I have a 2-month-old puppy that we brought home at 1 month old, and she won’t eat anything except meat, fish, and bones. I’ve been trying to give her dry food but she won’t touch it. I even tried leaving her with nothing but dry food for two days, thinking she’d eventually get hungry and eat it, but no joy. Since she doesn’t eat much anyway—barely a quarter of her bowl and she never finishes it—I started adding meat to her dry food, along with a bit of veg, some rice, a little oil, and occasionally eggs (basically half home-cooked, half dry food) just to get her to eat something. But she always manages to pick through it, eating the meat and leaving the rest. I’ve even tried blitzing the dry food and veg in a blender and mixing it with tiny bits of meat, but it makes no difference; she just picks out the meat and leaves the rest.
The strange thing is that for a puppy who supposedly isn't a big eater, as soon as I start cooking or open the fridge, she gets super excited. She’s also very interested when we sit down to dinner and whines for us to give her something. Since we only have coffee tables, if I leave anything out, she’ll try to nick it—I even caught her licking the butter the other day!
Anyway, we’ve just come back from the vet who told us she’s in great health and that she’s gained about 4.4lbs in a month (I’ve no idea how!). She weighs 11lbs at 2 months and should be around 3 stone 2lbs as an adult.
How can I get her used to dry food? I don’t mind her eating meat, but not just meat and bones on their own.
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And my second one is a Labrador, who would’ve made a cracking hunting dog in the right hands...
She’s been on a raw diet since she was 9. We’ve had hamsters and gerbils at home, kept in both tanks and free-roaming, and they all died of old age. Even with rabbits in the family—and even though she had rabbit in her bowl—she never once tried to chase them; she’s more of a cuddler. The chickens were always fine too, as were the goats...
A dog's prey drive, that urge to chase and catch, doesn't change whether they’re on dry food, home-cooked meals, or raw meat. I know hunters who feed raw and others who don't; when the pack is out on a hunt, they’ve all got the same goal.
Either they have that hunting instinct or they don’t.
Exactly, nothing goes to waste here! If there are any leftovers, they’re for the local strays, and we put the semolina out on the ledges for the birds. Mind you, we’ve stopped feeding the cats for now because a couple of them gave Xena a real fright. Lorna, did you grow up in France with Salukis? There aren't exactly loads of them in France, are there?
No, they’re very rare!
Actually, the dad of my childhood best friend—we grew up almost like sisters, our mums have known each other since secondary school—is a huge sighthound fan and that's all he ever had (in pairs, always two females, then when one passed away he’d get another one).
I spent quite a bit of time at their house and I have such lovely memories... we’d sprawl out on the sofa with the dogs watching cartoons, feed them Corn Flakes, play hide and seek... they were brilliant :-)
But just to show you how rare they are... since then, so nearly 20 years ago, I’ve only ever seen one other Saluki in France!
It was funny because I was just mesmerised by the dog; my eyes were immediately drawn to him, and I started walking over to his owner to strike up a conversation LOL.
I was so surprised and happy to see one again.
You're right, training these dogs is all about managing their instincts, so it’s great if your husband is planning on going hunting. He’ll definitely benefit from the expertise at that farm and will no doubt get plenty of advice.
Oh brilliant, you've already replied!
Your offer is so tempting, it’s absolutely lovely where you are... if I had more time, I’d be on a plane straight away to join you with my girl.
So yes, regarding the Sloughi farm, it would be a good idea to take her there fairly soon so she can get used to the other dogs. By May, she’ll already be 5 months old, and if she hasn’t really seen any other dogs in the meantime, it could be a bit tricky for her.
There’s actually a pretty crucial socialisation phase up until about 3 or 3 and a half months; once the pup is older, it can be more complicated. But otherwise, sounds like a great plan—she’s going to be one happy dog! :-)
As for the hunting... I’ll try not to write a third massive essay, but it’s fascinating as well. Seeing a sighthound in action is just hypnotic. And by the way, you’re right—the sighthound doesn’t kill the prey; they just pin it down so the owner can come and retrieve it, as explained in this video (3:05):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiCkQ9WrpOM&feature=emb_title
We definitely don't let anything go to waste here! If there are any leftovers, they're for the stray cats hanging about, and we put the semolina out on the ledges for the birds. Mind you, we've stopped feeding the cats for the time being because two of them gave Xena a right fright.
Lorna, did you grow up in France with Salukis? There aren't exactly loads of them in France, are there?
Hi Jujud,
I love your description of Xena. Having a "velcro dog" is lovely; you'll develop a stronger bond and better communication that way. Just make sure she knows her boundaries, even if you let her in the bedroom (to sleep on your bed). We do the same with Oxane – she hops up for the duration of a film, but as soon as it's over, she goes down to her own bed at the foot of ours. She’s allowed on the sofa or the bed for naps, but if we tell her to get down or move over, she does it. Her puppy phase gave me some real headaches; she was a bit of a nipper, very high-strung, and quite the little rebel!
