Quote: Patricia Fisher

She is an outside dog. Keeping her inside is not an option. Husband wants me to rehome her.

Does she have any kind of cover, shed, barn, dog house?

Can you put a crate in one of these areas, feed her in the crate?

Are you looking for a home for her?

Hi Patricia,

Just a couple of questions to clarify things...

How long have you had Heidi?
The vet figures she is about 8-9 months old?
How long ago was the spay surgery?
Has your husband had any kind of contact with the dog? And why is he asking you to rehome her? Behavior doesn't seem too over the top yet to require rehoming...

--Kelly

My last dog, Toro, displayed this same behaviour with his food - either when he still had food left in the bowl, but was full, but usually when he was not wanting to eat at that time. However, he ate inside, sometimes in a crate. So, in his case, he would push the bowl into a corner or cover it with a blanket. If there was nothing around, he would even flip the bowl over to cover the food. It seemed like the food being there almost bothered him, but that could be a misinterpretation on my part. I also saw it as him not wanting to eat anymore/right then, so I would take it away, and he would always eat the same food later.
Perhaps since you have only had her for six weeks, and she is really thin, she is shy about eating while you are around?

She has 2 big shade trees, and a dog house. She only gets in the dog house when it rains. Most of the time she lays in the shade.

I do not want to rehome her at this point. My husband just doesn't want to be bothered with another dog. He is not fond of pets...(too much trouble in his eyes).

In July, my GSD, Maggie, was stolen while I was out of town that day. She was so sweet about 5 months old and a joy to work with. My Great Pyrenees brought her to the house in May...no one claimed her after putting ads out. I suggested my brother take her since his Rotty was getting old and Maggie needed a good role model. He was going to take her after I got her trained to the leash and basic commands. My brother died suddenly in June. Therefore, Maggie became my therapy after his death. I also have his Rotty in the house with my dogs.

I got Heidi and had her checked out and spayed on Aug. 12. I took her in because every lead I got on Maggie turned out to be this stray. She showed up at my workplace a few days later. So I felt it was meant to be, and I brought her home. She will be my therapy and have a good home too.

 Quote: Patricia Fisher

I also have his Rotty in the house with my dogs.

You have the GP and the rottie in the house and the newer dog outside?

No. I already had a Jack Russell, fiest, and beagle before Bullet, the Rotty, came to live with us. They are the house dogs. The pyrs are our farm dogs (livestock guardians). They stay outside. Heidi will remain an outside dog, but in a large fenced in area.

Would like to see pictures of maggie.

I fed her on the deck next to her pen. She seemed comfortable eating and did not dump it out. When she quit eating (very little left in pan), I put what was left in her Kong and put it in the dog house. Later on in the day, she was playing with it and eating what she could get out of it. Also trimmed her toenails without too much trouble...didn't want to stay still. I gave her a little break (played with her) after the front, then the back were not trouble after the break at all.

The only pictures of Maggie are on my phone. Don't have internet on phone so I can't send them. I will try to post one of Heidi.

I have ordered the Basic Obedience dvd this week. Do I need any other dvd, like training with markers? If so, what do I use first? Heidi has settled a little more since I have been working her in the pen.

She is also eating much better. She gets fed on a large rubber mat (an old one from my horse trailer) in her pen. I put her food in a rubber feed pan (from horse stall) and place it in the middle of the mat. It is difficult for her to pick up or tip it over. If she does, then her food is on the big "placemat" and not on the ground. I have figured out how much she'll eat at a time. She eating all of her food. She is gaining weight I still feel her ribs, but she is filling out between them.