Hello John,

Could you please help me figure out why for the last 3 years my 12 year old mixed black lab refuses to drink out of a bowl and now even a flat platter. She approaches her food bowl with nervousness as well. If there is even the slightest bit of noise or if her food drops on the plate (flat also) she cowers. She will eat snow, drink rain water off the deck and water from the bird bath.

Our vet said it was not uncommon for elderly dogs to do this. Because she has cataracts she explained it could be that she feels like she is going into a tunnel. I thought she would eventually get thirsty enough and succumb to the platter, but she circles around it and refuses, so I gave in and poured it on the floor where she lapped it up one glass after another. Is this just a bad habit? Should I just accept that she is old and continue with what I've been doing?

-Karen

Dear Karen,

When I first read this I found it mildly amusing. To hear of a dog with even a speck of Labrador Retriever being afraid to eat and drink is like finding a couch potato afraid of the remote. After a bit though I got to thinking were I in her paws and something was making me afraid to do something critical to my very existence it wouldn't be so funny particularly considering how often she must face it.

Certainly something triggered this but what is moot. I'm betting this dog has other issues. Eccentricities that indicate a predisposition for anxiety. Thunder, fireworks, hot air balloon phobias for instance or just a nervous dog that when something scares her it sticks. In this case, the fact  that it's associated around one of the basic necessities of life makes it likely that this is a “wiring” problem more so then cataracts alone.

If we were able to make it impossible for her to eat or drink any other way then out of regular bowls she would eventually succumb. I have never known a physically healthy creature to avoid water. Even animals that know full well there are crocodiles in the water will in spite of their fear drink when they must. However with your dog, even if I were willing to wait her out by making it impossible to otherwise get sustenance, what's the point? She's likely a dog predisposed to anxiety now going on 13, you've coped with this for 3 years, why not for a few more? Why put either of you through it. Besides, at 13 her kidneys may not be as efficient as they once were and it may be dangerous to wait her out.

If you want to try a couple of more things, see f she'll chew on ice cubes.  Slightly more convenient and less messy for you. Or buy another bird bath made with the same material as the one she will drink out of but where the bowl is removable. After she's been drinking out of that in the yard for a while. Bring the bowl part in and see what happens.

Trying her out on an anti-anxiety medication for 12 weeks might be worth a shot as well. For most behaviours you'd have to form a behavior modification plan as well but if we could calm her mind, I should think that the pleasure of eating and drinking would be enough positive reinforcement.

John Wade – www.johnwade.ca

Dear John,

We have 2, two year old Labrador retrievers that provide us with great affection, humour, entertainment and exercise! One has an issue that is food related. He has always been a picky eater but now will often refuse to eat at mealtimes which are twice a day. He will eat some now and maybe some later, maybe not at all. He is a big, strong and beautiful dog, full of energy and mischief. There are no health issues as checked by the vet. Leaving the bag available for him to pick at is not an option as the other one would just consume everything in the bag! Is there something we could do to encourage proper eating habits?

Thanks, Joyce

Dear Joyce,

He may just have a different metabolism and be missing the Labrador Retriever “eat-everything-in-sight” gene recently discovered in the mapping of the canine genome.

If he's healthy, stop worrying about it. I feed adult dogs on a schedule. Once a day for some, twice for others. The food is down for five or ten minutes and then nothing else is offered until the next scheduled feeding. For dogs that are being house trained or are really finicky eaters; not even a treat in between meals. I don't ever waver. You'll find that by the 4th day your dog will be into a meal time rhythm. There are a few reasons for feeding this way.

I believe mother nature does everything for a reason. We don't always know what the reason is but there is always a reason. Here's my theory. It has to do with saliva. When food's about, hungry dogs salivate, some drool. Why is that? Human saliva contains an enzyme which mixes with the food as we chew it. Dogs don't chew and there is no enzyme in their saliva. So why the spit? The answer is lubrication. Free fed dogs lubricate less and hack/cough more. Eating dry food without the saliva to smooth the way must be like swallowing crackers on a dry day without soup. 

I've wondered as well if dogs that were allowed to free feed had more dental issues as well. One of the things that cause the most suffering later in life, often leading to death are issues stemming from dental problems. It would be interesting to see if dogs that salivated naturally around meal time benefited from more teeth flushing and had fewer dental issues.

Another reason I like schedule feedings is it's easier to tell if the dog is skipping meals which is sometimes due to illness.

Sometimes dog owners with finicky eaters fall into the “S/he doesn't like this, S/he only likes this.” trap. I like chocolate cake. That doesn't mean I should be eating it 3 square meals a day. Same goes for dogs; what a dog likes shouldn't be the primary consideration, what is good for your dog should be. Good food is usually more palatable anyway. But what the heck is good for a dog? We could go on the basis of just buying foods that are “veterinarian approved” but they're all veterinarian approved. I'd like to meet this veterinarian, because he or she sure approves a lot of different foods. Some with grain content so shamefully high that I should think they're really popular in goose circles rather then for a species that is predominantly carnivorous.  Besides, “veterinary approved” to what? Thrive, sustain life, barely keep their hair from falling out? Dog owners should do their own research. If you want to write me I'll send you some information where you can learn enough to make an informed opinion.

