# Is Tina just going through a "phase"?



## Magellan14 (May 13, 2013)

Age: Barely over 1 year
Gender: Female

Prior to these past 2-3 weeks, Tina would willingly devour her breakfast and dinner bowl of kibble; however, recently she reluctantly eats and it's only after 5ish minutes of standing in a closed room beside her bowl troubleshooting, that I get her to eat most of her food. That being said, she does eat a lot of misc. "food" throughout the day (for example: grass, dead animals ONCE in a while, and other "insignificant" "food") that could be changing her diet. I am just worried that she is not eating enough or worse, sick (but she shows no symptoms of anything). 
Additionally, Tina has recently been a bit more adventurous than in the past. If someone is in the backyard watching her but not actively playing with her, she may runoff to a neighbors property and keep walking regardless of how many times one has called her name, etc. Moreover, I know that she knows I am calling her name (I even try and show her a treat to get her attention but she stubbornly goes on with no way of catching here). This worries me because there is a country road not too far from my house that could be very dangerous for her if she ever got near it alone (which she had once) and the only way I retrieve her is when an "outside force" comes to my aid (like a neighbors dog that gets her to submit so I can grab hold of her, or some other distracting "thing").
Finally, she seems to have trouble recognizing her name and call to come. She is very responsive in some ways but in other ways not at all. For example, after she goes to the bathroom off leash, I call her name and say "yes" to which she immediately runs over to me but with most other things the same call is not effective. Any help or information that could shed some light on what I could be doing to get a better handle on Tina or what she is going through if anything would be greatly appreciated!


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## marathonman (Jan 15, 2013)

Tina is most likely going through an adolescent phase in terms of not listening to your commands. You need to go back to basics with training until she is 100%. For her safety, do not let her off leash until her recall is much more trustworthy. (it could take awhile) I know you'd hate to see your girl get hurt because she kept on running. Since it doesn't sound like you have a property fence to keep her contained, I'd suggest a 50ft tie out for outside time. Gives her some room to roam but she can't go exploring. Do a search using the search box for more ideas about training for "recall" and "doesn't listen"

Also, welcome to the forum. Any pictures of Tina to share?


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## Magellan14 (May 13, 2013)

marathonman said:


> Tina is most likely going through an adolescent phase in terms of not listening to your commands. You need to go back to basics with training until she is 100%. For her safety, do not let her off leash until her recall is much more trustworthy. (it could take awhile) I know you'd hate to see your girl get hurt because she kept on running. Since it doesn't sound like you have a property fence to keep her contained, I'd suggest a 50ft tie out for outside time. Gives her some room to roam but she can't go exploring. Do a search using the search box for more ideas about training for "recall" and "doesn't listen"
> 
> Also, welcome to the forum. Any pictures of Tina to share?


Thanks for the help! I will definitely make sure to keep her on leash and a bit more "contained". 
Here are some old but still cute pictures:


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## marathonman (Jan 15, 2013)

Great pictures. She looks like all kinds of trouble. (but what Vizsla isn't?)
I also wanted to mention about the food, you have a couple of options to try. Since she's still eating, it could just be a phase. (if you are truly worried though, a vet check is always a good option. I think a little peace of mind always goes a long way) You could try mixing in other things with her food such as canned pumpkin, greek yogurt, or chicken stock to drum up some appetite. Some members on here free feed their Vizslas because they are good at only eating what they need. You should always pay attention to how your girl looks weight wise. Depending on the dog, a good guide is you should be able to see some ribs, especially when they are turned, but it shouldn't be excessive when they are looking straight. 
Hope this helps a little. There are a few other threads on here regarding getting your pup to eat that you can search for as well.


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

Agree with marathonman--probably going through a rebellious phase regarding her recall. Definitely keep her on a leash or tie-out if you're not in a fenced in area. 

As far as food, she could just be being picky. Give her teeth and gums a check to make sure there's nothing causing sensitivity that might make eating uncomfortable. You could try mixing some things in, but note that this means you might be mixing stuff in forever. Sometimes a little warm water over the kibble goes a long way (warning: it does make them have stinkier breath--at least Jasper does!). Or you can be a meanie-pants (I am sometimes), leave her food down for 15 minutes, and then take it back up. Then she has to wait until dinner. Reinforces the idea that if she doesn't eat when the food is down, it goes away. If she goes without eating for more than a day, though, it might be something else.


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## Magellan14 (May 13, 2013)

redrover said:


> Agree with marathonman--probably going through a rebellious phase regarding her recall. Definitely keep her on a leash or tie-out if you're not in a fenced in area.
> 
> As far as food, she could just be being picky. Give her teeth and gums a check to make sure there's nothing causing sensitivity that might make eating uncomfortable. You could try mixing some things in, but note that this means you might be mixing stuff in forever. Sometimes a little warm water over the kibble goes a long way (warning: it does make them have stinkier breath--at least Jasper does!). Or you can be a meanie-pants (I am sometimes), leave her food down for 15 minutes, and then take it back up. Then she has to wait until dinner. Reinforces the idea that if she doesn't eat when the food is down, it goes away. If she goes without eating for more than a day, though, it might be something else.


thanks, I like the idea of waiting a couple minutes so she "learns some rules". I am definitely going to try it out.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Has the weather gotten warmer where you live?
Dog will eat less as the temperatures heat up.
Do a vet check. Make sure the vet does a full checkup, not just a quick once over.
If she is happy and healthy and not losing weight, I would cut out the snacks, so what she eats is healthy.

As pups mature and turn into teens they become more independent. She is at that age and testing you.
Its time to step up her training.


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## Vida (Dec 26, 2011)

She's telling you she wants a raw diet


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## Lindag (Apr 17, 2013)

i agree with raw diet!!!


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## Magellan14 (May 13, 2013)

TexasRed said:


> Has the weather gotten warmer where you live?
> Dog will eat less as the temperatures heat up.
> Do a vet check. Make sure the vet does a full checkup, not just a quick once over.
> If she is happy and healthy and not losing weight, I would cut out the snacks, so what she eats is healthy.
> ...


Yes, the weather has gotten warmer. How should I step up her training?


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