Dog won't eat

vartan · Feb 25, 2006, 11:01 AM

I have a Germen Shepherd mix that I adopted from a rescue roughly 2 months ago. When I adopted him he needed to be neutered before I got him which was fine, when we took him home he seems to be hacking things up, we took him back and they said he had kennel cough. After all the anti biotics they gave us he seemed to be better. Since then our dog has had a white/yellowish discharge from his penis, it is a small bead normally but seems strange, also the main concern is that he doesn't like to eat, we weened him off purina to Canidae which we heard was a great food, hoping this would help but he still rarely eats, we have to put a topping on it (wet food) for him to even touch it and then he still doesn't eat much, he also is quite lazy around the house, and when he does want to play he gets tired very easy.. also on top of this he drinks constantly throughout the day but always seems to be thirsty and have a somewhat dry throat. We have taken him to a couple different vets and they all say that this is normal behavior but I just don't believe it. Does anyone have any advice?

labman · Feb 25, 2006, 12:10 PM

He may be eating all he needs for his activity level. I will post a chart to accurately determine that. I am more concerned about his activity level. I would hope if there is a physical problem, at least one of the vets would have caught it. He has been through a lot, and often Shepherds do not take well to new homes. Again, it bothers me that it is taking so long. Try lavishing attention on him, ear scratches, belly rubs. Also obedience train him. Shepherds respond to a strong leader. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. The treat based obedience work better with more food motivated dogs. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/. The monks know their Shepherds.

I am no great fan of the premium chows including Canidae. I am still waiting for somebody to direct me to a large, controlled study showing they really are better. As long as it isn't a problem, stick to it. In any case, stick to one of the concentrated meat based chows. They are best for keeping the ribs from showing on dogs that are light eaters. In some cases, Shepherd owners have to allow the ribs to show a little.

vartan · Feb 25, 2006, 01:23 PM

I see you have helped many people and I appreciate the concern and comments. As far as the activity level, the vets say he must just be a mellow dog. I understand mellowness in a dog, but I can maybe throw a tennis ball for him 4-5 times and he wants to just lay down which like you said worries me. I see what you mean as far as obedience.. We actually just finished an obedience class with him that was a "click/reward" class and he really didn't shine, he is such an intelligent dog and I know he can be great but the class just wasn't right for him. He didn't care to eat the treats most of the time or would do a couple things then lose focus. I am planning to check out the book "How to be the Leader of the Pack...And have Your Dog Love You For It. ("How to" booklets from Dog's Best Friend) (Paperback)" by Patricia B. McConnell . As I have heard many great things about it. I will check out that monk .

As I have not really used this site, (but know I will now) I have other behavior questions also (not as much of a concern as his health)... should I start a new thread for this?

labman · Feb 25, 2006, 01:55 PM

I notice I forgot my chart in my first answer. If you looked around at some of my other answers, likely you found it. You can see I have consistently said a healthy dog will eat all it needs in most cases. Yours is not a typical case. The clicker class may have been a good one for you and any less food motivated dog. The older the dog, the slower they adjust.

No consensus of opinion here on new threads. If you add a new question to this thread, it may save me going back to check a detail I forgot about your dog. There is one long thread on ''My dog won't eat'' that is a confusing collection of unrelated problems. Glad you didn't add to it. Either way, I will do my best to answer.

vartan · Feb 25, 2006, 02:03 PM

There are 2 behavior issues that I am really facing now. They tie in together I believe. The first is my dogs focus, when at home he can be very focused... I can call him from anywhere in my house no matter where he is and he will come straight there and do what I ask.. But the second you add a distraction he is lost.. these distractions are people, dogs, or other animals... I have been told to reinforce his name which I keep doing, but it seems like once those distractions are there I am not important anymore.

The next problem I think stems from his focus issue, if he sees a dog he will bark, and bark excessively... This all happens when on a leash, I have read things about leash aggression and what not but I am not sure his issue is aggression. He will pull on the leash and bark at the other dog.. when he gets closer he somewhat calms down and will sniff them. But when this happens he normally then tries to nip the other dog... The strangest thing about this, is if he gets surprised by a dog (the dog comes from around a corner right in front of him) he normally just walks by and leaves them be. Any ideas on this? My problem is he has a very loud bark and it scares people, and I feel that he just wants play time with others and I feel bad holding this back from him.

labman · Feb 25, 2006, 04:55 PM

Those are a couple of tough issues. My guess is that you discussed them with the obedience instructor and didn't get the help you needed. I still see the dog as not bonding to you and accepting you as leader completely yet. I have heard good things about clicker training, but don't know if it emphasizes leadership as much as some dogs need. One of the things the dog guide school teaches us is to keep the dog focused on us. When you see another dog or other distraction ahead, instantly begin talking to the dog and clicking as appropriate to keep the focus on you.

Sometimes it is effective to hold you hand up in front of the dog's face and say its name, quiet in a firm voice. If he is wanting to get to the other dog, try just standing there until he quits.

He may need some time playing with other dogs. One on one in a fenced back yard might be the best place to start. A female under 3 years might be the best partner. If that won't work, you might risk a dog park if there any around you. Could go well if anybody is brave enough to let their dog near his barking.

It breaks my heart to see so many nice dogs in the shelters needing homes. I encourage adoption all I can and discourage breeding. Many times dogs from the shelter do have problems. I do all I can to help. I also spend time answering questions from people that started with a puppy from a breeder.

vartan · Feb 25, 2006, 05:05 PM

Shadow my pup and his little buddy Moo Cow thank you for your advise.. I will let you know how it goes he has a vet appt on Tuesday and I am going to talk to a behaviorist that says they can help

labman · Feb 26, 2006, 04:29 PM

Let us know how things go with the behaviorist. In most cases I feel they are unnecessary. I am not sure if your dog's behavior is due to an undiagnosed physical problem or baggage from the past. It sounds like he could be doing better, and I am always interested to hear the outcome of things.

vartan · Feb 26, 2006, 09:34 PM

After talking with the person I think this will help, they are going to help figure out what his leash type aggression or excitedness is and help us socialize him.. Since no one else really wants to socialize their dog with a dog that barks. They get scared.. our meeting is on Wednesday I will let you know the results.