Danica Not Eating Well & Jupiter Being A Butt

[Guest zoolaine]

Danica came home Saturday and I can't get her to eat very much. She is pretty shy and I'm worried she's hungry but too stressed to eat. It was about a 3 hour drive home Saturday and she didn't eat dinner that night but I figured it was just a long stressful day for her. The next morning she wouldn't even touch her food even though I put cottage cheese and a few pieces of hot dog on top of her kibble. During the day I got her to eat some cookies and treats but at dinner time she didn't touch her dinner - this time with cooked hamburger on it. I have been feeding her in a separate room so the other dogs won't bother her. when she came out and was lying on the dog bed I was able to get her to eat the hamburger and a tiny bit of kibble. Again this morning wouldn't eat. I went out and bought a bag of Purina One which is what she was eating in her foster home but she wouldn't touch that either. I did get her to eat about 1/2 a can of canned food by making little meatballs out of it and tossing it to her while she was lying on my bed and I was sitting on the floor. She acts very stressed meal time, but overall I think she is doing pretty well. This morning she actually followed me into the bedroom in her own accord - where as before she would just stay in the tv room kinda looking lost.

 

Now my problem with Jupiter. I took him with me on Saturday to see his old foster mom and run and play with some of the greys up for adoption. He has an awesome time and a huge smile on his face the whole time. But since coming home he thinks he is king of the dogs. He has been following Danica around trying to hump her. He snarled and tried to bite Sunny last night, when Sunny tried to get up on the bed (and grabbed my hand instead, leaving a small bruise) and this evening when I was in trying to get Danica to eat him and Luna got into it in the hallway.

 

Any advise on how to get Danica to feel more comfortable and eat and to get Jupiter to go back to my shy quite boy is appreciated.

 

Edited January 12, 2010 by zoolaine

[Guest TeddysMom]

Congratulations on bringing Danica home. I love her name BTW.

As long as she is drinking water and eating a little bit, I wouldn't worry too much. It might take her a few days to settle down and eat a full meal but she won't starve herself. I have no advise on getting Jupiter to settle down but you might want to have all of them wear muzzles until they understand that Danica is staying and the pack gets back to normal. Good luck and welcome home Danica.

[Guest zoolaine]

Well we had a little success this morning. Danica ate the canned food out of her dish, until now I think she has been too nervous/scared to even go up to her bowl. And last night she finally snarked at Jupiter so hopefully he will leave her alone. I just worry my little girl is hungry but too afraid to eat.

[Guest TeddysMom]

When I brought Spice home, she was pretty shy but after a night on her bed in my bedroom she decided that is her safety zone and will eat there away from the other dogs without a problem. Of course Spice is a bit of a chow hound so I think her love of food overcame the shyness. Have you tried taking her in a seperate room and staying with her while she eats?

[Guest zoolaine]

When I brought Spice home, she was pretty shy but after a night on her bed in my bedroom she decided that is her safety zone and will eat there away from the other dogs without a problem. Of course Spice is a bit of a chow hound so I think her love of food overcame the shyness. Have you tried taking her in a seperate room and staying with her while she eats?

 

 

I tried out with the other dogs - way too chaotic for her. With Jupiter trying to steal her food and me yelling at him to stay away and Danica running for the corner. I tried in the crate - no go with Zali and Jupiter trying to figure out how to get their tongues through the bars. So I usually do feed her in the bedroom. Last night I had to toss her little meatballs made out of canned food. I felt like I was throwing grenades - throw and duck so she wouldn't see me looking at her . But this morning I just tossed her one and closed the door and she did eat the rest of the canned food in her dish (but didn't touch the yogurt or dry kibble). So at least now she going up to her bowl.

[Guest TeddysMom]

Spice has been here since Dec 5th and is still a little jumpy about new sounds and when all the pack starts barking at something but she has progressed so well that I am thrilled. It sounds like it will just take Danica some time to get use to the workings and noises of your household. I'm happy to hear that she ate this morning.

[greysmom]

Pack dynamics will always change with the addition of another member. It affects some dogs more than others, and may be a permanent change in personality - sometimes for the better and sometimes worse!

 

Danica sounds like she just wants to take her time settling in. Lots of patience is going to be needed. My spook Cash would only eat in the living room for a year before deciding the kitchen (just barely with her two front feet!) would be all right. She might be having some tummy trouble with nervousness and a food change. You might try giving her a Pepcid an hour before her meals.

 

She is eating, so I would just chill about the issue and see what a few more days brings.

[TheFullHouse]

Do you have a crate? If so, I suggest you feed her in her crate. She may feel safer in there. It sounds like she just needs a safe place so she can adjust to her new home.

