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Post by alfiemummy on Dec 6, 2014 18:07:30 GMT
Lately I have been having real trouble with Alfie eating any food he finds on walks. The main problem is over the field near my house. There are various people that put bird seed out on the field and in the woods, one woman goes round every single morning at pretty much the same time or just before us. I wouldn't mind people feeding the birds but I really wish they wouldn't just throw the food on the floor where it is so easy for dogs to reach! They also put extras like pieces of apple or digestive biscuits in the seed mix too, both of which he loves. Alfie never used to touch the bird seed until these extras were added. As it is a regular thing, he knows where all of the food points are and will make a beeline there to eat it, no amount of me calling him for any kind of tasty treat will get him to come away so I have to go and get him again and keep him on a lead. Usually by our evening walk most of the food has been eaten and we don't have trouble, the woods is also worse than the field as the birds don't really seem to eat much of that but all the food on the field is eaten straight away. I have seen seagulls hovering around this woman as soon as she arrives! However just this afternoon I caught him with a whole fatball! Why are people throwing fatballs on the floor?! Obviously I know that my problem would be fixed if we stopped going there, but it is very close to home so the best place to go if you need to get a quick walk in. He also has doggy friends (I am friends with the owners too!) and we wouldn't see them if we didn't ever go there. If we go there, I have been keeping him on his flexi lead all the way around the woods and on the field in the mornings, so he only gets off the lead on the field in the evenings but even then he could still find something. Even when he is on the lead he sometimes manages to snaffle something if I am not quick enough to notice - it is difficult to tell when he is just sniffing or when he is eating! The problem has gotten so bad that I have considered getting him a muzzle. I have also considered talking to the woman who is the main problem but I don't really know how to go about it or what to say to her, I can't imagine she would really listen to me or be all that bothered.
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Post by bextull on Dec 6, 2014 18:18:34 GMT
Oscar does the exact same. Although its usually dead things as oppose to bird food and the odd loaf of bread (don't ask me where it came from but there was an entire homemade loaf of bread in the ditch one day ). The only thing I can do to stop him is tell him to "leave it" in a firm a voice I can without screaming at him. I use the voice I use when I'm told to "get angry" with the horses at work. For the most part it works and then he's always rewarded for leaving it alone. If he doesn't leave it my only options are to either let him eat it or race over to him and pull him away from it. Thats probably no help at all but thats what I do.
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Post by bectil on Dec 6, 2014 18:27:19 GMT
I think something definitely needs to be said. If she is throwing fatballs on the ground, then it is possibly a matter of time until dried fruit/other toxic food is added!
Perhaps you could suggest to her to put up some cheap bird feeders, so there is no need to put food on the ground? Politely explain that it might give some dogs upset stomachs if they eat some of the things she's putting on the floor.
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Post by alfiemummy on Dec 6, 2014 18:29:21 GMT
I have been training a leave it with Alfie but it doesn't seem to work on food He will just eat it faster because now he knows he's been caught, until I get to him.
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Post by barley on Dec 6, 2014 18:33:42 GMT
I don't really have any advice I'm afraid but I can imagine how frustrating you're finding it, I know Alfie would be just the same. I just picked up on the muzzle comment. Alfie has to wear a muzzle in some situations and he can pick treats up off the floor and eat them perfectly well whilst wearing it, so not sure that would do much to help with your problem
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Post by alfiemummy on Dec 6, 2014 18:34:43 GMT
I think something definitely needs to be said. If she is throwing fatballs on the ground, then it is possibly a matter of time until dried fruit/other toxic food is added! Perhaps you could suggest to her to put up some cheap bird feeders, so there is no need to put food on the ground? Politely explain that it might give some dogs upset stomachs if they eat some of the things she's putting on the floor. I can't say for sure if the woman I see is the one that left the fatball, I have never seen fatballs out before so it may be a one-off. Someone also mentioned that squirrels steal them so that is also a possibility that it was left there by one. The woman I see throws food all across the field but in the woods she will leave it on tree stumps and the like, usually not high enough to be out of reach. I have seen a couple of feeders in the woods but I think they were put there by someone else. In the past there has been someone putting out dog food for the foxes, I left a huge notice at that spot (which was torn down within a day lol) as I didn't know who it was but that seems to have stopped. Whether or not that was to do with my note I don't know. I will try and talk to her, it is made more difficult because she walks with a dog that isn't very friendly and barks at other dogs so she always moves away from other people with dogs. I will have to call her to stop and try and have a chat.
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Post by alfiemummy on Dec 6, 2014 18:35:13 GMT
I don't really have any advice I'm afraid but I can imagine how frustrating you're finding it, I know Alfie would be just the same. I just picked up on the muzzle comment. Alfie has to wear a muzzle in some situations and he can pick treats up off the floor and eat them perfectly well whilst wearing it, so not sure that would do much to help with your problem Oh Thanks for letting me know
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Post by barley on Dec 6, 2014 18:46:12 GMT
Another kind of muzzle might be different, Alfie has the Baskerville Ultra. Just wanted to give you a heads up!
