# I Love My Tiger, but he is a Hand Full!



## Tigers Mommy (Nov 7, 2008)

I am not sure where to start. Tiger is our Havanese puppy. He will be 11 months old November 22, 2008. He is so different from any other dogs I have raised. He is really Demanding, wanting attention all the time. If you dont give it to him he starts barking and snapping at us. He also is very Sassy when you try to correct him. Sort of like a kid. I tend to laugh at him when he does it. He has other puppy issues, like potty training and listening skills, but we know that will improve over time. I just wonder if we are doing something wrong when he starts barking and nipping. I just wish he could speak English. He also loves to mouth your hand when you try to pet him when he gets excited. Does anyone have any suggestions? One more Major Problem, hopefully you are not eating as you read this. We have even talked to our Vet and he really didnt have any suggestions other than what we have tried. Tiger has a Nasty Habit or Liking! He will eat his own Poop if we dont beat him to it first. We tried adding different things to his diet to make it taste bad, but that didnt work. We would quickly put Cayene Pepper on it, but you would have to be really quick. We try to follow him around with the Pooper Scooper, but there are times he will beat us to it. Or he will sneak around until he thinks you are not looking. He leaves Old Poop alone though. Sorry if I grossed anyone out, but we are trying to figure out how to get him to quit this Nasty Habit. When I first looked into the Havanese, I wondered why there was a Special Rescue for the breed and all the articles tend to be a buyer beware. Now I think I know that this Breed can require a lot of Time and Patience. Sorry for the long Post but I am new to the forum and I have a lot of questions and learning to do with my Tiger. Can anyone help? Sara


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## isshinryu_mom (Mar 23, 2008)

Hi and welcome to the forum!! Your Tiger is so cute!

I am a novice Havanese owner myself (as well as a novice dog owner). Roxie is nine months old. She is a very active girl with TONS of spunk... so I can relate to some of what you are talking about. My first suggestion to you would be to do a lot of reading through the forum. You can use the search function to try and find threads that are about the issues you've mentioned. I know there is lots of info on "poo eating" (which other breeds do too... this isn't a hav only trait, by any means), as well as nipping and not listening to correction. 

Roxie likes to "ask" for attention to. I am teaching her that when I say "that's all" and hold my hands up (like making 10) it means I am through. I do this when giving her treats, playing, anything that has an "end". She seems to be learning... slowly, but still learning. She is definately strong willed and I try and remember it will take consistant, calm repeating of everything I want her to learn. She isn't going to learn it on her own. However, that said, many of my neighbors who have had many dogs have commented on how smart she is when they see the things she is learning. 

There is so much help for you here.... I am sure members with more experience will chime in as well.

Also, many, perhaps most, breeds have their very own breed specific rescue organizations. I think it is wonderful.... and if I should ever, God forbid, have to relinquish Roxie to a rescue I would choose a Havanese specific rescue. The people there would come closer to understanding the needs she has. All breeds have their own unique needs (be it exercise, personality, food... many different things.)


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## DAJsMom (Oct 27, 2006)

Tiger is really cute! 
Have you done any obedience classes or training with him? The problems you mention sound fixable to me. He just needs to learn some limits. Dusty can get demanding at times. We use the command "off" to let her know she needs to back off a little bit. 

Dusty was also a poop eater, but she would find cat poop in the yard. It totally disgusted us, but either the cat quit using our yard, or Dusty stopped eating it. It hasn't been a problem in a while.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Welcome to the forum!

If you search thru the training tab you will get a lot of advice for each of the training issues you are looking for. From what I understand, a lot of dogs eat their poo. I have been lucky to not own one. Actually, two of my dogs won't come into the house if they have dingle berries! I don't know of a fix but a lot of people here have tried different methods- pineapple juice, commercial ad ins, etc. One might work better for you. 

I have a pup who is also about to turn 11 months too. They are still figuring out their role in the pack and it sounds like Tiger thinks he is your family's boss so I would highly recommend obedience classes. I also say lots of exercise at this age. Especially for an energetic boy pup. Dash can be intense without his walk too. It is his time to get out of the house and exercise his body and mind.

