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Puppy eating older dog food

6 replies

gibegobble · 01/01/2024 20:15

Hi - we have a new puppy but they just keep eating each others food Confused I have tried to keep them seperate at feed time but they end up not eating at all and then as soon as they can get near each others they Wolf it down! I have tried swapping their bowls but they realise straight away.

I am starting just leave them to it in the hopes they switch back once they get bored but it doesn't seem to be happening and I'm worried that the puppy is eating adult dog food a lot. Could it cause any growth/health issues? Puppy is 4 months old and older dog is 8.
Thanks!

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Hellocatshome · 01/01/2024 20:17

Feed them in separate rooms with the door shut. Puppy needs puppy food to grow and adult dog will get fat if they keep eating puppy food.

margotrose · 01/01/2024 23:48

Puppy food is a fairly recent "thing" so I wouldn't worry too much about that, but it is higher in calories so not great for your adult dog in the long run.

Some foods are suitable for all life stages so you could try switching them both to one like that?

IngGenius · 02/01/2024 09:02

Millies is suitable for dogs and puppies.

However I would be shutting them in separate rooms to let them eat in peace. If they dont eat the food in 15 mins lift it up and offer it to them in separate rooms later. They will soon learn the new system.

The older dog should not be stressed by the puppy taking his food and the puppy needs to learn that he can not help themselves to anyone's food. As the puppy gets older the older dog will not be so tolerant of having to share their food.

hedgehoglurker · 02/01/2024 10:04

For this reason I fed mostly all life stages food, although I had a 4 month female and 1yr male, so had only just come off Puppy/ Junior food.

They are all rescues, 3 dogs now. Initially the newest, youngest male would gobble as much as he could, as quickly as possible. He had been neglected and was underweight when we got him. (18 months, mostly crated and never walked or taken outside from the flat he lived in.) The other two allowed him to dominate the food at first, and once he'd had his fill, I'd top up the bowls for them.

We tried feeding separately with a bowl each and gate between, but they were distressed and wouldn't eat. Then tried feeding in different areas, but the neglected dog had FOMO and would run around gobbling and dominating the bowls, so it was simpler to have the bowls in the same area.

The dogs won't eat separately and usually switch from one bowl to another mid meal. They have settled into their routine/ hierarchy, with the littlest dog (female) in charge, and the 2 boys prefer not to eat until she has given her approval by eating from it first.

Now that the gobbling dog has settled and is a healthy weight, he is often the last to eat.

I personally could never lock them in separate rooms or take their food away, as this would stress them too much, rather than alleviate it.

muddyford · 02/01/2024 17:35

Puppy food didn't exist when got my first Labrador in 1992. He lived to almost 14.

gibegobble · 02/01/2024 18:35

Thanks all, maybe I just buy adult food for them both and see how that goes. The Puppy just isn't interested in the puppy food anymore and older dog just wants the puppy food because it tastes different. I suspect that is both of their issue - that the others food is different.

I have started to give the puppy a raw chicken wing as a treat and she is loving that so I may keep doing that to keep up the protein.

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