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coliel - Mon Oct 08, 2007 8:51 am
Post subject: missing a meal for a dog each week.

hi
my father and i always starve our dogs one night a week as its very good for their digestion system , keeps them food oriantated and keeps the pecking order of the pack.
we always do it on a sunday and always pick the bowl up clean it and put it back on the floor empty , we do this so that our dogs always know that we havnt just forgotten to feed them but have chosen not too so as the dog trusts us.
dose any one else do this ?
also i dont do it with merlin yet as he is only 7 mths old how ever my dad was saying i should start now as he will be reaching the teenage stage now and it is imporant to show i am top dog and i choose when he is fed.
however i am conserned, as he is only young this may be hard on him .
i didnt do it with gypsie untill she was 18 months but this is because she had a hard time before we got her and it was important to build her trust in us. obviosly as we have had merlin since a tinny pup this is not my consern.
dad has always done this since his dogs were 6 mths but i just wounded if any one on here has any thoughts on the matter???
love coliel

VJH - Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:24 pm
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Bull

I dont hold with the top of the pack mentality and dont believe starving a dog to make it respect you holds any water at all!!! Seriously do you make this stuff up?

VJH - Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:26 pm
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Sorry I am really struggling with this one - can you explain why this would - increase the trust in you? also how is it good for their digestion?

Sonia - Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:29 pm
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Your having a laugh right? How would starving a dog gain respect from you? Sorry, but dogs dont think like humans - its not like taking pocket money away from a child you know......

such a sad world we live in today Sad

Sonia - Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:33 pm
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blimey - you really have annoyed me. Please tell me you dont really do it do you?

VJH - Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:33 pm
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I am annoyed too - but going by previous 'views' from the poster then I dont think its a wind up Crying or Very sad

jabbro - Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:37 pm
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I'm sorry but I don't agree with this treatment of your animals at all. Evil or Very Mad

honeydlc - Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:08 pm
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Hi all!
In Coliel's defense, I think the practice of withholding food for a day a week, or just a meal a week is more widespread than you might think.
I came across it repeatedly when I was researching raw food diets for Honey and Rosie, it was described as a fast to help cleanse the digestive system, and it was said to be closer to a wolf's diet as they don't eat every day in the wild.
It also seems that it used to be common practice with older 'traditional' diets, it is recommended in the Dorwest Herbs feeding guide too.
Having said that, I personally don't do it and never would, Honey would eat ME if she didn't get fed twice a day Shocked

I've never seen it described as a dominance thing either, and I don't know whethe it would be a good idea with commercial food?
What do you feed your dogs Coliel?
XX

Sonia - Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:31 pm
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Ok Georgia, but she is talking about making sure this dog knew 'who was boss'. Also, dogs in the wild/wolves would self regulate what they eat so may not need to eat everyday. This is not the same as domesticated dogs as WE regulate how much they eat. To force a starve once a week is not fair on them.

honeydlc - Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:42 pm
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I do agree with you Sonia, and I wouldn't do it myself, and I don't personally agree with it (I couldn't, can you imagine the sad eyes?!) but I was just saying that it is something that some people do, and they have their arguments for it.
As I said, I really can't imagine it would work as a dominance thing (another thing I don't agree with-my dogs are my family and friends, not my slaves!) after all, dogs are dogs and don't think like people!
XX

Paige13 - Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:12 pm
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im sorry but i think its just rubbish.
You dont need to starve a dog once
a week to let them know who's boss.

How does it make a dog trust you anyway?
Its all aload of rubbish. A dog trusts you because
you love it and care for it properly not because
you starve it for a night.

Sonia - Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:17 pm
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Did not realise others did it Georgia - wonder who made that rubbish up? Bet it was the same people who yank their dogs around by choke chains to show who is 'Alpha Male'! Shocked

shadylady - Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:36 pm
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i wouldnt starve my dog unless you have to for medical reasons as i know sometimes you have too as if theyre ill they cant handle the food and be sick even more or when your dog needs anaesthetic thats the only time my dog has not been fed when it has been recommended by my vet for the general welfare of the dog...

imagine you being starved for a day u would be stressed and it would probably make you snappy so imagine what the poor dog is feeling like, that is most probably why some dogs are possesive with there food and toys etc....

Twig - Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:51 pm
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Starving a dog once a week in fine Rolling Eyes

In the wild wolves only eat once every 3-4 days or whenever they are lucky enough to make a killing. They certainly don't have a nice little bowl and artifical food plonked into it daily out in the wild. Dogs ARE wolves, there is no genetic difference other than colours, pattern and shape, they are the same species.

Fasting is fine, it does actually help clear out the digestive system, just as nature intended.

Personally as I raw feed, I have much more of a problem with people feeding tinned and cooked 'dog food' than I do them fasting a dog one day a week, but each to their own. Wink

I don't fast purely because my mum refuses, otherwise hannah would be fed every other day, and each meal time would be one large meal where she would eat as much as she wanted and then wouldn't eat for another day. Thats more natural and before anyone jumps on me next you gradually work up to it feeding meals of various sizes. It really helps with dogs who have a habit of overeating as well.

However, I disagree with the whole doing it for dominance and stuff though.

Twig

PS Prehaps before jumping to wrong conclusions it may be better to do a bit of research before forming an opinion. Wink

www.rawfed.com/myths

shadylady - Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:55 pm
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i also think people call there dogs family because there in your home, and you care for them like you would a family member well i certainly do lol and my dog is pretty much treated like a member of my family i would do anything for my dog.. and i dont care what other people say she is the best thing in my life, i dont know what i would do without her, id probably turn into a raving lunatic lol

im also thinking off getting a tatoo of her... so she will be with me forever and always by my heart...

Twig - Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:59 pm
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honeydlc wrote:

, dogs are dogs and don't think like people!
XX

Yes, I 100% agree with that, so why is everyone here relating how they think as a person to their dogs by coming off with 'starving is unfair to the dog' etc when it all occurs in nature. A tad contradictory is it not? And I'm not aiming that at anyone in particular, just making a point. Smile

sambo - Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:00 pm
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Okay time to lock this before it gets heated i think we will have to agree to disagree on this one guys. Wink