Keep us posted!
Amanda


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## marb42 (Oct 19, 2008)

Hi Sara,

What a cute puppy! I am also a first time Havanese and dog owner. Marble is 2, and I just found this forum. You will get a lot of great advice and support here. 

Marble has calmed down a lot since he was a puppy, so I think you will see improvements as gets older. I have found Marble to be very demanding also, just in terms of needing to be by my side or he will whine. We had a lot of nipping early on, and it just took a month or so of consistent work. I have been looking at trainers to come to my house for growling (not a bad growling, just a fearful of everything growling) and obedience issues, so I'll let you know how it goes. I think if you found a good trainer or class, you'll see a big improvement. Good luck


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Tiger is adorable and I love his color!!

You may have tried this with the poop eating....but I carry out a small piece of hotdog and the second Cicero is finished I say "Good boy, here's your cookie" Now, I really don't have to say anything because the minute he is through he 'flys' to me for his treat - forgetting the bad treat. Just pick a super good treat and only give it to him for this purpose -- hopefully he will learn fast that there is something much better to eat!!


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

I think people forget how really smart these Havs are. You have to stay on top of their training, or they will quickly take over. It does sound like he is just trying to make himself the leader of the pack. When he does this bossy behavior, you have to correct him. My Kodi will bark at us and even throw his toys at us if he wants to play. Before I will give in to him, I make him do something for me like sit or down. I won't play with him until he obeys my command. 

As for the poop eating, Kodi didn't do it, but Shelby did, constantly. She has stopped. I think they grow out of it. 

Good luck with your pup, he is adorable.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Hi Sara, and welcome to you and Tiger. He is a beauty. He has kept so much of his color. How old is he now? he looks so much bigger than his puppy picture. Hate to make a joke but you know how they say beware what you name your dog... (like never name your dog Cujo) maybe you should start calling him Ty... :biggrin1:

Seriously, many of the things you mentioned will naturally work them selves out-- but you and your family need to stay vigilant... For such a demanding pup-- I would look into the NILF method (nothing in life is free) it's hard but not love, no treats, no nothing unless he does something for you first. If you search NILF on here I bet you will come up with a lot of threads. Oh and Butter on your hand worked for my bitey dog Cash. You rub your hands with butter and teach him to kiss NO BITE.

Poop eating is also something I know about. There are a lot of threads on this but here are a few... I tried everything, but what worked for Cash was changing him to a high protein diet. The grains in the kibble seemed to make him hungry all the time. (sort of how atkins diet works on humans) He is also a little pudge, so when ever I would give him less kibble he would make up for it with his own little tootsie roll factory...but he seems more sated by the Natures Variety Medallions and he has lost weight, and as far as I can tell not eating his poo anymore.

http://havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=4570&highlight=eating
http://havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=4720&highlight=eating

good luck--keep us posted.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

We bought an additive for Scooter's food, SEP, which stands for Stop Eating Poo. Grossed me out too!!!uke: We only had to use it for about 2 weeks and you add about 1/4 teaspoon onto their food. He will still eat cat poo but since we don't have a cat I never know if there's any out there or not. This powder was inexpensive and really worked.

He will also mouth us when playing and try to bite. I say NO and if that doesn't work I hold him down on his side with my hands on his back hip and shoulder, you can feel them submit and calm down. It usually works every time. If it doesn't I stop playing.

Our doggie is only 8 months old and he's our first puppy so we're new at this too. I hope some of the ideas you get on here help!

Welcome to the forum! Tiger is a cutie!


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## DanielBMe (Nov 25, 2007)

About the eating of poop. What food are you feeding Tiger? You may want to check http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com to see if it's a good food.

I also found the following that might give you some direction. Keep in mind if you keep him on a leash when he goes potty you shoud be able to prevent him from getting at it.



> Background and principles:
> 
> * Coprophagia is a condition that compels dogs to consume feces.
> 
> ...


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

HI and welcome to the Havanese forum!! Tiger is a great name for your pup as he has the red/orange, black tips and white. Very nice Hav!!

