Tuesday Training report-feeding a rescued dog for healthy weight gain

This is Mary, jumping in with a review of our training and adventures from the human perspective. For those of you who read for the "stories" because you love us, you may want to skip this one. I'm also using this blog for others, like myself, who explore service dog blogs in the process of deciding whether or not to bring a dog into their own lives.

Last week's successes were very important to my morale. . . the week before I'd had a couple of remarks that felt like criticism of Snuffie's behavior and my training (or how long it was taking my precious pup to learn). That's part of the ups and downs, particularly with owner-training.

Snuffie has been with me for six and a half weeks at this point. I found a 63 pound shaggy pup who played ball, liked men, women and children, rode well in a car, got along with dogs, cats and horses, and was sensitive enough that a three-year-old could walk him on a leash without being pulled over. He passed a temperament test with flying colors so I had his hips x-rayed to make sure he could handle the balance work I need when my legs are acting up, and had him neutered (required by GA law before a rescue pet can be released) at the same time to avoid having him under anesthesia twice in a week. I was actually glad that he was still intact until the growth plates in his bones closed. From what I've read, that helps with healthy joints.

Snuffie's first vet visit (Tuesday after arrival) he weighed in at 63 pounds with all his shaggy glory. Three weeks ago I had him in because he had a bad case of diarrhea- probably grass or some weed he ate, but I was in the process of switching him from a basic kibble to a grain-free one. (He was also scratching at his ears quite a bit- probably seasonal allergies, but possibly related to diet.) At that visit, Snuffie weighed 59 pounds- a bit dehydrated? He'd definitely lost a bit of weight when we shaved off most of his hair the week after he arrived. (You've seen those pictures already.) That was still the wrong direction to be heading! I increased his food, and cut down on our walks a bit.

I took him by the vet's office today- just to get a weight: 66.4 pounds! Our goal-from his vet- is 70 pounds and then we re-evaluate. When Snuffie got here, he was thin even with all the hair. Shaved, his hip bones protruded enough that I could rest my hand in the depression between them and still be below level! Now my handsome boy has muscles there- you can see the bones, but he doesn't look like he's all bone, and he's got very nice muscle structure on his legs. I'll keep him lean for joint health, but for now we're still on the weight-gain program.

Snuffie's diet: 4 1/2 cups of kibble (Earthborn Holistics) every day -split into two meals (except for what he gets as training treats during the day) plus other training treats such as cheese, chicken and meatballs chopped into small bites- mostly just enough for him to taste and enjoy- combined with a mile or two of walking and at least half an hour of play time every day. I add a tablespoon or so of live culture yogurt to his kibble once a day to provide good intestinal flora. Too much and his stools get soft, but he does seem to do better with a spoonful every day or so. Once he reaches target weight, I'll probably cut his kibble back a bit so he can still have his special treats without getting too many calories.
Snuffie LOVES strawberries, but those have to be limited or he gets diarrhea again. Rice seems to do him well, so I mix that in with his kibble when we have it. I am experimenting with other fruits and vegetables, but had to slow down with that to figure out what works in his system. The stuffed pocket sandwich (whole wheat crust with broccoli and vegan ham and cheese alternatives) he snitched from the counter (ooops!) didn't seem to bother him, but he still doesn't get those regularly, much as he'd like to help me eat mine.

I NEVER feed him directly from the table, that's "begging" for begging behaviors and absolutely unacceptable for a service dog! Most of the time Snuffie eats his meals from Kongs. They slow him down so he's not scarfing his food. Sometimes I fill and freeze them the night before, so it takes him 15-20 minutes to eat 3/4 cup of food. Most of the time I measure out his two cups for that meal and keep refilling the Kong while I work at my computer. Snuffie has learned to sit quietly and watch me while I fill the Kong, then go to his mat and lay down until I give it to him. (Eventually I want to teach him to bring the empty Kong back to me for refills and to the sink to be washed when the meal is over, but for now I'm happy with a polite request for a refill.)
In the morning, the cat gets her breakfast while Snuffie and I go out for our morning walk. Snuffie eats when we get back, even if I'm not hungry yet. In the evening he has to wait until the family has finished dinner before he gets his. I'm not terribly worried about "dominance" behaviors from feeding him before we eat, but I need him to be able to settle and stay quiet while we eat so he's got that down for restaurant meals. I did try feeding him before we went in for our restaurant dinners this weekend, but he wasn't ready. Guess the routine is set that we eat first. :-)

In many ways, I feel like I have a toddler again- proofing the house for safety, watching the bowel movements for food allergies, keeping his two-year-old brain active in constructive ways to keep him out of trouble, comparing things with other "parents," and laughing at his antics. Not to mention carrying a "diaper" bag and needing twice as long to do everything, and having to plan our outings meticulously. It is SO very worth it to have Snuffie in my life.

(Thanks to my sister-in-law, Lisa Moss, for today's photos!)