Mistreated Dog

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Originally Posted by KMG

Now that is more clear.

Dirt? What was his reasoning for that?

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I have no idea. We just threw the dirt away.

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Originally Posted by MissterDog

I wasn't challenging you directly, but as a general observation and reaction to the responses in the thread focused on the food intake and giving the owner the benefit of the doubt.

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I'm with ya. But again it is not like we can do anything about it. This is very similar to the threads about poor conditions at pet stores but I have even less control since I can't vote with my wallet like I can with a store.

Not all people should have kids......or animals.

At least he is boarding the dog and not locking it in a dark closet. In my line of work I've found that many times and it burns me up.

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Originally Posted by Kira

I have no idea. We just threw the dirt away.

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That's really strange.

TBH-if this was my dog I'd be being pissed you aren't following what you are being paid to do, if there's an issue bring it up with the owner, don't be changing things on the dog since you have no idea what the logic is being any of it.
Was the "dirt" possibly DE?

We were still feeding it 3 cups, just spread through out the day so he wouldn't vomit from having an empty stomach. What's the logic of restricting him from drinking for 14 hours? Nope, the dirt was literally a huge bag with dirt that had some grass, roots, and even an earthworm in it.

The only person that can answer the "logic" of the water restriction is the owner. When he comes in ask him in an inquisitive manner what his dog keeping methods are. Maybe start with your integrated to know more because his practices are different and you would like to know more so you can better care for his dog.


How do you know it's 14 hours the dog goes without water?

It's 14 hours because they give him water at 6AM and take it away at 4PM or sooner. 4PM is the latest that he is allowed to drink. So no water from 4PM to 6AM is 14 hours. It's ridiculous, especially in the hot summer months.

I have a gsp, which are thin dogs to begin with. She was incrdably skinny until she reached two years. She had ribs and spine showing at all times, but she was fed as much as she would eat, which was about three cups a day. We also gave her a big can of wet food to try to get her to gain weight. Bet wasn't concerned as he knew we cared for our dogs and that she was given a lot of food if she wanted it. She is a very active dog, as she is a hunting guide
dog. I would say if the dog is super think talk about your concerns with the owner. Larger double meals will cause the dog to retain more weight than a bunch of small meals. My guess is you are correct and the owner is clueless, but you never really know. I know a guy who runs sled dogs and they are all really thin but eat whatever they can take in. Maybe there is more to the story than we know.

Something else to consider is if the dog is used to eating one meal a day, he's going to wolf that down faster than is considered healthy, especially in company of other dogs. That could potentially make him eat even faster and more prone to vomiting or even food aggression. If he's still getting 3 cups a day but spread out I don't think it's that big of a deal. I get the annoyance of finding out a worker is not following your instructions down to every detail, but what if the instructions are not reasonable and put the dog's health at risk? Or the other dogs?

As for logic behind food restrictions, considering the owner's reasoning for water limitation and random dirt spicing, I doubt the owners have any rational "logic" for the 1 meal rule other than convienience. I question if they have any logic at all. Honestly it sounds like they are trying some experimental nonsense without factoring in what's best for a growing puppy.

Btw any feedback from your supervisor on what you are allowed or not allowed to say?