As many have sugg'd, reading the many threads in the forum will help you a LOT. Don't be afraid to add a post to a thread you're reading that may be months old. It helps the thread get back to the main page so others can see it and add their thoughts or advice. 

When checking out a forum here, such as "Health...", "Fun Photo Assign'ts", "Grooming", be sure to also check all the pages of threads in those forums. There will no doubt be something already asked by someone, since we all have the same concerns and questions eventually. 

I agree that positive training is what will help in your situation. You just need to learn what tools to use and Tiger will be more than happy to please you. Things will run more smoothly if you're consistent, sure, and positive. You can learn tips here or anywhere on the Internet, in books, or in a class in your area.

I dont' think Havanese are any harder to train than other breeds. They ARE smart and for some that can be a challenge, but they are also people pleasers and gentle, fun critters. :biggrin1:


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## Lynn (Jan 2, 2007)

Hi Sara,
Casper was just like all of what you described Tiger to be like at 11 months and what seemed to help was walking him daily, sometimes 2 times a day. We also had him in 3 positive dog training classes. 

Now Casper is two and he has mellowed alot since he was that age. He actually is a very well behaved dog, now.

Casper never did eat poo, but there is alot of reading for the forum, do a search...should get some good suggestions.


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## Tigers Mommy (Nov 7, 2008)

*I Love My Tiger*

I want to thank all of you for all the helpful tips and suggestions. Its really appreciated! I am so glad I found this site.

Tiger has had this Nasty habit ever since we brought him home in April. I believe it originally started as "hidding the evidence" and now its become a habit. We did try the Pinapple juice and it did not even phase him. In fact I think he thought it was just another treat. We currently do take him out on a leash most of the time, but we have a nice big yard that is fenced in, and I like to let him run and get his exercise. (run him down) We have found that Havs are Very Quick! Tiger can turn on a dime and he flashes before our eyes. Its fun to watch him when he gets into one of his moods of ziping around in the yard.

He Stick his nose out as far as it can, both paws forward, back legs stretched out and hair flying in the wind. He looks like hes flying. No...it must be Super Dog!

We feed him Smart Puppy Iams puppy food which was recommended by the breeder that we got him from. I know its not because hes hungry...he could have a full bowl and he would choose the Poo over his real food.

I think we will try the SEP, I asume I can get it from a Pet Store?

Again, I really do appreciate all the advise. In fact I think Tiger knows I am getting advise on how to control his behavior. Today he has been completly wonderful! Calm and not pesty. Just a Loving Puppy. Sara "I Love My Tiger"


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

You might want to try to switch foods. Iams is really not that great of a food at all. It could actually be helping him want to eat his poop. It's also possible that any food will do it, but it wouldn't hurt to try to switch. If you want to find a good food, I'd look at http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com and look at the 6 or 5 star foods (even the 4 star foods are better than Iams, though).

Tiger is a cutie and I hope you can get this resolved!


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## DanielBMe (Nov 25, 2007)

I too agree that I would try another food other than Iams. Actually I would say get rid of the Iams as soon as possible. Most of the Iams food is basically bottom of the barrel when it comes to ingredients and nutrition. More than likely this is the cause of the poop eating. Lack of nutrition, protein and minerals all of which are sadly lacking in the Iams. It's basically comparable to feeding Macdonalds everyday.

As Lina indicated check out dogfoodanalysis for a 5 or 6 star food.

For the Iams small breed food here's what dogfoodanalysis says.



> The main grain and main ingredient in the food is corn. Corn is a difficult to digest grain of limited value and that is commonly associated with allergy problems. Sorghum is decent quality, as is barley, but these are minor ingredients and this product is very heavy in grain content with little meat included for the canine.
> 
> The second ingredient is byproducts. It is impossible to ascertain the quality of by-products and these are usually products that are of such low quality as to be rejected for use in the human food chain, or else are those parts that have so little value that they cannot be used elsewhere in either the human or pet food industries. The AAFCO definition of Chicken by-product meal is "a meal consisting of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice. The fifth ingredient in the food is a named meat product. This is not a meat meal, but is inclusive of water content (about 80%). Once this is removed, as it must be to create a dehydrated product, the ingredient will weigh around 20% of its wet weight. As ingredients are listed in order of weight, it is thus unlikely that this is truely the first ingredient in the food, but would be more accurately placed much further down the ingredient list as a minor ingredient in the food.
> 
> ...


