What A Nose For Food

[Kate]

Does any of your Cairns act as if they are starved to death when it comes to food, that is people food? Mila is continually sniffing the kitchen floor scouting for crumbs and sniffing your clothes for any tidbits that may have landed on you. The absolutely funniest part is that she loves to get up and smell your breath to see what you've been eating. She just cracks us up. If anyone else other than the family sees her doing this they think we don't feed her!

[kayharley]

My dogs act like they're starving to death for not only people food but their own dog food!!

Come dinner time and I have 3 jumping, wide-eyed Cairns saying "Look at my ribs, Ma. I need food!!"

Well, Cairn #1 was spoiled from day 1 and now she's an 11 year old overweight Cairn who we're trying to keep healthy with reduced food and more exercise.

Cairn #2, 18 months, was never spoiled for people food and she's a healthy weight but is very curious about the attraction for people food....drop a cheese doodle and see what she'll do.

Elliott, 5 months, wants to eat everything in sight. Not only does he get 3 meals a day and treats for doing good, he still wants MORE!!!

I refuse to give in to their demands because I want healthy, long-lived Cairns.

[toomanypaws]

My dh calls the cairns "pig dogs" From the time I get up, they race outside and race back in to stare at their cookie jar (doggie treat jar) on the kitchen counter. I think they would eat all day if I let them. I'm constantly reminded of what time it is until I finally break down and feed them. They get so excited for their food, it's quite funny to watch them get so vocal. I can't even get a drink w/o giving them each an ice chip. I've made carrots a big treat around here to keep their weight down. Little Hannah is over 8 mths and she still thinks she should be getting extra feedings.

The days I work mornings, I come home to 3 cairns jumping up & down greeting me and reminding me where the food is kept, one lab barking, and an aussie half way howling as they all wait to be fed. I think to myself "no one would put up w/ this". All I have to do is look at their darling faces and wagging tails and I think to myself "I do" and it's so worth it.

[Eliz222]

Scout (2ys) loves food, like any dog I know. Finch (9mths) LIVES for food! She will wander around the kitchen looking for me to drop something. She will also jump in my lap (when she's allowed) and will look for crumbs..she lives and breathes for food! This is why I knew she didn't feel well a few weeks ago...she wasn't hanging around my feet waiting for food. Finch also will whine around dinner time and always acts starved. I have started giving her cut up celery, lettuce, and a spoon full of cottage cheese with her dinner. This has helped keep her full.

We use to keep Scouts food out all the time. She was a grazer and would only eat when she was hungry. She is also at a good weight. But.....now that we have Miss Piglet living here, we have to feed only at a certain time, or Scout would not get any food at all.

[ParNone]

Yep food doesn't get much of a chance to hit the floor here, before Murph's on it like a duck on a june bug. Collies don't stand a chance.

Les...

[Guest webstar]

Kate that sounds exactly like Molly. I argue with my husband all the time about him giving her people food and to much of it besides. She should only weigh 12 lbs and she is up to 14lbs and she is ony 2 yrs old. He says i'm starving her to death. The Vet told him its easier to not let her gain weight then it is to take it off. She does the breath smelling thing, and picking the crumbs off me too. Always looking for a handout. Today Molly was sitting on my lap in the car when a young girl got out of the car next to me and said "I was waiting for her to bark at me most small dogs do" The only time Molly barks when she is in the car is if I am in the car with her and something looks threatening to her, then she acts like she is going to jump out the window and attack it. It could be someone with a hood on, or someone carrying anything she is unfamiliar with. If she is in the car alone she lays on my seat and won't even pick her head up untill I open the car door. Mollys Gram

[Milopup]

Bosco is always acting like he is starving, and will do all his tricks and be very obedient to get food. He gets fed twice a day, and then gets snacks during the day as well. We try to limit his snacks to peanut butter a few times a week, and carrots, broccolli and apples during the day. Sometimes he gets biscuits. With all this he still acts like he is starving. If anyone is in the kitchen, he bolts there hoping someone will give him something.

And my dad now gives him the soft bones from spare ribs when they are all eating - this I need to break both of them of, since Bosco loves loves loves the soft bones (as do many adults!).

[toomanypaws]

Guess I should have read your post better and realized you're talking about "people" food. Mine are terrible! They stand right around my feet in the kitchen in hopes I'll drop something when preparing a meal. My dd loves raisin bran in the a.m. and they love getting one little bran flake each. They actually get excited when they see the cereal box come out of the pantry. I have to do the "cairn shuffle" to scoot them back when I open my refridgerator.

[wheezie23]

Beth, I'm giggling at the "cairn shuffle" because I do it constantly in my kitchen. Scruffy is much to dignified to root for tidbits on the kitchen floor. But what Scruffy lacks in enthusiasm, Tucker more than makes up for! He will find the tiniest little bit of something and lick, lick, lick until he can no longer smell it. Zoe was the same way. I have never given them human food, so they all know not to beg while we are eating anything. But you should see them do the "hungry cairn dance" while I'm preparing their food!

Thela

This is a pic of them waiting for their treats!

[Carolinasmom]

Carolina can be quite the beggar. DH got her in the habit of getting "cookies" from him when he gets home from work. Often I am in the kitchen cooking and he comes home and leans against the counter where her cookie jar is. Carolina makes a beeline for him and jumps up and pushes his leg with her front feet: "GIVE ME COOKIES!!!" Of course he always DOES. Little stinkers, (both of 'em!)

As for people food, she does get some table scraps but often only veggies. She loves any cooked veggies and the vet said it's good for her. BTW, our cat loves fruit so that's what he gets for a treat!

[MikeC]

Add Duffy to the list of "counter surfers". Anytime one of us is in the kitchen, he is right there next to us waiting for something to fall or a pity handout. Dinner time is another story.......he will march between our places and sit and bark at each one of us as if to say, "Ok which one of you is going to be the nice guy and give me something to eat". If we are eating something that is safe and healthy for him, we may give him a little taste. If not, the catterwalling continues until dinner is completed, then there is the fracas of loading the dishes in the dishwasher while he is attempting to lick them clean as they are going in. Mealtime is a real joy around our house...............NOT!

MikeC