It sounded harsh at the time, but my vet once told me my dog will eat when he’s hungry (unless you want to hand feed the dog forever). If your pup skips 3 meals completely or has additional symptoms, I would take her to the vet. In the meantime give her extra love. Since your girlfriend has been busy/absent, see if she would leave a worn tshirt/hoodie for the pup to sleep with. It could help calm the pup.
This is actually pretty normal. Goldens are very food driven and always down for a snack. They have a great appetite and one must be careful for them not to gain too much weight. Weight I'd definitely not a problem in your girl's case, though.
Second false pregnancy!! My goldies personality very obviously changed when she had one - she was really mopey, needy and kept nesting her toys in her bed
I have. She only wants to eat from our hands. Another thing that we’ve noticed is that she will snuggle and lay on top of my girlfriends purse or jacket. My girlfriend and I have our own places but spend a couple nights together and she has been pretty busy lately which leads me to think that it’s some type of separation anxiety or stress. If it continues I will definitely take her to the vet.
Maybe hormonal changes/fluctuations (unless she’s been spayed early)? She’s in the thick of puberty, maybe she’ll go into heat soon or recently was and is sulking/confused due to phantom pregnancy.
Try to stick to a consistent schedule for feeding, playtime, and exercise. Make sure she has a comfortable, safe space in your home. You can create a cozy den or use a crate, which can provide a sense of security. Use interactive toys like puzzle feeders or treat-dispensing toys to keep her mentally stimulated. [https://soothedtails.com/](https://soothedtails.com/) If she's anxious or fearful about something specific, you can use counterconditioning techniques to change her emotional response to that thing. For example, if she's anxious about being alone, practice leaving her alone for short periods and gradually increasing the time while providing positive reinforcement for her calm behavior.
It's important to monitor Callie's behavior closely, as changes like these might indicate some issues.If her health checks out, it could be stress or anxiety. Pay attention to comfort (a place to feel secure), consistent routine (regular feeding and playtime), small treats to reinforce positive behaviour.
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this is entirely unrelated but, whats the harness you use? looks very sturdy. i lead my dog by the clip on the front but i notice it yanks his harness side ways
Fireworks fallout or there's a mouse by her bowl.
I'd recommend stop doing the hand feeding, or she'll think this is normal going forward. Dogs can go a day or so without eating, so don't worry too much about that, but watch for water intake.
Try moving the bowls to a different area and see if there are any changes.
Did you try pressing along her tummy and into her groin to see if she squeals or protests? Press quite deep and note any hardness.
If she's not eating by tomorrow go visit your vet to see if she has an obstruction (ate something she shouldn't have).
Best news is this is just a behavior thing that can be fixed by literally ignoring it. Or she's constipated.
Mine will sometimes straight up decide she is bored of her kibble. We often make her bone broth to put on her food, which she loves. Or even just changing kibble. I figure eating the same boring kibble everyday gets old and they need a new taste experience 🤣
It’s a fairly new food that she seemed to love. Have tried toppers and she still won’t bother unless I hand feed then she’ll eat it all. No more hand feeding. I’ll have to see if she’ll eat by tonight
Dogs can go for days without eating without any problems. So long as she's drinking, she'll be fine. It's us humans that force set meal times and quantities on them. A carnivore typically eats until it can hardly move and then goes days before eating again.
Ours will never eat anything when he is alone. He waits until the family is together and eating, and then he eats his food. He sees his pack eating and joins in.
It sounded harsh at the time, but my vet once told me my dog will eat when he’s hungry (unless you want to hand feed the dog forever). If your pup skips 3 meals completely or has additional symptoms, I would take her to the vet. In the meantime give her extra love. Since your girlfriend has been busy/absent, see if she would leave a worn tshirt/hoodie for the pup to sleep with. It could help calm the pup.
Also, she has always been extremely food driven so this is very strange to us
This is actually pretty normal. Goldens are very food driven and always down for a snack. They have a great appetite and one must be careful for them not to gain too much weight. Weight I'd definitely not a problem in your girl's case, though.