..and now Innova Adult which is a much better food.



> The first three ingredients in this food are all named meat products. The first two of these are meat inclusive of water content (about 80%) and once that is removed it is likely that these ingredients would be more accurately placed somewhat further down the ingredient list (ingredients are listed in order of weight). However, since they are followed by a meat meal ingredient, we can have confidence in the level of meat content of the food. There is a further meat ingredient 10th on the list, but this is too far down to make up a substantive portion of the food. It is herring, a good natural source of Omega essential fatty acids.
> 
> The main grains are barley and rice. Both are whole grains and good quality sources of carbohydrates and additional protein. Potatoes are likewise a good quality carbohydrate source. The food contains a range of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole eggs. Sunflower oil is a good quality source of linoleic acid.
> 
> Overall, this is a very good quality food with a good amount of meat and that uses high quality ingredients throughout. The food contains no fillers, grain fragments, or other nasties that commonly cause problems for dogs


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## Tigers Mommy (Nov 7, 2008)

*I Love My Tiger*



Lina said:


> You might want to try to switch foods. Iams is really not that great of a food at all. It could actually be helping him want to eat his poop. It's also possible that any food will do it, but it wouldn't hurt to try to switch. If you want to find a good food, I'd look at http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com and look at the 6 or 5 star foods (even the 4 star foods are better than Iams, though).
> 
> Tiger is a cutie and I hope you can get this resolved!


I went out to the link dogfoodanalysis and looked at the different stared foods, and I am sorry to say, I dont recognize any of the brands. Were can you buy these higher stared foods?

I guess I thought we were feeding him a better food than what I have fed all my other dogs in the past. I also asumed that since the vet didnt say anything when he asked what we were feeding Tiger we were ok. Tigers Mommy


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## bullwinkle (Oct 5, 2008)

Hi, this may sound silly but how about having bitter apple right on hand and using it on the mess?? Just a thought....as it keeps my pup away from anything she starts to chew on so far..thank god......


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Sara, the food thing is complicated and controversial. There are great foods for dogs out there. But then again, Lassie and Rin Tin Tin did just fine on Alpo. I have one dog who does great on the fancy stuff and another who didn't and does much better on a food that is probably in line with Iams (royal canin.) A lot is just trial and error. If Tiger started the poo eating out of shame, it is unlikely it is nutrition related. But still, if you have tried everything else...you may want to try a different food and just see. Some foods that are better, that I know you can get at a petco or petsmart are...Blue Buffalo and Natural Balance. I think even some petco's carry Wellness now. 
I say this again, because I know that Cash stopped eating his poo when I switched. But there is no one best food, because every dog is different. 

good luck. I think Tiger is absolutely one of the most handsome Havs I have seen... I can't wait to see more pictures.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

marjrc said:


> HI and welcome to the Havanese forum!!
> 
> I agree that positive training is what will help in your situation. You just need to learn what tools to use and Tiger will be more than happy to please you. Things will run more smoothly if you're consistent, sure, and positive. You can learn tips here or anywhere on the Internet, in books, or in a class in your area.
> 
> I dont' think Havanese are any harder to train than other breeds. They ARE smart and for some that can be a challenge, but they are also people pleasers and gentle, fun critters. :biggrin1:


I also agree , some positive training will help . We do not believe it is necessary or productive to "dominate" a dog for any reason.

Good leadership should never involve the use of physical force, physical, verbal or psychological punishment, intimidation, fear or pain.

You can be a good leader by following these three simple rules; 1. Begin and end all interactions with the dog - if you lead, the dog follows. 2. Ignore all demands. 3. Have the dog earn everything it values by performing a previously taught cue.

Intimidation based training can quickly destroy a dog's trust in people, resulting in fear-biting.

Since fear bites account for over 90% of dog bites, dog trainers SHOULD NOT be contributing to the problem.

