Focused on food
Hi all! We are having some food related issues pop up with our Sassafras recently. When we first got her (just over a year ago) she had some guarding issues, but we have worked on that and have gotten past it, yay! Now the issue seems to be that she is just always, always, ALWAYS hungry. She gets two main meals a day as well as some cottage cheese or yogurt and a few treats throughout the day or training. She is 1 1/2 yrs old and around 55 lbs. she has started to just hang out in front of her empty bowl all the time. She will just lay there and give me her “pout” face. If someone opens up the fridge or pantry she is quick to come over and then as she walks next to you she will try to direct you over towards her bowl. I am able to get her away from it and do other things but as soon as we are done she goes right back to lay by her bowl or even the jar where the treats are kept. I am not sure how to handle this? I know it isn’t a big deal as far as behavior goes, but I don’t want her to be hungry if she is legitimately hungry, but she is food motivated for sure so I also don’t want to give her more than she needs. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as always! Thanks 
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Comments
Are you feeding raw food or kibble or both?
Raw is the healthiest alternative. However, it's said that it only remains in the digestive system for 3-4 hours ... tops, especially if you don't ffed bones (which I don't). While kibble on other hand is supposed to take up to 12 hours to be digested.
That may explain why dogs fed with kibble often feel full longer.
I was experiencing the same issues with Mila and found out that I was feeding enough with regard to amounts, yet, too lean!
I resolved the situation by making a few changes to Mila's diet:
She is eating 3-4 times a day now for quite a while and I feel like that helps a lot. I don't know if you have the chance to feed your dog that often during the day. We are together 24/7. So, this one is easy for me.
She does not eat more than before but the meals are split that way.
The first two meals of the day are raw, the second two are high quality kibble.
On days when she gets more exercise than usual she also gets some additional calories.
Also, "for in between" I often use veggies, such as carrots because they have close to zero calories and I can give her quite a lot of treats that way. That is, of course if the dog's stomach is ok with it.
Another thing: I have switched the meat part in her raw diet to one with a much higher fat content than before. by this the portions have become smaller, obviously. But fat delivers calories much slower than carbs and protein.
If the raw food contains a lot of veggies - carbs - you can try to switch some of them with more animal PROTEIN. It digests slower than carbs and delivers energy over a longer period of time.
For carbs I try to use high fiber veggies, such as broccoli, peas or sweet potato. The high fiber content keeps the digestive system busy.
These are just a few ideas for you and my experience as far as I know about the ingredients. Others may have some more tips for you.
If your bull is hungrier than usual and your feeding enough to cover calories try adding veggies as said above. Another to keep the pup satisfied is soup bones. I use soup bones as treats and in between feedings. The pup chews on them and sucks out the marrow from the middle. I find it suppresses appetite and keeps the pup busy also.