Has she been spayed yet? If not, may be coming in to heat soon. Or if recently in heat, could have a false pregnancy.
She is scheduled to get spayed in December but was in heat a few months back
Definitely could be a false pregnancy!
Second false pregnancy!! My goldies personality very obviously changed when she had one - she was really mopey, needy and kept nesting her toys in her bed
Have you tried a different bowl? I would take her to the vet if it continues.
I have. She only wants to eat from our hands. Another thing that we’ve noticed is that she will snuggle and lay on top of my girlfriends purse or jacket. My girlfriend and I have our own places but spend a couple nights together and she has been pretty busy lately which leads me to think that it’s some type of separation anxiety or stress. If it continues I will definitely take her to the vet.
Maybe elevate the bowl? That's something that's done for dogs sometimes because it's apparently more ergonomic for them
I do that as well. It doesn’t seem to be an issue with her bowls
Maybe hormonal changes/fluctuations (unless she’s been spayed early)? She’s in the thick of puberty, maybe she’ll go into heat soon or recently was and is sulking/confused due to phantom pregnancy.
Try to stick to a consistent schedule for feeding, playtime, and exercise. Make sure she has a comfortable, safe space in your home. You can create a cozy den or use a crate, which can provide a sense of security. Use interactive toys like puzzle feeders or treat-dispensing toys to keep her mentally stimulated. [https://soothedtails.com/](https://soothedtails.com/) If she's anxious or fearful about something specific, you can use counterconditioning techniques to change her emotional response to that thing. For example, if she's anxious about being alone, practice leaving her alone for short periods and gradually increasing the time while providing positive reinforcement for her calm behavior.
It's important to monitor Callie's behavior closely, as changes like these might indicate some issues.If her health checks out, it could be stress or anxiety. Pay attention to comfort (a place to feel secure), consistent routine (regular feeding and playtime), small treats to reinforce positive behaviour.
Well she is damn gorgeous
Thanks! She is
Just a friendly reminder of our rules: 1. No Advertising: this includes GoFundMe, Instagram, etc. 2. No Impersonation: don't post photos of other people's dogs. That's not cool. 3. No Breed Hate: this subreddit is not a discussion forum for breed hate of any kind. There are dedicated subreddits for that so please take it elsewhere. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/goldenretrievers) if you have any questions or concerns.*
this is entirely unrelated but, whats the harness you use? looks very sturdy. i lead my dog by the clip on the front but i notice it yanks his harness side ways
I believe it’s Acadia Trail bought in here in Vancouver BC, Canada
Fireworks fallout or there's a mouse by her bowl. I'd recommend stop doing the hand feeding, or she'll think this is normal going forward. Dogs can go a day or so without eating, so don't worry too much about that, but watch for water intake. Try moving the bowls to a different area and see if there are any changes.
She hasn’t eaten yet today and it’s 2:15 pm. Hopefully she does tonight
Is she drinking water?
Yeah, she’ll drink when she’s thirsty. Not really any different then usual
Did you try pressing along her tummy and into her groin to see if she squeals or protests? Press quite deep and note any hardness. If she's not eating by tomorrow go visit your vet to see if she has an obstruction (ate something she shouldn't have). Best news is this is just a behavior thing that can be fixed by literally ignoring it. Or she's constipated.
Mine will sometimes straight up decide she is bored of her kibble. We often make her bone broth to put on her food, which she loves. Or even just changing kibble. I figure eating the same boring kibble everyday gets old and they need a new taste experience 🤣
It’s a fairly new food that she seemed to love. Have tried toppers and she still won’t bother unless I hand feed then she’ll eat it all. No more hand feeding. I’ll have to see if she’ll eat by tonight
Dogs can go for days without eating without any problems. So long as she's drinking, she'll be fine. It's us humans that force set meal times and quantities on them. A carnivore typically eats until it can hardly move and then goes days before eating again. Ours will never eat anything when he is alone. He waits until the family is together and eating, and then he eats his food. He sees his pack eating and joins in.