Intimidation-based training creates respect based on fear, what positive reinforcement training creates is respect based on trust.

You can create two well trained dogs, one cowering - afraid of making a mistake, the other exuding confidence with a wagging tail, enjoying life. WHICH DOG DO YOU WANT?

What you would not want someone to do to you, you should NOT do to a dog!


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## DanielBMe (Nov 25, 2007)

As to the pet food. I think most pet stores carry Innova, Wellness, and Orijen. You could print out the list of 5 and 6 star foods and next time you go to the pet store, take the list with you and ask if they have any of the brands. Sometimes you do have to go to a better pet food store to find some of the better brands though. You may want to check out a few pet food stores in your area. Some of the pet food stores are the equivalent of a walmart and hence only carry lower quality goods. For better food you need to visit some better pet food stores.

As to the vets, they honestly don't know much about nutrition. That's been discussed quite a bit on this forum. It's actually recommended that you find 3 different brands of good pet food and rotate through them after every 3 or 4 bags. Keeping your dog on one food for it's entire life can lead to other health problems. Many times just like in people, diet is key to a healthy mind and body.

You may want to read this how what's in pet food. Warning it's not a pleasant read....

http://www.api4animals.org/facts.php?p=359&more=1


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*havanese and training...*

Just so you know, consistency works really well. My dogs are five and four, and we still "train" all the time. I have them do their puppy push ups which is sit and down a couple of times for a treat. They also do long stays, and leave its all the time. We try to learn new things to keep them busy...but I work on the boundary training all the time. This means opening the front door and making sure they don't go out without the right word or go into the street without me saying so...

This reinforces the positive behavior...and also keeps them busy learning and giving them a job of pleasing which they like.

I like to take them places with tiny treats and have small children have them sit, stay, come, roll over, high five or something else for a tiny treat. This allows me to teach children how to be good to the dogs and allows the dogs to entertain and also socialize them constantly.

Do it all the time, constantly...and I have happy, social, and well-behaved dogs. And I keep working on new things and reinforcing their old...


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Missy said:


> Sara, the food thing is complicated and controversial. There are great foods for dogs out there. But then again, Lassie and Rin Tin Tin did just fine on Alpo.


Missy- they may have not ate it!!! I have met the dogs from the Cesar dog food ads. Let's just say they lick the food for that ad but sure in the heck don't eat it at home 

I do know what you mean though, my mom always just bought the stuff at the grocery store and she had one of the oldest Goldens that I have ever heard about. I am just not willing to chance it!


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

LOL Amanda. I bet Lassie and Rin Tin Tin ate table scraps... but what I really wanted to stress was, that unless there is a specific issue there are many dog food out there that work for different dogs... as many of you know-- I am still in shock that Jasper is acting like a puppy for the first time in almost 3 years... The better dog foods just didn't work for him... and I tried a lot because I wanted only the best for my boy... but on the days he did a lot of training with the Royal Canin as treats he had more energy the next day...so I started feeding him half medallions /half RC he also is getting a joint supplement. And he is now going on 6 months of acting like Hav for the first time in his little life. And I know Cash stopped poop eating when I stopped feeding him kibble... so as usual my Yin and yang dogs prove that no two dogs are the same. 

But Sara, don't get me wrong. Even though I have resorted back to RC kibble with Jasper-- I would have much preferred him on Innova, or Wellness, Merrick, Blue Buffalo any of the other 4, 5, 6's on the analysis.he just won't eat them for more than a day... If you can find a better food, and your dog will eat a better food it is usually much better for them generally, more energy (or less) better poops, better breath, better skin and coat and the theory is also a longer healthier life. And it could possibly help solve your poop eating problem.


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## Tigers Mommy (Nov 7, 2008)

*I love my Tiger*

Again, thank you for all the advise. I did order some Wellness puppy food when I placed an order with Dog.com. I know why would I order...because I live about 45 minutes away from a good pet store. With the cost of gas and I was already placing an order, I went ahead and added it to my shoping cart. I did look at the Iams ingrediences and did find that the 1st 2 ingrediences was Chicken, but there are by products & corn in it too. So we will switch him if he will, and I am sure he will. Hes like Mikie! "He Eats Everything!" Even his own Poo!

