New lab puppy not eating or toileting as much as I though he would

[Heyheyheygoodbye]

Hi! We brought our 8-week old lab puppy Sam home on Saturday. He is amazing and SO gentle and calm. Wails a bit at night/when left on his own but not too bad, and we're doing click for quiet and he's improving already.

We are feeding Eukanuba puppy as this is what the breeder was feeding. First of all he will NOT eat it soaked even though she was soaking it. He only likes it dry. Second of all he will eat it as treats when training etc but not too keen on the bowl. I weigh out his ration in the morning and he isn't even coming close to it by the end of the day :/

Perhaps as a result, he also isn't going to the loo as much as I thought. My puppy book says he must go out every half an hour but he can go well over an hour without a wee and is pooing maybe three times a day. Is that enough? If I take him out he will either go, or he won't and will just play/fall asleep on my foot.

Saw the vet today and she said he is slightly underweight (5.6kg) and she'd like him to eat a bit more. But how? She offered him a treat herself and he didn't want it and she was like '...are you sure he is a Labrador.'

When we got home I tried putting the bowl in his crate and he did eat more that way. I think he is so distracted by wanting to play or cuddle that he can't concentrate. Is it ok to feed his actual meals in his crate? Is he supposed to be having human food treats as well as kibble?

My family's labs have always hoovered up everything in sight so I'm at a loss!

Oh sorry here are some pics

Normal pooing amount for dry food.

Is he drinking lots ? If he isn't, he won't pee lots.

It's very early days and he's maybe still unsettled. We've had to lift food bowls before with dogs that aren't motivated by food and this seemed to help. Having it there all the time meant it was no big deal and just got ignored. We've also had to change bowls because collars/ears/reflections etc were off putting.

You could try feeding less but more often. Using his usual allocation of dry food as training treats is fine but some dogs just aren't interested in food as a reward - even the occasional lab.

He's absolutely beautiful.

Thank you very much :)

That's reassuring about the food. We are lifting after 30 mins if he doesn't eat it.

I'd like him to drink a lot more but I don't know how to make him! I have fresh water in a stainless steel bowl with a rubber foot so it doesn't move. I tried him with a rubber collapsible bowl instead and he was having none of it! Should I maybe try a ceramic bowl? I'm worried I'm not looking after him properly

I have experienced the same and thought exactly the same as your vet [is this actually a labrador] i don't know whether it was the dried food or the upset of leaving litter and being in new environment but at this age they must eat and thrive. do whatever you need to do to encourage good appetite.

you could add a whole egg to the soaked kibble, or better still probably some meat stock, particularly chicken made from scratch. Serve kibble soaked if dpup not dri nking much.

I would refer to your breeder as they will want to help if they think one of their dpups is not settling /eating well.

i have to say i was so shocked at a lab pup not eating properly that i said goodbye to kibble for good (and never looked back).

I think he's just unsettled. If he cries at night do you think maybe for the first two weeks you should have his crate in your room, or just outside your room with your bedroom door open?

We did this with our puppy to settle him in and every week we moved him further and further away from our room/ down the stairs etc.

Try to put yourself in your puppy's shoes... Playing with his mum and brothers and sisters then moving in with strangers who leave you on your own at night in a strange place without your Labrador family and shove food under your nose every morning but it's not the same as the woman (breeder) who fed you before. Try to make him comfortable/settled and see if that helps his appetite.

Puppies are just like children! They need constant attention but eventually will become self-sufficient.

Good luck! He's absolutely gorgeous by the way :)

Absolutely fine to feed in crate and this is actually what my breeder recommended we did to help pup settle in crate as it helps them associate crate with positive vibes.

If he also eats more that way then even more reason to do so but don't shut or lock door.

To get ours to eat kibble I add cooked carrots or any veg and a small spoonful of tuna over the top and he eats it every time. Before he would look at his food and walk away.

Thank you all so much for your advice! I really appreciate it.

Feeding in his crate is helping massively. So far today he has eaten all his breakfast and lunch, and has had plenty of kibble pieces during clicker training too. He also loves to chase pieces that fall out of his Kong so I'm using that to play with him as much as possible.

I will keep all the advice about stock, eggs, tuna and carrots in mind! He is also drinking much more so I am really pleased :)

I think you are all right and he was unsettled - I also think he was overtired but he has been sleeping much more. Yay! Thanks all

Tiny DH has been sleeping downstairs with him :) in the last 24 hours he seems to have suddenly become much more settled and can now go to sleep without one of us in the room. He's an angel.

Yay