Meet Ottis

[Ottis Pocus]

Hi Everyone!

So happy to join the group.  I would like to introduce you to Ottis, he's 9 weeks old and super cute! We've had him for the last week and he is a very good boy...so far    We are not crate training but have him in a pen in the hallway and has been very good so far, waking up once a night...he actually slept through the whole night last night!!! Of course he does it when it's my boyfriends turn to get up with him...men stick together I guess. 

I have a question about feeding if anyone out there can help me...I feed him about 2-3 cups of dry kibbles a day, is that about right for a 9 week old almost 11 lbs puppy?  I don't follow the bags direction because he's still hungry after I follow those portions.  Also, he's learning quite quickly to sit but as I'm bringing his bowl down he cries and jumps for it.  Any advice on how to make him wait patiently until I say "ok eat"?  Maybe it's too soon and I'm asking for too much, but the earlier he learns the better right? Hope everyone is having a wonderful day! Rose 

[brumzoo]

Welcome Rose and Ottis! Ottis is a cutie! 

[Gracie & Bea's Mom]

What a cutie! No advice on feeding, though.

[Oscarsmama]

Oh, he is sooooo cute!  I need to not look at these puppy pictures...they make me want another one! He looks so much like my Oscar.

I'm not an expert by any means and I have no recollection on how much a puppy should eat BUT in my 13 years w/ bulldogs I can tell you that mine have never been full.   The only time Oscar would turn away any food is if he doesn't feel well.  Other than that he literally inhales his food.  As puppy, I fed him three times a day but once he was a year we switched to one cup first thing in the morning and dinner.  I swear he can tell time b/c he knows when it is 6pm.   Just keep up the training.  He'll eventually get it if you are consistant.  I make all my dogs sit and wait after I put the food down and I have trained Oscar not to eat out of my other dogs' bowl. 

[Fenway]

welcome!

not sure about the amount (ours came to us free feed and never had issue with over eating) but just make sure its a quality puppy food. you can do some searches on here for specific recs.

[abbeycrombie]

Hello to you and Ottis!

I'm newish to the forums too but figured I'd tell you what I was doing since it's still fresh in my mind.  I also want to say that I don't claim to be an expert and that my way is the bible, but rather just sharing with you what I've done.

I just recently got myself a Bulldog puppy about a month ago and he was 8 weeks of age at the time.  The breeder was free feeding him before I got him, but I started to schedule meals 3x a day for housebreaking purposes.  I would set out 1 cup of food each meal and he could never finish it.  I gave him 20 minutes to eat and whether he's done or not or touched the food at all, the bowl came back up in 20 minutes.  He adjusted to that schedule very quickly.  He's now 12 weeks and finishing up 1 cup per meal without any problems.  His last vet check-up, which was a week ago, had him in at 16 lbs. and the vet said he was the appropriate weight.

As for making him wait patiently, I had the same problem before when I first started feeding him on a schedule.  When he knew I was preparing food he would do his little gallop which progressed to barking and getting excited.  At first I thought it was cute and would feed him right after his cuteness period but I soon learned that I was actually training him to be hyper and nuts, especially when food was coming, and that's what I didn't want.  I had to view the bowl of food as something like a treat for doing good behaviours, a bonus training session.  In this case, just like you, I wanted him to be calm and not hyper and crazy.

I have been feeding him in his crate from Day 1 and I used to put the bowl of food in first as a lure so that he could feel comfortable stepping in and being inside the crate.  This came along with all the fun and cute things he was doing that I mentioned earlier.  What did I do to get him to stop doing those things and to calm down?  I simply waited for him to do the behaviour I wanted and then gave him the food.  After his galloping/barking session he would eventually stop and sit for just a few seconds (I guess he did it to rest or maybe he realized that I wasn't going to put the food down for it) and that's when I would immediately tell him he's a good boy and then put the food down right away.  After a few days of that, he really did stop doing those things.  He is now calm when food is being made for him and waits until the food is down.  It's sounds so simple and effortless but that's really all it took lol.  Just a little patience.

I know you said you aren't crate training, but I did want to mention that I also got him going into his crate on his own when I would say "Crate" where he would sit and wait for me to put the bowl of food inside.  I'm hoping that eventually he would just enter the crate on his own regardless of whether I have food or not but that'll be a whole other story.

I hope this helps!

EDIT: I re-read your post and I think you were asking a different question all together about his jumping up and whining.  I'll leave what I said above and just make a suggestion to see if it helps.  If he's jumping up at you while you're bringing it down, try not to set the food down until he calms himself down.  Maybe just keep hold the bowl up and start petting him slowly and in a soothing manner til he calms down and then once he does, tell him he's a good boy and then bring the food down all the way provided that he remains calm.  If he starts jumping up again, keep the food away until he's calm again.  I think that will work.

[abbeycrombie]

Work with getting him to be calm first during the anticipation of the food coming down and then do the verbal cues later.  I couldn't modify my last post so I had to make a new one lol. 

[winwinsmom]

Ottis and Rose!  I'm BC owned by Winston  You've found a great forum with tons of information.  Ottis is a real cutie!  Looking forward to lots of pictures!

[Jerr_N_Tiff]

you might carefully consider how much you're feeding him, he'd be healthier if you kept him at his appropriate weight or a little under.  Most of our bullies have leg/hip problems so the healthier weight the better.   I can't remember how much we fed B when he was that age, but I usually went by the bag and then took a little away...  he has never appeared full a day in his life.  He has gobbled his food and then requested more, even though he's still about 3 lbs over weight my mom when she dogsits insists that we're starving the "poor little man" 

[Susan & the bullies]

OMG, Ottis is so darling!!! Best of luck with your adorable pup!

[mtc]

Awww !! He makes me sad I missed my Meatball's puppyhood!  So cute!!

However, my Meatball is an Olde English, weighs 72lbs, and is fed about 2 1/2 cups a day of dry kibble, plus a handful of the same brand (Natural Balance) meat roll food, in two meals.  (he needs the limited ingredient food for allergies, but isnt' thrilled about it - the meat roll formula gives it the smell that makes him happy)

He doesn't get to run around all day, so I limit his food intake - oh and he doesn't always finish it!

Plus well, then there's treats and stuff we can't resist  giving him.

[ksdstny]

i would say you're probably pretty right on with the amount. of course he's going to be excited he's a baby. it will get better and better. i hold the bowl until steeler is sitting and then he gets it. harlow on the other hand meanders to the food bowl like she's going on a sunday stroll. steeler is a year and harlow is 2.5.

[Ottis Pocus]

Thanks everyone, all very helpful tips!  I am look forward to chatting it up and updating everyone on his progress and hopefully I'll be the one giving some tips soon.  We tried to prepare really well before getting him but I know there will be new things that will come up! Here's a few more pictures taken yesterday...they grow so fast!

[buddha]

Oh my...Ottis is adorable!  Welcome to the Domain!

[mtc]

Really, REALLY sad that I missed Meaty's puppyhood.  Otis is SO cute !