I am not sure why, but we had a fantastic time with Tiger this weekend. If we were busy, he just stayed close either watching us or laying down beside us. It was Great! He even picked up on the bell at the door. Not 100% all the time, but when we were busy doing something and he couldnt get our attention, he would ring it. And he did do one or the other Business when we went outside.

"Gooood Dog, Gooood Dog, that was a Very Good Tiger!" Back to the house he would run and being Silly-Goofy.

Again, thanks for all the advise.


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

Sara, I agree with Missy. I have had many pets in my life and they each liked different foods and had different habits. I stressed so much over Cicero's food after getting on this forum and learning more about the food choices. I bought...and gave away..most every high rated food on the list. I wanted "the best" for him.

Then one day I remembered something from "long ago". I stressed so much over my first baby girl and wanted to be a good mother and do "everything" right. Our doctor finally sit me down when she was around 4 months old and had a talk with me. He said, "Feed her when she is hungry, change her when the diaper is wet, and love, enjoy, and teach her and she will grow up just fine...and better without feeling your stress. All babies are different...you can't go by a book or even by another child because they are all going to be different even if you have a dozen." Well, I had three chidren and they were all different!!

Remembering that....I gave up trying to get Cicero to do "everything I thought was best" and now I feed him, walk him, love, play, and train -- and we are a happy bunch in this house. I think when you have a bad habit, you just try your best to work on changing it -- come up with something to distract (squeaking a toy) or give his favorite treat a special name so he will know to run to you for it. Ignore anything bad (I don't have or see a dog) -- and praise and treat the things you love so he will want to do it again!!


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## DanielBMe (Nov 25, 2007)

Tigers Mommy said:


> Again, thank you for all the advise. I did order some Wellness puppy food when I placed an order with Dog.com. I know why would I order...because I live about 45 minutes away from a good pet store. With the cost of gas and I was already placing an order, I went ahead and added it to my shoping cart. I did look at the Iams ingrediences and did find that the 1st 2 ingrediences was Chicken, but there are by products & corn in it too. So we will switch him if he will, and I am sure he will. Hes like Mikie! "He Eats Everything!" Even his own Poo!
> 
> I am not sure why, but we had a fantastic time with Tiger this weekend. If we were busy, he just stayed close either watching us or laying down beside us. It was Great! He even picked up on the bell at the door. Not 100% all the time, but when we were busy doing something and he couldnt get our attention, he would ring it. And he did do one or the other Business when we went outside.
> 
> ...


Wellness is miles better than Iams. Hopefully that will solve the problem. I noticed they also carry Innova, Solid Gold and Natures Variety. If Wellness doesn't seem to do the trick, try one of the others.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

As Dale said, dogs are as different from each other as are children. What works for one may not work for another. Abby has been eating poop since we got her at eight months (she is now 17 months). We did switch to Blue Buffalo and it has been good for her BUT she still eats poop if she gets a chance - we just try to limit her chances! She is not discriminating - cat poop, duck poop (we have a pond) or any other poop! She has improved on every other problem we've had with her so we intend to keep working on this, too. Sorry, I'm not much help but what I'm trying to say is I don't think it matters what they eat sometimes when it comes to the poop problem! Persistence is the key!

Kathie


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## Renee (Mar 27, 2008)

I never put two & two together, but Miley used to eat her poo until we switched her from Iams to Blue Buffalo. We do not have that problem anymore. Makes sense though...
We have also implemented the NILF (Nothing in life is Free) method, and it has done WONDERS for Miley. She is starting to learn her place in the pack, it seems. Even though she has her onery moments, she is getting better behaved...slowly but surely. 
Tiger sure is cute! Makes it really hard to be mad at them....


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## DanielBMe (Nov 25, 2007)

One thing you may want to do while transitioning to the new food is to keep tiger on a leash until he goes potty, then let him off the leash to play. That way you can control his unwanted behaviour a bit. 

