This is about some strange behavior from our roommate's dog. Carl is a three year old Pit Bull/Daschund mix, not sure of his weight but I'd say about 40 lbs. He gets about three 10-15 minute walks a day (always has) and a random amount of play time. He and our Corgi play very nicely all the time.

About a month ago my boyfriend and I took over the dogs' feeding. Conan is on a schedule so we just adapted Carl to it too. He gets about a cup of food a day, and has lost weight (needed) and looks very healthy. He does, unfortunately, eat whatever is cheapest at Target.

The past three days he's been getting out of hand. Every time we're gone, he pulls the table cloth off the dining table. We don't leave anything on there, and all of the chairs are pushed in. If you have read one of my earlier posts, you know this was a problem. Thankfully, it isn't anymore. In fact it's our roommate that's concerned this time (I am too, but he brought it up to us instead of the other way around for once :grin. Also, he tries to jump on the kitchen counters. On his hind legs, his nose can reach the top of the kitchen table but he can barely see over it. He cannot reach the kitchen counters. Even while we're home, cooking dinner, he's been leaping in the air trying to jump on the counters. Even when there is no food or ANYTHING edible, or anything that has scent, or even anything at all left out, he's been trying to jump on the counters and pulling the table cloth off. We took the table cloth off for good, but that's not really a solution.

I'm wondering if we're not feeding him enough? Is he hungry? I'm totally at a loss. He's never done anything like this before and there have been no changes at all. Same life and structure as there has always been. Just getting less food. I would think that if he were truly starving, he would be thinner, and he would have started acting like this when we first lessened the amount of food he was getting. This behavior is totally bizarre to us all. Other than that, he's normal. Still the same Carl he's always been. Just taking advantage of his leaping skills. He'll never make it on the counter, but that's not what I'm worried about. I know he can definitely hurt himself this way. Since I'm at a loss, I came to the best place I could think of.. here! I'm sure some of you will be able to see something in the equation that I can't. Anything would help! Thanks!

A cup of food meaning a measuring cup?
That isn't much food at all, especially if he is eating crap in a bag.
Yote is about 5o lbs so not a lot bigger and he eats most of a 24 ounce drink cup in the morning and a another 1/2 cup or so in the evening. And is quite thin with a noticeable waist.

The term is "Chow Hound" and if he is trying to get to the table or counter he will succed one day, it needs to be fixed thru basic obed. Since his wieght is down his energy level will be up so I'd bet he needs more mental and physical excercise

If after you have increased his activity (mental and physical), he is still acting very hungry. Sometimes, adding some green beans (thawed frozen not canned) to his meal will help make the dog feel less hungry.

and here is were if gets tricky, a well excercised dog is going to require more and better chow

Thanks everyone. He definitely needs obedience work. I know one cup in a measuring cup of food isn't a lot, but he does get table scraps. Though we've talked about how it's really unhealthy so our roommate may have stopped. He could have more energy since he's lost weight, didn't think of that. He definitely needs more exercise (I think anyway). Sometimes when we take Conan out we take Carl too but if we're doing some training then we only take Conan. Once we start biking with Conan I'm going to see if Carl can get into it too, because I think he'd love it also. Our roommate would be pleased I'm sure, and then I get double exercise Once I get more time I want to ask our roommate if I can get Carl started on marker training, but he's fairly defensive of his doggie parenting skills so it's hard to mention his dog needs ob work without being really intrusive. Kind of like how you can't tell other people how to raise their kids...

Here is a picture of the both of them together (before they both lost weight) so you can kind of compare his size. Conan has a very well defined waist (now), and Carl's isn't as well defined but I just figured it's his body structure. We're not even 100% he's Pit Bull/Doxie.. it's just our guess. He has to have some sort of bully breed in him (right?) and I know he is going to be stockier. I'll try to get a more recent one.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v282/fevershakes/conancarlcompare.jpg

Thanks everyone!

P.S. Will definitely try the green beans Mary!

olive oil in the food, the dog is more inclined to eat the green beans

Hi, Katie,

There is no meaningful way to discuss appropriate amounts by the cup (or any measure) without knowing what food it is.

The worst of the crap-in-a-bag foods require much more to be fed than a food with meat in top place and little or no grain.

Southern States Farm Supply puts the protien content on the front of the bag in big letters. also like Purina they don't use any imported products in their food

Hm.. this could be tricky then. We will definitely start feeding him more, but he really gets a different kind of food every time the bag runs out (right now it's Iams). I know it sounds easy to just tell him to buy good quality kibble, or at least the same kind of bad kibble every time but with him.. let's just say I would end up having to do it. He just doesn't have the desire to spend the money or doesn't have the effort to "remember" to get the same kind of food. I'm sure I've said it before, it's just a very frustrating situation. We'll try the green beans and olive oil. Thanks again!