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Post by caz2golden on Dec 6, 2014 18:49:24 GMT
I sympathize as I have same issue with my dogs (though my issues are fishing bait). Though mine are better than they were, they are no angels on that front! All I can say is try and work on your leave command, drop command, recall and stop the dog. Takes time but hopefully the amount he scoffs will reduce by working on the above. If its an open public area, could you write a letter to council to see if there are any local bylaws with regard to the feeding of wildlife (birds) and disposing of food (which chucking out bread and biscuits is). Its not always legal to feed wildlife in public spaces.
If there is a lot of food chucked out and its near housing you could always complain to the council that it will encourage pests (such as rats).
Would be good if you could encourage the people who chuck food out to put up a feeder (or bird table) which will help with issue.
Are any other dog walkers having same issue?
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Post by alfiemummy on Dec 6, 2014 18:55:01 GMT
I sympathize as I have same issue with my dogs (though my issues are fishing bait). Though mine are better than they were, they are no angels on that front! All I can say is try and work on your leave command, drop command, recall and stop the dog. Takes time but hopefully the amount he scoffs will reduce by working on the above. If its an open public area, could you write a letter to council to see if there are any local bylaws with regard to the feeding of wildlife (birds) and disposing of food (which chucking out bread and biscuits is). Its not always legal to feed wildlife in public spaces. If there is a lot of food chucked out and its near housing you could always complain to the council that it will encourage pests (such as rats). Would be good if you could encourage the people who chuck food out to put up a feeder (or bird table) which will help with issue. Are any other dog walkers having same issue? Talking to the council is a good idea, I had not thought of that. That is the main reason why it is such a problem, it is very close to houses so easy for people to just chuck out everything they don't want. Yesterday my friend lost her JRT for 10-15 minutes because she was scoffing the remains of a cooked chicken (she only knew that as she was sick 3 times in the night!) I know many other walkers are having the same issue but none of them seem to care that much or have given up. Think it is because there is not much we can really do about it, others have said 'that's just what dogs do' My friend with the JRT finds it as frustrating as me, she stopped letting her dog off the lead in the woods for a while and only recently started again - think she will be back on for a long time now! She has it worse than me as her dog will not come near her when she has something. I am thankful at least that Alfie will stay when I tell him to and I can get a lead on him even if he has food.
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Post by bectil on Dec 6, 2014 18:57:33 GMT
If its an open public area, could you write a letter to council to see if there are any local bylaws with regard to the feeding of wildlife (birds) and disposing of food (which chucking out bread and biscuits is). Its not always legal to feed wildlife in public spaces. I was wondering that! I did try googling, but I think I got my wording wrong so I didn't get an answer. Also, I'd have thought that as she has her own dog, that she would know better! I would love a ground feeding station in my back garden, but daren't because some of the things off of it would be eaten by greedy-guts
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Post by caz2golden on Dec 6, 2014 18:59:39 GMT
What about taking a different approach to the leave of food.
Why not try a wait and take? Start with holding treat in hand, show it to alfie and leave in snatching distance, command wait, and only let him take it when you have commanded to take. Improving food manners might help towards the leave (in longer term) Then do same exercise but by dropping food to the floor. Then drop food to the floor, command leave, (have another in your hand at same time as dropping treat to floor) and lead him away from the treat on the floor Build this up and hopefully in time the leave will start to work and he learns leave = you have something for him. However you must always pick this dropped treat back up and never let him have it.
Does he still have his tennis ball infatuation? Might be able to us this to your advantage. i.e he goes for food and you scream him back for his ball play session?
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Post by zahada on Dec 6, 2014 19:02:36 GMT
It's all good stuff to our dogs! Mine do the same. That's why we don't go to the park or the rec fields as they can be full of leftover picnics and barbecues. The only way to stop dogs eating unwanted things is to use a muzzle until a reliable leave it is trained. Or walk where the likelihood of food on the ground is low.
I have squirrels bringing stuff like toast into my garden to eat. If something scares them they drop it on the ground and my never fed dogs think it's their birthday. LOL.
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Post by zahada on Dec 6, 2014 19:04:57 GMT
Nice post Caz.
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Post by caz2golden on Dec 6, 2014 19:05:28 GMT
If its an open public area, could you write a letter to council to see if there are any local bylaws with regard to the feeding of wildlife (birds) and disposing of food (which chucking out bread and biscuits is). Its not always legal to feed wildlife in public spaces. I was wondering that! I did try googling, but I think I got my wording wrong so I didn't get an answer. Also, I'd have thought that as she has her own dog, that she would know better! I would love a ground feeding station in my back garden, but daren't because some of the things off of it would be eaten by greedy-guts I know some coastal areas ban feeding of seagulls and town parks can have bylaws regarding feeding ducks bread etc, you never know unless you ask. Some places ban feeding of pigeons. We had temporary ban here a few years back, when bird flu was feared, so feeding of wild birds in public spaces was not allowed.
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