning so she can snack anytime she wants to. I leave water out for her; why shouldn’t I leave out food for her, too?”
And here is what the dog thinks:
“Ah, a full bowl. I’m going to nibble my food. Ummm. Oops! Now I have to potty. Isn’t that weird? Whenever I eat, I have to go potty. I’ll just do my business in the corner of the big room with the nice soft rug – it’s far away from where I sleep and eat, so it’s a good place to go.”
“Ah, a full bowl. I’m going to nibble my food. Mmmmm. Hey! What’s that in my dish? It’s moving. There’s another. And another. Wow, whatever they are, they have an awful lot of legs.
“Ah, a full bowl. I’m going to nibble my food. Yummm. Because you know, I can eat whenever I want. Since I am in control of my food, I must be in control of the house, the yard, and the neighborhood. I’m going to bark at everything I see to keep things safe.”
“Ah, a full bowl. I’m NOT going to nibble my food. Ugh. Why should I? It’s always sitting there. I’ll pick a little later, and then leave the rest. What’s the point of eating it? If I eat it, then my owner won’t give me that good stuff from the can or the leftover turkey from her dinner.”
“Ah, a full bowl. I’m going to eat the whole thing and beg for more. So what if I’m getting a little rounder and slower. Ok, I’m getting a lot rounder and way slower. But hey, the fo
od is there so I’m going to eat it. Waste not, want not!
“Oh, gee, a full bowl. I’m feeling a little under the weather today so I’m not going to eat. Except no one will know I’m sick because my bowl is full all the time. Guess I’ll have to upchuck to get noticed.”
There’s a reason that bags of food have recommended amounts to feed a dog based on the dog’s weight. The portion sizes will vary with each dog food brand, so be sure to read individual labels.
Feed your dog the right amount of food, and remove the meal if he hasn’t finished it in 15 minutes.
That way, you’ll know if your dog is sick AND he won’t become a picky eater AND housebreaking will be easier AND creepy crawlies won’t get in your dog’s food AND your dog will be able to maintain a healthy weight.
For more information about feeding your dog, visit the ASPCA web site.
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