Regarding the Royal Canin dry food, you might find she refuses it, especially if she's already hovering by the fridge. (It’s very common for them to want what others have, whether it’s food, bones, or toys—even if it's the cat's or another dog's!)
Hi Lorna! "Eating like a horse" is the big danger with raw feeding; greed often takes over the "I'm full, I'll stop" instinct, especially with a puppy. If Xena is burying her food, it might be that she instinctively knows she's had enough and is saving some for later. Even though puppies need a lot for growth, they’ll eat huge amounts until their growth peak, after which their portions will naturally decrease as they finish growing.
I’m sharing a link to a natural pet food site (suggested by a member named Nicolas). He explains menu rotation, which is very similar to the type of menus I prepare:
https://www.atavik.fr/recettes/barf/rotation-ingredients-barf/
As for rabbits, my first dog was a Yugoslavian Shepherd who was on dry food for two miserable years. She absolutely hated it; it made her ill with major digestive issues and massive weight loss. The vets were so worried they suggested boiled chicken and rice after initially telling us to force her to eat the kibble. The result? Our dog went on a hunger strike for over a fortnight, which eventually led to her running away to hunt (we aren't a hunting family!). She’d bring back wild rabbits for my mum, who would throw them in the bin for fear of diseases. After a couple of catches, Fidji stopped bringing them home... My mum eventually switched her to a home-cooked diet, and Fidji wolfed it down, getting back up to her healthy weight of around 120 lbs. She lived to be 16 and a half!
Hi Lorna, thanks for your reply.
I’ve actually got time to write today as I haven't got any clients—haha, it's great, my first day without work in over a month!
Even cooked sheep and lamb bones? Because we eat a lot of that here.
You should see my mother-in-law's face if she knew I was giving her meat! Meat is expensive here, so buying it specifically for a dog... they’d think I’d gone crackers. Especially since dogs aren't even supposed to come indoors because they "chase away the angels". As for my husband, I keep explaining things to him; the good thing is he absolutely loves animals. His mum told me that when he was six, he brought a puppy home and hid it in his dad's desk drawer. He wasn't allowed to keep it, but he ended up with a monkey instead...
Regarding vaccinations, I’m not sure what she’s had. We took her to the vet when she was a month old and asked for her jabs; they did them but didn't tell me which ones. She’s just had her booster and has another one next month. I’ll go myself instead of my husband to ask them. I don't know much about the diseases here, I just know that rabies is a thing...
As for my friend's dog, that’s a non-starter; she lives about 250 miles away. We did the 250-mile trip so they could meet, and to see my friend and hit the beach, obviously!
The farm is about 90 miles away. I think it was Emma who suggested I take her there; I haven't had the time yet, but I will.
As I mentioned in my other post, we’re off to work in the States for four months in May—sniff, sniff. It's going to be so hard leaving her, but we've found a trainer who has Sloughis; he's going to take her for two months near our farm to train her, so she'll have some company there. Then for the following two months, someone will be with her at the farm. But honestly, going from being with her 24/7 to leaving her for four months is going to be tough.
I'll just have to make do. Once she's finished her course of vaccinations, I’m going to try and introduce her to some stray dogs that look friendly. As for the second Sloughi, yes, that’s the plan, but not just yet. Plus, we’ll have a few horses, donkeys, and camels—not quite the same as dogs, though!
If anyone on the forum wants a free week in Morocco, I’m offering a spare room—but you have to bring your dog...
😁
I'm no expert when it comes to nutrition, but basically, if you can't get hold of good quality dry food and can't follow a BARF diet to the letter, I don't see any problem with making home-cooked meals based on meat/bones + a digestible starch + a few vegetables (and it doesn't all have to be in the same meal, either; you could have one meal with plenty of meat and another more filling one with starch and veg).
Couscous can be included in her meals, which is good news for you over there in the land of couscous! ;-)
Honestly, throwing away those lovely leftovers from your kitchen (even my mouth is watering! ^^) when they could be feeding Xena would be a bit daft if you ask me.
You can find lists of "no-go" foods online if you’re ever unsure about an ingredient. You should definitely avoid giving her too much salt, though.
As for your other questions: a puppy gnawing on a bit of charcoal is nothing to worry about. Just keep an eye out to make sure she doesn't swallow any large foreign objects, wood splinters, etc. But honestly, she seems like a very capable little pup; I’m not worried about her at all. :-)
Regarding her interactions with your guests—that’s just perfect! Xena will grow up to be a well-adjusted sighthound and will just let you know when she notices something out of the ordinary in her environment (like the Salukis I had growing up).
