# Eating for Two?



## CapotesMom (Apr 3, 2007)

Ok I need some tips from MHS owners..  

Feeding time isn't going so well? I put the food down for both Taylor and Capote to eat and Capote scarfs his down and tries to go after hers..(lil pig) ...I think he's just trying to assert his dominance over her which..whaddever.. But how do I let her know that that's her food? She waits for Capote to be finished then may go pick at it if I tell capote to leave it alone. 

I tried feeding them in separate places as well...but Capote seemed set at guarding both dishes..


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

I would stand between the two bowls and use my legs as a blocker. I wouldn't get loud with saying no, as that may scare Taylor. Capote will get the idea what you what. 

I have trained mine to lay down and wait for me to say okay, but I have had to use the block from time to time. They get the message.


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

I have mine sit before I give them their bowls and they wait for me to say "take it"
We keep an eye on them while they eat but so far :biggrin1:


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Mindy, you may need to offer her food in a more protected area until she is feeling comfortable and confident in your home. Do you have an ex-pen so you can contain her with a bowl and Capote can't get to hers? That way she might feel safer to explore her food. Some people feed their dogs separately in crates.


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## CapotesMom (Apr 3, 2007)

good buddy said:


> Mindy, you may need to offer her food in a more protected area until she is feeling comfortable and confident in your home. Do you have an ex-pen so you can contain her with a bowl and Capote can't get to hers? That way she might feel safer to explore her food. Some people feed their dogs separately in crates.


..I thought of that but I don't want her to get used to eating in her crate. Do you think when she's more comfortable the move from crate to kitchen will be easy?

Capote knows the 'leave it' command and he's been doing good with just that..but I think it does make Taylor more wary of eating when I say 'capote leave it' pretty sternly..lol


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

We use ex-pens and have larger feeding crates to separate everyone at meal times. With two dogs, you have a lot of options, but it will take some creativity to make it work for your home and keep Taylor at ease.

Capote should relax with time, especially if you stick to a regular feeding schedule.


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

CapotesMom said:


> Ok I need some tips from MHS owners..
> 
> Feeding time isn't going so well? I put the food down for both Taylor and Capote to eat and Capote scarfs his down and tries to go after hers..(lil pig) ...I think he's just trying to assert his dominance over her which..whaddever.. But how do I let her know that that's her food? She waits for Capote to be finished then may go pick at it if I tell capote to leave it alone.
> 
> I tried feeding them in separate places as well...but Capote seemed set at guarding both dishes..


I have always free fed my dogs but with Bandit nursing puppies she needs extra food and is gaining a little weight and since we've added wet food to the dry, my standard poodle gained weight. Now they get fed in their crates and their bowls stay there just for them. When Bandit stops nursing, we'll go back to free feeding and hopefully won't have butterballs


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

Will Capote just keep eating if you do the free feeding? I free feed mine with Evo small bites kibble. Since neither one of them is big on eating anything other that bbq chicken or steak, they each eat when they are hungry and only until they've had enough.
Sometimes I really think the free feeding takes the "big deal" out of eating and they eat because they need to. That is IF you don't have a non-stop eater!
Carole


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Mindy, it is too soon to say with Capote and Taylor, but be prepared just in case...it may be that you need to feed them seperately. Jasper absolutely will not eat until Cash (or all of us) has eaten--- and Cash will eat everything in site. he will respect Jaspers bowl if Jasper is eating out of it, but the minute Jasper (a slow eater) takes a break he is there like a fly to flypaper. So I always put Cash's food down first in the kitchen and once he starts to eat I feed Jasper behind a closed door in the dining room. They just have different eating styles.


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## Judy A (Jan 13, 2007)

I put Doc in the expen, Izzy eats outside the pen as does Kai, the lab. I have to sit with Izzy while she eats to keep Kai out of it and also to encourage her to eat......it's a process! I enjoy my morning coffee while they eat and a wine or beer during the evening feeding! They have me trained well!! But, I know exactly what everyone is eating and it's working to keep them at good weights.


