Always hungry

[minigooch]

Hi All. My 6 m/o GSP pup is always hungry ! Even after finishing his meal he is always looking for food.He will eat crab shells, paper towels,toilet paper ,dirty diapers, you get the picture. This is our first pup . Is this a puppy thing ? . Should we try a different food ? I feed him Purina pro plan . 2 cups 2 X a day . I asked my vet if I could increase and he said 4 to 4 1/2 cups is where I should be. He also gets a few small milk bones throughout the day. He looks great and hasn't had any problems except stealing food. First thing (that we know of )was a loaf of white bread on Wed then a dozen large croissants on Fri and 6 large blueberry muffins this am . All from the counter. I know all of this is our fault and we (myself wife 2 boys 13 &11) are learning and adjusting as we go. Like not leaving anything in his reach. He only does this when we are out of sight because he gets "in trouble " if we catch him on the counter. I'm wondering if besides being vigilant of keeping food out of his reach should I "set him" up using e collar. All advice is appreciated ! Thanks in advance . Mike

[diplomat019]

have you tried disciplining him? a slap on the muzzle or grabbing the scruff of his neck while giving a no. sounds like it could be a discipline thing. I'm still going through it with my 1 year old gsp. he will eat any human food, but we correct him if we see him thinking about it. i don't think your going through anything different than any other puppy owner

[Sharon]

I don't think it's that unusual. My 8 year old is always hungry and will whine for more dinner if not told to get lost.

You can overdo the e collar. Must simpler to keep the counter clear.

[Brazosvalleyvizslas]

All of mine are always hungry. I couldn't afford to feed them if I let them decide their diet.

[jwnissen]

My shorthair does the same thing. She loves toilet paper and papertowels. On the advice on many of the wonderful people on here, i watch her body and adjust her food accordingly. I feed her 3 cups a day, 1.5 in the am and pm. I would just watch her weight.

[Hoosierdaddy]

I would stay away from the e-collar on this issue.Counter-surfing is normal for a pup.They smell something tasty they are gonna check it out.It is not exceptable behavior though.We take away the temptation,nothing on counter-tops unless we are present,if they decide to get on their hind legs they get disciplined.Our dogs are not allowed to be anywhere near us when we eat.It takes a while but if you are consistant they figure it out.

[jwnissen]

As far as the counter surfing, we tried everything. What finally worked was baiting mousetraps. I was worried about hurting the pup so I snapped myself first to make sure I wouldnt break a toe. She has been hit by mouse traps a couple times and got the hint. Now she stands up on her back feet to look whats on the counter but rarely touches it. I also had to make sure bathroom doors are shut or she gets into the trash and eats the tissue paper. I would also put a trap under a tasty morsel of tissue paper and that helped, a lot. But lke you said, as soon as you turn your back is when she does anything bad. She knows while we are around what she can and cant do. Its going to be a constant battle, but keep at it. She started calming down and not getting into as much trouble between 1.5 and 2yrs old. Good luck, keep at it. It gets bettter.

[sdsujacks]

6 months is young, pups are curious. Food smells tasty. Teach them to stay off the counter, don't let them in a room unsupervised. Keep them in a crate or tie their leash to their belt so they don't leave your side. When my lab was 6 months he would be on the counter or in the trash the moment I turned my back. Now at 2 years old he knows what rooms he can and cannot enter in the house and he will lay on the floor staring into the room but never cross in. He knows that the kithen, bathrooms, bedrooms, and basement is off limits and it doesn't look like he tests us when we're gone..

[Bounty_Hunter]

I tried an e-collar on my dog for counter surfing and it works great but the problem is it only works when you are present, as he will catch on that when no one is around the bar is open. The mouse traps sound like a better idea.

[High Voltage]

I have tried the mouse traps and they worked great as long as they were on the counter. All the dogs, including a dobi & and blue heeler mix, could smell when they weren't there anymore.

[Brazosvalleyvizslas]

Scat Mat?

[5andaback]

Worm him.