All this socialising at such a young age won't stop the dog from developing her natural breed traits as she grows up; it just makes for a balanced dog that feels at ease in her surroundings.
At the moment, she’s just got a typical puppy temperament and is right in the middle of her "exploration phase", so she’s going to want to check out every new thing and person (just like a human baby, really ^^). She’ll want to touch everything and try everything out! :-)
Just a heads-up: vets strongly advise against giving dogs cooked bones. Anything like small, brittle bones is a real risk... they can splinter and potentially cause a perforation.
It’s sometimes tough to change the habits of someone who’s used to giving the dog all the leftovers. My father-in-law is exactly like that; I have to keep a real eye on him, otherwise, the second my back is turned, bang! He’s sneaking any old bone to my girl.
Regarding socialising with her own kind, you’ll just have to make do with what you’ve got for now, but you’re right to be careful about potential diseases until she’s had her booster jabs. I’m not sure what the local diseases are in Morocco, so what vaccinations has she actually had so far?
If you could get her back together with your friend’s dog, that would be a great move :-)
Even if they don’t play, Xena learns so much just from being around him. Being put in her place when she nips too hard or pushes her luck is exactly what she needs—that old boy was absolutely spot on 👍
Oh, wait... she’s going to be trained at the Sloughi farm? That’s brilliant.
I’m not sure if it’s far from yours, but try to take her once or twice before she’s three and a half months old if possible. She’ll pick up so many canine social cues, and she’ll feel much more at ease when she goes back for her actual training phase.
If you don’t like the idea of her missing out on playtime, there is another solution: get a second Sloughi! 😁
Basically, when it comes to her relationships with other dogs, I’d still suggest aiming for a few quality interactions before she hits fourteen weeks. Obviously, you won’t be able to do it every day in this context, but even doing it occasionally (say, a few sessions with your friend’s dog and a couple of visits to the Sloughi farm) will be a massive benefit for her later on. Since she’ll be working with other Sloughis for hunting later in life, it’s vital that she knows how to communicate properly.
Moving on from the food talk, as we’re bound to make every mistake under the sun with her training, I’m a bit worried I’ve already created some separation anxiety. She hasn’t been left alone once in a month (just in our bedroom while the guests are eating, that’s all). But being properly home alone has never happened. Her nights are great though, as she comes to bed as soon as we do and waits for us to wake up before she gets moving. But I’d really like her to start sleeping in her own bed. She’s still only small so it’s fine for now, but sleeping with a sighthound between us when she’s fully grown won't be great for a bit of privacy! I’m hoping it’ll happen naturally once the weather warms up. (It’s a bit chilly at night right now, no heating and nearly 0°C in the house, so obviously under the duvet is the better option…)
As for her socialising with other dogs, that's going to be a massive problem for me. We're the only ones in the valley who own a dog. There are dogs around, but they’re all strays; they don’t play and I’m trying to avoid them for now, as she hasn't had all her jabs yet and rabies is still an issue here. We spent the weekend with a friend who has a dog (the beach photos), and it was great. They didn’t play (her dog is quite old), but when she tried to bite his tail or steal his dry food—typical, the only time she’s interested in dry food is when she’s stealing it from another dog—he definitely put her in her place. But finding another dog for her to play with around here is going to be a real nightmare. It actually makes me a bit sad for her. I even looked in Marrakech, and dog parks and things like that just don’t exist.
My only hope is the farm where there are plenty of Sloughis; she’ll be able to play there. Plus, she’s going to spend some time with them for her training. To make up for it, as I mentioned in another post, I’m the one playing with her and trying to teach her some self-control. She’s actually making decent progress with her nipping and mouthing pressure. I know it’s no substitute for other dogs, though. I’ve had more luck with other animals—there are loads of stray cats here, donkeys, cows, etc. Yesterday was our first walk on the lead; up until now, I’ve always had her off-lead, but on our last few walks, she stopped listening whenever she saw people; she’d follow them to try and play and I had to chase after her. With the lead on, I managed to get near a cow with her without panicking, and it went well. The lead is just for the populated areas, but a ten-minute walk away, I can find spots where there's no one around and she can just run.
Lorna, I think Sloughis have a similar temperament to Salukis. I've read that they can be aloof, wary of strangers, timid, independent... She might change, but for now, she’s anything but independent—she’s a total Velcro dog. And she doesn't seem timid at all at the moment, which gave me a proper fright when she bolted off to play with a donkey.
Anyway, for the time being, she’s a hilarious puppy, full of life and really affectionate. She has these total "mad moments" where she completely loses the plot, but she makes us laugh every single day.
Sorry for the long post, but it feels good to talk to other people; over here, dogs usually just get met with sticks and stones...