So just as your mother told you, tell your dog, “Don't you know their are starving dogs in . . .” and stick to your guns.

Hi John,

I would like to ask a question about my 2.5 year old chocolate lab. He is considerably calmer than his puppy days and very sociable and friendly with humans and other animals. Unfortunately he has developed a strange behavior when being fed. When his bowl of food is routinely given to him, he immediately starts to growl and become physically protective of the bowl. He will not eat the food unless you stand beside him and get him to lay down. If you try to ignore this behavior his barking escalates. If you put the bowl out in the garage he will bark but will not eat the food. In case you're wondering, I don't believe anyone has ever teased him or withheld his food from him. Can you tell me why he is doing this behavior and what we can try to eliminate it?

Thanks, Nancy

Dear Nancy,

Odd that he is protective but still wants you close by while he eats. I don't know what to make of that. Usually proximity results in an escalation with this sort of aggression. Aggression around food can stem from several sources. Some dogs were low puppy on the totem pole while with the rest of the litter and often went hungry. Coming from that sort of background they bring to their new homes an attitude of competitiveness. Some lose it after a bit once they realize that food is no longer in short supply and yet others seem to believe they're being satiated because they are finally being aggressive enough to get their share and only by maintaining that attitude will they have their needs met.

Another related cause is when the dog's owner only provides one or two feedings a day when they're little. Their bodies are growing too rapidly for this to suffice and by the time meal time arrives they find themselves in an agitated state that can turn into aggression depending on their personalities. The larger the breed the greater the number of feedings required during their major growth phase.

You can go about this in a few ways. First tune up his training. Sometimes when a dog is easy to get along with, it's not very well trained. A well trained dog, knows who's the teacher and who's the student and therefore is less likely to be confused as to whose food they're eating.

If you're feeding him once a day, try twice a day. Some dogs, by the time dinner time rolls around are besides themselves with hunger and their blood sugar is off making them susceptible to irritability and this may be behind his anxiety. Also, instead of putting all his portion in his bowl put ¼ and once he's finished put another ¼ etc. so he sees your approach and proximity as a signal of more of a good thing. I'd also try starting to feed him in a new area and with a new bowl to distance him from any other attachments that may be associative triggers.

If that doesn't work and he isn't the sort of Labrador Retriever that eats everything in sight, keep a bunch of bowls of food throughout the house at all times and see if demand is less of an issue when supply is unlimited.

I'm hoping this is solely food bowl related and has nothing to do with treats, toys, bones etc. When the aggression is wide spread there is significant risk to family and guests and sooner or later someone gets nailed. If this is the case get professional help.

Either way, leave his leash on during feeding time and pick it up whenever you have to approach the bowl so you have some leverage if he decides to pull a Cujo.

Hi

Wondered if you had any tips on dealing with a dog that dribbles when he's exited he's only 5 months old but its starting to become a real problem as its happening 5-10 times a day eve right after he was out for a long pee break. Thanks for your time. P.S. your column is awesome!

- MIKE

Hi Mike,

The problem you're describing is called submissive urination but could easily be called, “I'm so happy I could just pee -urination.” There's a heightened version that happens when fear is overwhelming and a terrified dog (or human) may void as well but in a much more impressive manner. I've read that it happens in order to make one lighter for escape which I always thought was odd as I figured if I was so scared that I lost control of my bodily functions my legs would be just a wobble and drop behind.

Your dog's version though is a “Howdy-Do, pleased to meet you, please don't eat/beat me.” It's given to the elders in a canine social group particularly the upper echelon. In our world it happens more often when strangers are met but can happen in the home when the owner is a type AAA personality or the dog is just a really submissive personality.

The traditional dog trainer advice is to advise people to “ignore the puppy” which as anyone that has ever owned a puppy other then the dog trainers giving the advice know; getting the average person to “ignore” a puppy is as likely as my getting those trainers to ignore the smack in the head I'd give  them for letting a dog training book do their thinking for them. I have much better advice. Tell everyone your puppy has incurable worms easily transmitted and in humans they tend to settle into the reproductive organs. 

Alternatively, I find it best to have the pup drag a leash around and to always approach the handle of the leash rather then the puppy. Otherwise, when someone comes to the door you either let the pup go to the person – and pee, or you go to the pup to prevent it from approaching in its excited state – and it pees. With the leash you can take the pressure off the pup and hold it back from a leash length away until it starts to get more confident. Same thing if the peeing is happening around you. Go for the handle not the pup. Try faking a little submissiveness yourself (without the peeing part), slow your approaches, calm your voice, relax your body.

Lastly start giving your pup something to focus on, like staying on a mat, particularly at the door where your guests come in. Just don't start when guests are actually coming in. That would be too much too soon and might exacerbate your problem. Instead, every trip out and back begins and ends on the mat sitting far enough away to get people in and out but still keeping the pup in on the action. If you're not seeing an improvement in a couple of weeks get someone in to assess the situation.