I would also suggest that out of the kibbles, try to find the one with the highest protein level if the wellness doesn't work. 

Good Luck!


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

As many here know, I would have also sugg'd a change to a better food. Lina and Daniel said it best. That dogfoodanalysis.com site is a great source for getting objective analysis and reviews on almost any dog food out there. Very glad to hear you've ordered some Wellness. Hopefully that, or any other higher quality dog food you choose, will solve the poop eating problem. Good luck!

I'm happy to hear things are better and that you're adorable Tiger is happy and loves to run out in the yard. These Havs make me laugh and smile, but when they runlikeheck, I just drop everything and watch. :whoo:


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

Missy said:


> Sara, the food thing is complicated and controversial. .


It sure is. Remember all the dogs that lived to be 18 and 20 on table scraps and Kibbles and Bits?


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## Tigers Mommy (Nov 7, 2008)

*What will Tiger Eat?*

Well, the Wellness puppy food came today. I took the scoop that we use for his food and filled it less than 1/2 with the food we normally feed him, then filled the rest with the new Wellness food. When I put it down on the floor, he just sniffed it and walked away. Thats not unusual for him, sometimes he will let it set tell later in the evening. Well tonight was different, with in a few minutes we looked where his food bowl was and he was just chowing down. Didnt completely clean it all up, but he must have really liked it. I thought I would ease the new food in over the next couple of days to see what it does to him potty wise. If his digestive systems seems to handle it ok then I will feed him servings of all new food. Hopefully he wont want his own Poo anymore. I will keep everyone posted over the next few weeks of our progress.

I do really appreciate all the advise and guidence. I wish I would have checked into something like this earlier. It would have helped with a lot of my questions, especially about the breed its self.

I did point out to my DH earlier this week that there are a lot of you out there that have more than one Hav. I told him maybe thats what Tiger needs, a companion other than our 16 year grumpy cat, which he loves to torment. Before I could get all the words out, he told me to "Stop Right There!" "Dont even go there" and then he just smiled at me. "No More Dogs" Tiger is enough! LOL

Up til 4 years ago, my DH never had any kind of animals in his house. His Dad asked me, how do you teach an animal to not go in the house? I just Lol. (At that time I had 3 cats & 2 dogs, all in the house) I just told him they eventually learn if you work with the animal. He then just grumbled with a smile, "Animals are to be outside, people are to be inside" "No animals will come in my house." Then he winked at me, which he always did. Anyway, he past a almost 2 years ago. About a month ago my DH's daughter had to move in with her Grandmother, because of financial problems. The funny thing is she (his daughter) has a Malipoo about Tigers age. Oh this really is something fun to watch, but Grandpa Dave is probably smiling away, because its his Only Grandaughter that broke the rule! LOL

Well, Sorry for the book again, I have a lot of questions, but I will ask them slowly over time if I cant find the answer myself.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

I'm glad you got the Wellness and it seems like Tiger likes it!  I would actually go slower, though, with the food change. I usually did 75% old food, 25% new food for two days then 50/50 then 25/75 then 100% so it would take about 6 days to switch him over. Kubrick has a very sensitive tummy so even a change like the one you made would give him an upset tummy. Tiger might have a stronger tummy, though, so it might not be a problem but just in case you notice any diarrhea or soft stools, it might be that the food was changed too fast.

Hope he'll leave his poop alone from now on!


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Good news! I hope Tiger continues to like his new food. I can make a quick switch with Ricky w/o a single problem, but Sammy needs more time to adapt to changes. If Tiger seems fine, then that's really good. 

Love the story about your FIL. Way to go granddaughter! :biggrin1:


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## Tigers Mommy (Nov 7, 2008)

Here is an update on Tiger and his new food. He loves it! He hasnt had any problems with digesting it. He hasnt ate any pooh since we started it. But it could be because I am there everytime he does it and maybe because we have not had any accidents in the house in the last 2 weeks.

So his urge to eat his own pooh is unknown. We will have to see over time. Thanks for all the advise! Sara & Tiger


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Sara, good news! Just beware of "poopsicles" this winter though. For some reason, some dogs find these irresistible!! uke: ound:


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