Big Dog - Dainty Eater?

[TheGoldenRetriever]

Just wondering who else has a BIG dog who eats, well ... dainty? Marley (Rottweiler/Australian Shepherd mix) is like that ... he eats like a cat!

Marley never takes even close to a mouthful of any food. Food of any kind is carefully picked up one small piece at a time. He doesn't always finish his meals ... prefers to leave some for a bit later. (Not much later, but still.) He's also a picky eater ... some things he either just plain won't eat, or will try but spit out. I'm talkin' good stuff here ... fresh chicken and beef. (Cooked, not raw)

We do not wish to feed raw, but tried a couple times just to see if maybe he preferred it? He was absolutely repelled! Sniffed it, then recoiled as if a brick just fell onto his head ... then wouldn't even go near it. (No, it wasn't spoiled or old ... couple times it was pieces of fresh chicken, another time pieces of fresh filet mignon.) He will also not eat any fresh vegetables ... takes them, then spits them out.

My dogs have always gotten a combo of quality kibble and homecooked. But Marley will only ever eat kibble, and not every brand ... including some good quality brands, no junk. He has a strange habit in that if a couple pieces of kibble fall around his bowl while we fill it, he meticulously picks those up first before touching any in the bowl. He's also dainty when he drinks water, slowly and has never dribbled any. He's not even food-motivated for treats ... of any kind.

Not complaining about any of this ... it just seems so strange for a large dog! Rottie owners we know say their dogs are gulpers; Aussie owners say theirs are either gulpers or "nice" eaters ... but never picky. We don't know anyone else who has an Aussie/Rottie mix. .Mentioned it to the vet, but Marley has no health problems at all. It's just how he is ... but most times I hear of these patterns in toy-sized dogs or cats! Our cats eat and drink just like Marley. (He's a rescue who was not raised with cats ... so he's not imitating cats.)

Anyone else ... or is Marley just weird?

 

[bubbatd]

Dainty or picky ??? My Goldens all enjoyed every meal and never gulped . Ollie is the same . I mix dry with some addies and warm water until almost soupy . The nice part , is after he's finished , he always comes to me licking his lips to thank me . Too sweet !

 

[TheGoldenRetriever]

Dainty or picky ???

Both ... LOL! When he likes a food he always eats dainty ... if he doesn't like something he either won't touch it or spits it out. He's picky about what he doesn't like too ... once we had a kibble he didn't like and tried to mix some with a kibble he does like. He meticulously picked out ONLY the pieces of the one he likes.

My Goldens all enjoyed every meal and never gulped . Ollie is the same . I mix dry with some addies and warm water until almost soupy . The nice part , is after he's finished , he always comes to me licking his lips to thank me . Too sweet !

Awwww .... reminds me of my Golden. She completely enjoyed every meal but wasn't a gulper ... and always came over to say "thank you ". Give Ollie an extra hug in honor of Cheyenne.

 

[bubbatd]

Sure will ... he loves hugs !

 

[MicksMom]

We had a Siberian/GSD mix that ate like that- very gently picked up his food one kibble at a time.

 

[Renee750il]

Bimmer is downright Mr. Manners when he eats.

 

[ACooper]

Orson definitely woofs down his dinner, but give him something special and he eats it "daintily"

He loves little tidbits, for example, a piece of crunch N munch. He will accept it and first swirl it around his mouth, licking the flavor. Then he chews it till the cows come home to squeeze every last drop of flavor out of it.

Same thing with any little treat, candy corn, combos (cheese filled pretzel) and even nuts of all sorts. It's so strange to see! LOL

 

[Brattina88]

Missy is too

 

[ihartgonzo]

I am always amazed when I meet a dog who refuses food... because mine refuse nothing! After feeding raw for so long they don't even bother to check out what I hand them, they just go to town, even if it's something new. My friend's BC puppy, Sadie, spat out hotdog when I was teaching her a trick yesterday. HOTDOG! It's mind-blowing, compared to my dogs.

Gonzo is very prim and proper while eating, though. He chews every bite thoroughly. It takes him at least twice as long as it takes Fozzie, who eats every meal like it's the last he will ever have.

 

[Gypsydals]

Ivan is quite funny with his dinner. Every once in a while I will give some pureed veggies with his meal. The veggies go on the bottom, he will pick out all the meat until its laying on the crate floor, THEN suck down the veggies. After the veggies are gone, will he then eat the meat. I've tried chunking the meat up and he still does it. Of course this is the dog that can take a half hour to 45 minutes eating a chicken quarter. Hes very methodical on how he eats it. And he chews everything carefully.

 

[HoundedByHounds]

Cleo eats slowly...in fact most times I just leave food down and by the end of the day it's gone. Really in her case I consider it a good thing...less chance for bloat!