[dwipping]

Ruger is a German Shepherd Dog/Dachshund mix, he's about a year and a half. He weighs between 25 and 30 pounds. The first six months of his life he ate puppy chow. For about a year I've had him on Taste of the Wild. I give him two cups a day per the instructions on the bag.

Every little while he goes though aggressive spurts and he doesn't eat. Last night for example I gave him two cups of his food and he only ate a few bites, and when I tried to take him to bed he growled and snapped at me. I was wondering if he was missing something from his diet that may make him more irritable and if so maybe a suggestion on a good brand of food that's not totally made up of fillers. Or maybe it's just a behavioral problem and if that's the case I'll take my question to the behavior forum.

Thank you,
Danielle

 

[Gally]

There's really no one best kind of dog food, it really depends on what works for each dog. If the "aggression" corresponds with him losing his appetite I am curious if he is having stomach issues that are causing him pain or discomfort which makes him irritable. Are there any other out of the ordinary things that happen on these days? Maybe he gets an extra treat, something startles him, people are visiting?

Some places to start to look for new food would be dogfoodadvisor.com and dogfoodanalysis.com, the 4 and 5 star foods are generally low on fillers. If he does have a sensitive digestive system you may want to try a Limited Ingredient formula.

 

[Sibe]

I have nothing to add that Gally didn't cover, but I'm dying to know what a GSD/doxie mix looks like! Can you post a pic?

 

[oldhounddog]

He weighs between 25 and 30 pounds. The first six months of his life he ate puppy chow. For about a year I've had him on Taste of the Wild. I give him two cups a day per the instructions on the bag.
Thank you,
Danielle

Are you saying that you feed 2 cups once a day. If yes , I would split feeding between two meals per day with the same total amt.

Taste of the Wild was covered in the Diamond pet food recall. Perhaps check info on bag.

If no health issues , then , start basic ob training ( sit , down , stay ) and hand feed all meals. Also , train watch me to build trust and focus until your dog will look you in the eyes. From this point it should be a snap to correct this behavior , just use lots of treats and praise... Keep training , for example: sit before meals and before going out.


oldhounddog

 

[dwipping]

Thank you for your advice. I'll have to try it. I wasn't sure if the sudden switch from having corn in his food to having none.

Sibe this is Ruger:

 

[Sibe]

What a cutie!!! Do you know for sure that there is doxie in there?

 

[dwipping]

That's what his DNA test said. I was told he was a lassie dog/Chihuahua mix.

 

[Sibe]

Oh, ok. DNA tests are notoriously unreliable.

 

[dwipping]

I know. There's some pictures on here of a dog that is a Kelpie/GSD mix and the two of them look a lot alike. My cousin did a DNA test of her dog and it came back Chihuahua/Cattle Dog mix, but the guy she got him from just told her his dad was a pit. Even when I just thought he was a Sheltie mix people would tell me he reminded them of a GSD.

 

[PackMomma]

I would maybe take him to the vet and clear anything that may be a stomach blockage or upset of somekind if, like Gally said, his loss of appetite and aggression are going hand in hand.

As far as his mix, I would say the DNA test is probably not accurate - but he is a gorgeous dog! Not the slightest clue to even take a guess what he could be, 35lbs is fairly small for a shepherd mix. He does have some Kelpie traits, but even Kelpie/GSD mix should definitely be well over 40 lbs IMO, but who knows. My Kelpie is just over 40lbs and he just turned a year old.

Love those ears though!