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Pupforum presents your training questions answered by professional dog trainers.
TD Yandt wears many different hats in the Canine world. You may find her at Clicker Chicks' Pet-Centric Boutique teaching obedience or conformation handling. She might be out working with Service Dogs in Training as a volunteer and the founder of AASK; Animal Assistants Inc.. You're also likely to find her in the conformation ring lead in hand or standing just outside it with her camera. TD is a certified trainer with Animal Behavior and Training Associates Inc. and a mentor with the Animal Behavior College. Her new book, on clicker training the family dog, will be out early in 2006. You can read more about Tobi-Dawne and her Canine family at noselicks.com.
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[Edit]
11/23/2005
My dog is a mixed breed, he is Akita/chow 3yrs.old. He was neutered a wk. ago and today he hasn’t eaten or drank water, all he does is sleep. We had a houseful of kids here yesterday, could that be a factor in his behavior today? Another thing the vet told me to give him Beneful dog food, and 2 times a week put in some vegetable oil in his food, because he has dry skin, but now the days he doesn’t get the oil in his food he won't eat it until I give up and put the oil in. What can I do? Will oil hurt everyday? Please reply (harley, Pennsylvania)
I'm going to deal with your questions separately, since they really aren't related to one another.
Today he hasn’t eaten or drank water, all he does is sleep. We had a houseful of kids here yesterday, could that be a factor in his behavior today?
Going without food for a day really isn't something I'd worry about. Just like people, dogs’ moods and appetites fluctuate. As long as he's not losing weight, I wouldn't worry too much about him. He'll bounce back to normal in no time. That said... Water is an entirely different matter. His liquid intake can drop into the danger zone within one day. Watch out for signs of dehydration. Gently pull a bit of skin away from
his body, does it fall right back into place or stay roughly where you moved it to? If he's got enough fluids it should fall back into place as soon as you drop it. If it doesn't, I'd call your vet for advice. It could be nothing, but he may need intravenous fluids.
The vet told me to give him Beneful dog food
Wow! I have to admit, that's a real shocker to me. Amongst dog fanciers Beneful has a nickname - "Benecrap". There really are MUCH better food choices out there. I'm extremely surprised to hear that any vet would recommend it. Take a read through my article on choosing dog food. It should help you make the right choice for your boy.
Will oil hurt everyday?
Definitely not! However, by switching him over to a better food he shouldn't need the oil any longer. I'd be interested in hearing why your vet recommended Beneful with oil. Generally oil is added to help with the coat, or for problems with dry skin, but (as you've noticed) it can also help stimulate appetite... so either stick to your guns, if he doesn't eat that day, he doesn't eat... or start buying stock from your dogs favorite oil company.
As a trainer, handler, and Canine photographer, Tobi-Dawne Yandt's goal is to positively impact the lives of pets and their people by providing an education on individual species, their proper care, and the use of operant conditioning to enhance the human-animal bond. You can learn more about TD, and her animal family, at www.noselicks.com.
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