When to feed my dog dinner

[bluemountainmama]

I'm a brand new dog owner and need a little advice. We just brought Moose (a 6 year old English Mastiff) home a few days ago. I had read online that the family should eat first and then feed the dog so he knows his place. So we did that. The first night he growl begged for some food and then went to lay down when my husband told him "no". No problem. The second night he went downstairs and peed on the floor while we were eating. It was nowhere near where he goes out and he seems housetrained so I'm pretty sure he was protesting. I called his foster mom and she said she always fed the dogs first. She agreed he was protesting. Is it okay to feed this guy first? Should I feed him at a completely different time than the family? Or should I hold my ground and get a Bissel Spotbot Pet? I don't want to change his routine unnecessarily, but I don't want to let him think he's the boss and his peeing business worked either. (We have a trainer coming to the house for a few sessions starting next week to help us with our boy too.)

 

[DennasMom]

Welcome to the forum, this place is an awesome resource! So I'm sure more knowledgeable people than me will chime in here...
And thank you for adopting an older gentleman. I'd love to do that (have to convince the hubby first), so I'm very interested in hearing about the challenges people run into.

We don't worry about when feeding time happens around here anymore. I'd read the same thing, that "leaders eat first" and "followers get the left overs". The same people suggest spitting in the dog's food so they know YOU had it first. I have no idea if the dog understands that or not...

BUT - that he's protesting would mean to me that he needs a little extra support for learning the rules of the new house. I'd stick with eating before he does, just to make sure he doesn't "win" this round. I'd make sure he doesn't leave the room when you're eating - leash him to your chair and put him in a down/stay behind your chair while you eat. Then feed him as soon as you're done with your dinner, as reward for being patient.

The rest I'd take easy, since he's only been with you a few days, start with just a few rules and let him settle in and get to know you. Keep everything as relaxed and positive as you can so he feels safe and loved - but don't let him break any rules now, or he'll think they just don't apply down the road, either.

I'd probably limit his run of the house for a while, too (we use a lot of baby gates around our place) - until you learn each other's schedules and you trust him not to "protest" your comings and goings.

 

[mx5055]

Seriously, and this is just my own personal opinion, but around my house the dog is the only one with "set" meal times, and that's because she's a pup...later it will be 2x a day when she's older. Her feeding schedule is based on waking....lunch time, and dinner (which is the same time every night so she can sleep comfortably through the night in her crate). I really think who eats first, or last, or at the same time argument is totally going too far. My dog is taught to leave "humans" alone, and not beg when they are eating, but that in my mind is just good dog training. I eat when I want....be it before, after, or at the same time my dog does. I really can't stress how rediculous I think this argument is. Just my opinion

 

[Seanndenise]

I have always fed my dogs first.

They know they depend on you for food so if they are hungry and are forced to watch you eat dinner with all those good smelling foods, your just asking for trouble. I can't stand having a dog look at me while I'm eating no matter how well behaved they are.

Feed em and tell em to hit the road

 

[bluemountainmama]

I went ahead and fed him his dinner about 1 hour before the family had theirs since this is what his foster mom had been doing. That also works well for us to take him for a walk after dinner without exercising him right after his meal. He left everyone alone during our meal and laid quietly nearby. He has always been good about leaving the table when told no even if he wasn't fed first. It was just the urinating that was problematic. So far so good with that, only the one incident.

 

[Robtouw]

We eat dinner at the same time, but Cruiser eats in his room or outside. We've never allowed him to eat in the same room with us to ensure no begging.

 

[bluemountainmama]

Well, he urinated on the carpet again. I had just fed him dinner so he wasn't hungry. He did however want the bread my husband was eating. My husband went in the bedroom with his bread (we have found that to be his FAVORITE thing, pizza a close second) and closed the dog out. Moose peed in the hallway immediately. He really doesn't like it when we don't share! Any ideas?

 

[Robtouw]

He is testing you to see what he can get away with and if you don't address it, I promise he will use the tatic more. I would hand feed him then put him in his crate away from you after he eats while you eat your dinner. After you finish your dinner, take him from the crate on leash and outdoors to pee, but do not play, make it all business. You must take an alpha role.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Yup, he's protesting.

If he's crate trained then do like Robtouw said, crate him during mealtimes. If he does it when someone's grabbed a snack treat it like a housebreaking issue (which it basically is), and interupt him, leash him up and take him outside to pee. No playing, no nothing, outside to pee, and regardless of whether he actually goes, back inside in a few minutes.

In the mean time make sure NO ONE is feeding him tidbits on the sly, cause thats going to re-inforce the behavior. Correct him for begging, and go on with your meal.

We don't eat on set meal times here either due to mine and my husband's schedules not always meeting up, so the dogs are fed on a schedule that has little relation to when we humans eat.