Free feeding of six dogs and a cat

I'm really proud to present you our new video! Two weeks ago, I have decided to teach our animals to wait in the down-position, while I put out the food bowls on the ground, and be able to cal them one by one (in changing order!) to their bowl.

Berny (the yorkshire terrier) and Daika already knew Down-stay very well, so it was easy for them. Ebi (the white husky, 9 months) and Ewok (6 months old) know Down, but they are still young and don't know Stay very well. And the big challenge: Roots, Jaakko and the cat! Roots is 9 years old, Jaakko 11, both have grown up in a sleddog kennel, where all they did was pulling sleds, karts and quads. They never have learned to sit/down/stay/whatever (they did come, when called by their name though)! Let alone the cat: she loves food!

So this is why I am really proud of this video: everybody waits his turn to be called (even the cat!) and once finished eating, nobody disturbs the dogs who are still eating. Even the cat isn't bothered by the dogs, who have already finished eating.

Ah, yes: we are feeding raw fish with some kibbles. So you see: it's not because you feed raw food, that dogs have to start fighting over it! I admit, it was somewhat chaotic the first time we fed fish, everybody tried to steal in the other's bowls! But it quickly settled, once we made them understand, that even with raw food, the rules stay the same. Nobody touches another dog's bowl, until that dog has finished eating.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• husky
• siberian husky
• dog
• cat
• eating
• raw
• fish
• feeding
• food
• free
• down
• stay
• sleddog
• education
• discipline

[cpaterson100]

..and even the cat is part of the pack! really well done. You work with your dogs a lot - how many hours a day would you say you work with them - including training and pulling?

I am also curious about what country you are from? I understand you may not want to say here. I am writing from canada.

[irisgug]

@cpaterson100

It was a lot of work to integrate the cat. The three youngsters have grown up with her, but the two old ones have grown up in a cat-eating pack (they killed at least 2 cats per year).

I'm not really able to say, how many hours I work with them... I do it all the time. Asking to sit or wait before letting them into the house, out of the kennel and out of the car. And so on. During winter we train them 3 to 4 times a week, in summer I use this time to teach them things.

[cpaterson100]

I am enjoying your videos very much!! A very well balanced pack! An owner of an adopted Sibe (who I run every day)...I have so many questions! I'd love to have a pack!

[irisgug]

@cpaterson100

Feel free to ask your questions! I always enjoy talking about dogs ;-) !

[Tanana01]

Absolut top!