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Food change and food aggression/aggression in general

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  • Food change and food aggression/aggression in general

    We started the change of dog food a week ago. He's now getting 4Health Grain Free Turkey large breed food. His poop is fine now! Yay for that win!

    But...it suggests 3-4 cups per day for a dog his weight. (He was eating about 6-6.5 cups of Fromm Lg Breed Puppy.) He has gotten even skinnier than before, and is showing signs of moderate food aggression, which is not cool. He gets protective of his food even when I'm around, leaning against me and keeping his head in his food. I get it...he's hungry.

    He likes bully pizzles, too, and I gave him a new one tonight. When he appeared chill and calm on the floor, my 10 year old came over to pet him, and Hank tried to take a few nips at him for trying to pet his head and neck.

    Food:
    So how much should I feed him, and will his food aggressions end when he's getting a full belly?


    Aggression:
    He nips at my daughter frequently. She'll just walk by, and he'll lean out and nip at her. She'll come in the house from playing, and if he's nearby, he'll leap up and nip at her face. Do I just need to re-home him? This is our first large breed, and for some reason, she has always been a magnet for bad experiences with dogs, and truly for no fault of her own. We were going to start puppy training classes at the end of next month, but I don't know if I'm comfortable waiting that long if these problems are going to continue/get worse. (He just got fully vaccinated the beginning of this month, and the end of Feb. was her next available set of classes.) He'll be 5 months in just under two weeks.



  • #2
    I should add we have been working on basic commands. We don't have a clicker, and maybe we need to get one, because he seldom complies with the commands if you don't have a treat in your hand.

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    • #3
      I personally wouldn't keep a dog that nipped at my kids. I would re-home him to a family with no children.

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      • #4
        Do not go by the guideline on the bag... they are only guidelines...Fromm is a much better quality food than 4 health so if you were feeding that much of the fromm than you will likely need to feed more of the 4health to meet his needs especially if he is losing weight. A dog that is not stable around kids is not a safe dog to have in the family...I would not wait to get a trainer..I would get him assessed by a behaviorist and depending on outcome of evaluation I would get him in a good training program asap or if behaviorist deems him unstable contact a Great Dane Rescue to help you place him in an experienced Dane home. Have you contacted the breeder for their input? If you bought him from a responsible breeder it is likely they can offer advice, support, and a good responsible breeder would also be willing to take him back.
        Last edited by kahluadanes; 01-25-2018, 12:53 PM.
        sigpic
        Dale AKC CGC Evaluator
        Associate Member GDCNE
        Member GSPCA
        Member NAVHDA
        Member Central Maine Kennel Club
        High Hopes Great Danes & German Shorthairs

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        • #5
          Some companies tend to underestimate the amount of food needed as it’s a selling point to use less food to get the person to buy the food. If he’s losing weight and you feel he’s too thin, then gradually increase the amount of food until you’re satisfied with his looks.

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          • #6
            Thanks for the feedback. I will find a behaviorist and see what they say. I have not yet contacted the breeder about it. I'm hoping the nipping/jumping is just puppy playfulness. It just concerns me so much since he's as big as my daughter now.

            This food thing is so tricky! Too much food, not enough, some have good amount recommendations and others don't. It's so confusing! He's doing good on this grain free turkey large breed food, so I'm going to stick with it for awhile to let his gut settle after months of very loose stools. I don't mind paying for Fromm, but I think I want to stay away from chicken as a primary source. He didn't do well on the two we tried.

            In the meantime, this is what we have done...

            I've increased his food to 6-6.5 cups per day and started coming by and dropping in treats when he's eating. I've also moved his bowls so he's out of the way. He is much less guarded now that he's getting a full belly. I can stand beside him now and he doesn't lean his body weight into me. Any suggestions on treats to help fatten him up some would be great.

            We went ahead and moved him to twice a day feedings. (My husband's job has been crazy the past two weeks, so he's not been able to keep his mid-day feeding consistent.)

            We are taking him on 3 shorter walks (first thing in the morning, when I get home from work later afternoon, and close to bed time). This seems to help with his over excitement during the day, so he's not jumping as much.

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            • #7
              Unless his hips & spine show do NOT try to fatten him up... you want him lean and you want the last 2-3 ribs to be visible... Food really isn't that tricky... it is VERY important not to over feed a growing Dane puppy... doing so can lead to some very serious growth issues, you want to feed by body condition not weight... you want to watch body condition and not let him get chunky. Feeding twice daily is fine..
              sigpic
              Dale AKC CGC Evaluator
              Associate Member GDCNE
              Member GSPCA
              Member NAVHDA
              Member Central Maine Kennel Club
              High Hopes Great Danes & German Shorthairs

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              • #8
                In the beginning mine ate about 4 cups a day. That went up fast to about 16 cups a day. After the first year and a half it has stayed about 8 cups. She seemed to have a very sensitive stomach causing diarrhea. We fed her plain canned pumpkin and plain yogurt during those times. There was a period when we thought she was a little underweight so we supplemented with hard boiled eggs and added extra virgin olive oil to her dry food. She still goes to the cabinet or frig staring at them when she wants oil or eggs. It is important to feed Danes large breed puppy food for the first year, so they grow at the proper speed and not grow to fast to cause health problems, or to slow by not feeding them enough. We have given her chicken soup for the soul dry large breed, BLUE Wilderness large breed, Innova large breed, and Kirkland signature super premium dry food all with good results. We buy her quality dog food in hopes of extending her lifespan. It always depends on who you ask though on what quality is and unfortunately we do not have an unlimited budget.

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