They appear to be okay - active, "barky" at strangers and stuff, no noticable weight loss, no noticable decline in energy level or anything. But their dog food will sit untouched for two or three days if I leave it out. They don't even seem all that enthused about eating their doggy biscuits, although they snatch them out of my hand quick enough - they just sorta, well, guard them. I checked their mouths, nothing out of the ordinary. It's getting colder and I'm worried that they're not eating enough to keep warm. I suppose it's possible that they're "eating out" either at a neighbors place (yeah, I know - we're getting a pen ASAP) or through scavenging and what have you in the woods (they do occasionally bring home forest goodies - including the bony remains of another dead dog. EEWWWW!)

Should I call the vet? They are about 6 months, shepard mixed with who knows what, about med. sized. Anybody knows what gives? This has been going on for several weeks.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), October 29, 2001

Answers

You're right. The're eating out. They are becoming the sort of dogs that are uncontrolled, and are making a pest of themselves to others. Do you know they're not killing someone's domestic stock and eating it? Sorry, Soni. but they might be, and if they're learning to scavenge for themselves then sooner or later they will - it's the nature of dogs. It is a responsibility of owning dogs to keep them under control - even if you have to chain them up until you can build a dog run. Sorry, Soni, I apologise for having to say it, but it really is your job to do it. Couple of weeks ago some uncontrolled dogs in this small rural city I live in almost killed some sheep by eating their faces and cheeks - note that word almost. Of course the sheep had to be destroyed. Please control your dogs.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), October 30, 2001.

I think you handled that nicely, Don. We forum regulars "know" Soni-- she's good people. We all need to have the obvious pointed out to us once in a while, don't we?

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), October 30, 2001.

My 9 month old puppy isn't well trained enough to be loose on his own, and won't be trained enough for at least another year. When he is outside, I am outside with him, unless he is hooked up. It wasn't until my other dog was about 5 years old that I could trust him outside on his own. Even then, I worked it out with other neighbors so that all our dogs weren't loose at once. Didn't want a pack forming. Which is why I don't let the older dog and the younger one out together either. They took off once when that happened accidently. Boy did they travel (I got calls from faraway friends) and I have not let that happen again. A husky (mine are mixes) is likely to have a 25 mile radius of territory. Consider this when you are thinking about what trouble they might get into.

I'm a dog convert now, but I have to say that I never knew how much responsibility it was to raise a good dog. The older dog and I had to go to beginning obedience twice. I don't know who was having trouble learning-him or me!

With hunting season in here mine do find carcasses in the woods on our walks. It is gross. But they also catch rabbits and mice in my field. Your dogs are no doubt doing all of this. I think its great that you are getting a pen. We use a doghouse and chain and move them seasonally. That works well for us. Sometimes a dog might be hooked up on our porch, other times by the cars, etc.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), October 30, 2001.

Wow Soni, sounds like you need to do something different if you want to keep your dogs. I am afraid that if you don't they will "go missing". I am quite certain that they would around here. Hope you come up with a solution soon.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), October 30, 2001.

A few years back when we were still dairying, the neighbor's dog had a habit of wandering. There was no and I mean no wildlife left in the area. Then it started on our cattle. Chased the cows first, then knocked our yearling bull to the ground a couple of times. We warned them to tie him up. They didn't. Then one day the dog came up into the calf paddock right in front of my house and took down a weaned calf by the throat and was trying to kill it. We gave the dog lead poisoning and the neighbors haven't talked to us since. Bad dogs make for problems all around.

-- Sandra Nelson (Magin@starband.net), October 30, 2001.

All these posts are presuming that "eating out" is the cause. I agree that it may well be the case. You can find out, however, by confining them (chaining or whatever works best for you) for several days and checking their reaction to their food. If they still don't want it, maybe try adding something to make it more interesting, such as a little canned food or meat scraps. If they still aren't eating and you're sure their not getting anything away from home, I'd recommend a trip to the vet.

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), October 30, 2001.

Being 6 months old they should be eating like horses. Try pouring leftover bacon grease or melted lard over the dog food about once a week. My dogs go nuts over this--even though they usually get scraps from the table every night. It's a special treat to them and makes their coat shine beautifully. They may be bringing down wildlife for food which is not good-at 6 months they want to chase and chase-leads to livestock. Chain your animals, or get them penned up asap or someone will probably SSS (shoot,shovel and shutup). Sorry for this sad outlook but I have seen this happen to many people.

-- (stephanie.wilkerson@experian.com), October 30, 2001.

As I responded to Don personally (he wrote me first, so please don't worry - no flame wars going on ;? ), I really do intend to pen them, but as they were dumped on us, I was unprepared for them and have not had the time or money to get the supplies neccessary to cage them (they keep digging and (even climbing!) out of the fenced-in garden we were using as a temporary holding area) and my DH, having severely injured his left hand is currently unable to help me with any installation. We fear leaving them tied up, as we are gone most of the time and would not be here if they got tangle, hung, or attacked by a passing big n' ugly. They are absolutely not allowed indoors (landlady made this quite clear). We only kept them because we knew they would just be killed if we took them to the pound - if anyone had been interested in adopting them, they wouldn't have been dumped on us!

Please know that I am really working hard to afford the materials neccessary to keep them reined in. I agree with all of you on that point, and am terrified they will get into some local's "critter" trap or poisoned. I will try your suggestions and see if that helps the eating habits. Any more ideas? They are up on all their shots and pills (you can check my checkbook for verification of that. OY VEY!)

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), October 31, 2001.

Have you opened a new bag of food recently? It could be the food. If the food was stored on a cement floor, it may have molded. I've purchased food and returned it to the feed store due to this problem. I've had goat feed with the same issue. (Oddly enough, I've changed grain stores since then!)

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), October 31, 2001.

Soni, on the family farm (not mine, but I still can't help feeling a proprietary interest) they chain up the working dogs. The dogs get out for an almost-daily walk with my brother (the current farmer); plus working outings as well. The way they are chained is each individually to have a chain clipped to their collar. The other end of the chain is attached to a split-link attached to a big O-shaped ring which is dropped over a star-picket (iron post, hammered-in). They have water and shelter at almost the full length of the chain, so they can't get tangled around it; and they are so far apart that they can just a little more than touch noses, but can't get their chains tangled around each other. After experience, there is a rats- nest of tangled wire at the top of each post - one of those Houdinis bounces up and down until he bounces the O-ring off his post. Now, I am not saying this is ideal, but it's not too bad for them provided they get a run away from it, and it's possibly a workable short-term solution providing you give them a run every day - preferably evening.

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), November 01, 2001.

Found part of the problem. My overly annoying dominant male cat (neutered) was actually spraying the food. Icky poo. He's done this before with the other cat's dishes, but I guess he's moved on to bigger and better things. The dogs were out this evening "herding" some passing deer - who were no doubt thrilled by the exercise.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), November 01, 2001.