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## DAJsMom (Oct 27, 2006)

If you have a crate, go ahead and use it for one of the dogs until the issues are resolved. Dusty has always been fed in her crate, but it is no problem for her to eat somewhere else as well. Now that we have two, I feed one in the crate with the door closed but not latched, and the other just outside the crate. Sometimes Dusty is in the crate (usually it's her actually) and sometimes Indie is inside. It depends on the day. Indie eats a lot faster, but Dusty is more territorial about her food. Keeping them separate has worked well so far. 
The other thing that might help is to put Capote in another room until Taylor is done eating. 
I'm sure it will work itself out eventually!


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## CapotesMom (Apr 3, 2007)

DAJsMom said:


> If you have a crate, go ahead and use it for one of the dogs until the issues are resolved. Dusty has always been fed in her crate, but it is no problem for her to eat somewhere else as well. Now that we have two, I feed one in the crate with the door closed but not latched, and the other just outside the crate. Sometimes Dusty is in the crate (usually it's her actually) and sometimes Indie is inside. It depends on the day. Indie eats a lot faster, but Dusty is more territorial about her food. Keeping them separate has worked well so far.
> The other thing that might help is to put Capote in another room until Taylor is done eating.
> I'm sure it will work itself out eventually!


..I tried the crate thing..and capote needs to be in the middle of everything..so he freaked out.. She started barking because he was freaking out and wouldn't eat..lol. The crate didn't go well.

Capote is the fast/territorial eater.. So I'm just going to try watching them until she's eaten enough to satiate herself. She's coming around but she still waits to make sure capote doesn't want any before she goes to her bowl. The only way to keep him from eating her food is with the 'leave it' command which he's known since he was a puppy and is very good at.


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## CapotesMom (Apr 3, 2007)

JASHavanese said:


> I have always free fed my dogs but with Bandit nursing puppies she needs extra food and is gaining a little weight and since we've added wet food to the dry, my standard poodle gained weight. Now they get fed in their crates and their bowls stay there just for them. When Bandit stops nursing, we'll go back to free feeding and hopefully won't have butterballs


I think Capote would eat and eat until he blew up one day..rofl. I don't think I've ever met a 'not hungry' capote. ..which has been good as he's not finicky..but not good when another dog needs to eat too..


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

I feed each dog in their own crate. No feeding problems here because I'm pretty consistant. It really is the best way at least for me.


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

I feed Lincoln and Scout on opposite sides of my kitchen island (they can't see each other). Scout always finishes first and tries to steal Lincoln's food. I guard Lincoln and his food and tell Scout, "uh uh!" He has finally figured out he can't steal. But he will lay down like a pillbug with his nose 6" from Lincoln's bowl, while Lincoln finishes. After Lincoln is done, Scout will lick the bowl. 

When we are dogsitting a third, it gets a little trickier, but I just keep an eye on everyone until they are done eating. If it is really bad, I'll separate out the guest dog on the other side of an xpen.


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## Lilly's mom (Aug 10, 2007)

*I don't have any suggestions but "eating for two" normally means you are pregnant. I just had to say it. Sorry! eace:*


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Jane, I think Jasper and Lincoln are related and Cash and Scout are related. Cash does that lying down flat with his nose just inches from Jasper when Jasper dares to have a chew of his own... he knows he's supposed to share, but with no supervision, all bets are off. I would love our boys to meet someday!!!


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Missy said:


> Jane, I think Jasper and Lincoln are related and Cash and Scout are related. Cash does that lying down flat with his nose just inches from Jasper when Jasper dares to have a chew of his own... he knows he's supposed to share, but with no supervision, all bets are off. I would love our boys to meet someday!!!


Missy, I think so too!! I know my boys probably wouldn't fit in a carrier under _any _seat in _any _airplane though....they are just too BIG!!!


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Jane said:


> Missy, I think so too!! I know my boys probably wouldn't fit in a carrier under _any _seat in _any _airplane though....they are just too BIG!!!


ha ha ha Mine Either!!! road trip?


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