 

As for Jupiter, I'd scold him every time he snarled or snarked or tried to get her food. If necessary, feed him in a different room so you don't have to yell at him to leave her alone. I've found that when bringing in a new one, any time you raise your voice, the new pup doesn't know whose being scolded so they become afraid. It sounds like she's stressed quite a bit.

[Guest zoolaine]

Good ideas, I never thought about moving Jupiter to another room. But she does get stressed when I am yelling at him to leave her food alone. She is really doing greyt throughout the day - except for at meal time. When I went home for lunch she was in the living room but after a couple of minutes came into the tv room to be with the rest of us. There is something about meal time that is especially stressful to her.

 

Oh and last night she snarked at Jupiter when he was bugging her, he was quite surprised and has left her alone since. Yayyy Danica, you tell that bad boy!

[TheFullHouse]

I have trouble with Bebe sometimes at meal time. Heart and Joey are crated next to each other and sometimes they start yelling at each other and it will scare the crap out of Bebe and she'll run off. I have to pick up my squirt bottle and hold it before she will come back and finish eating because she's learned if Heart and Joey start up again, mom squirts them.

 

She tends to be timid also and will shy away if you're scolding one of the other dogs. Now that Danica has put Jupiter in his place, he should leave her alone a little more and she can relax. I would try and put him in another room during meal time so things are calm and quiet. You may find that's all it takes for her to relax and eat.

[Guest zoolaine]

That is a really good idea; Jupiter LOVES food and he will eat anywhere and anything . Tonight I will try to feed him in the extra bedroom and feed Danica in his normal spot. I gotta get another squirt bottle - Zali ate mine a few months ago, the little turkey. Any ideas on how to get Danica to go up to the bowl and not shy away onto the dog bed? Should I lead her up by the collar?

[greysmom]

You might have to try a more slow adjustment. Moving her bowl a little closer when she's comfortable at one place. That's how we finally got Cash to eat in the kitchen. It took about a month to move her bowl the twelve or so feet from the living room to her eating spot. But she is a spook and not just a bit unsure like Danica.

 

She may surprise you and just run right up there without Jupiter bugging her.

[Guest zoolaine]

I put Jupiter in the spare room and he had no problems eating in there alone. I showed Danica her bowl and put it down but she ran over to her dog bed and would act nervous if I tried to bring it to her or if I went towards her at all. Then Sunny went over and ate her food So I decided to try the bedroom again. I simply put her in there made sure she saw me put the food bowl down and closed the door leaving her in there for almost 20 minutes.......and she ate almost all of her dinner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good girl Danica.

[Batmom]

Could also try separating the dogs with baby gates for feeding, or leashing the offender (if there's only one). I don't let anybody crowd anybody else while they're eating but as Judy said, best to achieve that physically so nobody gets frightened by "mean mom" voice at mealtime .

[Guest Swifthounds]

I put Jupiter in the spare room and he had no problems eating in there alone. I showed Danica her bowl and put it down but she ran over to her dog bed and would act nervous if I tried to bring it to her or if I went towards her at all. Then Sunny went over and ate her food So I decided to try the bedroom again. I simply put her in there made sure she saw me put the food bowl down and closed the door leaving her in there for almost 20 minutes.......and she ate almost all of her dinner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good girl Danica.

 

Yay! With the quiet/shy ones it's often just a matter of finding a situation where they feel comfortable and then setting down the food as if nothing is amiss. Sometimes, if you fuss too much over getting them to eat, that alone stresses them. Admittedly, I've NOT had that problem with greyhounds, but did have it in a rescue IG - who now has a healthy appetite!)

[Guest Swifthounds]

Now my problem with Jupiter. I took him with me on Saturday to see his old foster mom and run and play with some of the greys up for adoption. He has an awesome time and a huge smile on his face the whole time. But since coming home he thinks he is king of the dogs. He has been following Danica around trying to hump her. He snarled and tried to bite Sunny last night, when Sunny tried to get up on the bed (and grabbed my hand instead, leaving a small bruise) and this evening when I was in trying to get Danica to eat him and Luna got into it in the hallway.

 

To me this doesn't sound like a confident dog that had a good time with playmates. It sounds to me more like Jupiter went to run and play with other dogs, felt a bit stressed, and upon his return is attempting shows of dominance with his own pack for reassurance. A confident dog doesn't mount other dogs, snarl and snap, or scrap with other dogs. A dog insecure in his position in the pack will do those things.

 

A confident dog doesn't really care what his/her position is within the pack - only that he knows his position, and so does everyone else in the pack. All the tings that humans take as signs that a dog is happy (running, panting, tail wagging, etc.) are also things that a dog will do when stressed in an environment with strange dogs. They exhibit those behaviors as a way of appealing to the other dogs (sort of the way that people may tend to smile when they're nervous at a social event - others think they're friendly and don't think about whether the person is nervous).

 

I would spend some time building his confidence. One on one training (just you and him) and activities that your pack can do together are a good starting point.