Why is my dog always hungry? He's fed 3x a day and still steals food off the table and eats his poop!?

Question

As stated. He's a german lab and 8 months old. I feed him 3x a day and at first I gave him the recomended amount of food for his weight. Well when he still ate his poop I upped it a bit so he gets more. And he eats it no problem every time. I feed him right before we eat as well every day. But he still manages to steal anyones food the moment it's left alone.
He is up to date on shots his next are due in march. He was last de wormed in early Nov too. I dont' see why in the world he still wants more when he's given so much as it is.
He's been eats grass and other objects as well I only know this because I he vomits at least once a week from overeating. I just don't know what to do I don't want him to starve, but I don't want him to eat to the point he pukes either.

Answer 1

The place to start would be talking to the vet to rule out a medical cause, such as a thyroid problem or worms (it can take more than one deworming to clear up a bad infestation). If he has a clean bill of health then you probably just happen to have a dog who is always convinced he's starving, and you are going to need to work on training as well as being vigilant not to leave food out around him.



If he is at a healthy weight then I would not continue increasing his portions. He's a dog and he's not always going to know what's best for him - it's your job as his owner to make decisions that are in the best interests of his health. Some dogs also eat out of boredom, so increasing the amount of exercise and play time he gets may be helpful too.



**Added** Another poster made an excellent point, which is that what you're feeding him is important. A dog food full of corn and soy is not going to provide the same nutritional value as a high-quality meat-based one. You may want to examine what you are feeding him and consider transitioning him to something better.

Answer 2

Dogs like to eat grass because it "clears out" their system. Thats why they puke. And German Shepards and Labs are pretty big dogs so obviously you've got a big dog on your hands. So he'll want to eat. Dogs always steal food no matter what. In the wild they have to find food, so it's a natural thing. But the eating poop thing, that's strange. I think you need a trainers help with that. Just sayin.



*Edit*: Okay @first answer: Dog's are NOT retarded. They are very intelligent animals. They sniff out bombs, drugs and can be trained to do tricks. They have a better sense of smell and hearing that people do. And you call them retarded? By the way that is not politically correct. Just sayin.

Answer 3

Ok what you do is leave food that yu dont really care about on the counter for the training process. Stand in the room next to the counter so your dog doesnt see you but you can se him!!! Then (with treats) when you see your dog about to jump up and get the food you make any loud distracting noise and run into the room. After a while you dog will learn not to do this- therefore you give them their reward!!!

Answer 4

I would say he is just addicted to eating...



But as for the poop part I have heard pineapple works great!



Any dog will eat human food whenever it gets the chance, but you need to work on him staying away from the table...

Answer 5

some dogs are always hungry.



Maybe you need a better food..it doesn't say what you are feeding him.



And if he keeps eating his poo....maybe he is lacking something in his diet.

Answer 6

sounds like he isnt getting the nutrition he needs. try changing his dog food to a mix of kibble and wet food and see how that goes and buy some fresh bones from your local butcher so he has something to chew all day and get all the nutrients he needs. god luck!

Answer 7

needs training

feed a better quality food?

blue buffalo

wellness

nutro ultra

are the top three to me