Double Duty

So.... People are not the only ones that like company when eating. Barnabas, our poodle guest, does not only like company when he eats, he also likes to be hand-fed...just like Cleopatra.

Barnabas is not one to overeat. As a matter of fact, it appears to be a challenge to get him to eat enough. This problem is compounded when he is not with HIS people. I was told to use my judgement about feeding him. I have taken that to mean to do the best I can. And that I am determined to do.

Unlike Otis, Teddy, and Allison, Barnabas is a VERY slow eater. In order for the other dogs not to snatch and eat his food, I've had to put him in the little bathroom off the laundry room. While he eats, some, I feed the other three and keep an eye on them to make sure each one eats just his/her own bowl's worth. When they are done, I return to Barnabas to keep him company and coach him to eat more.

I've learned after just a time or two that feeding Barnabas can take a while. He takes just one itty-bitty-piece of kibble and chews it at least twenty times before swallowing it. Then he actually thinks about taking on the task of eating another piece. I've found that I can expedited the process just a little by picking out a piece of kibble for him and feed it to him. He seems to like that and thus will keep eating just to keep the attention. Hey, if it works for him, it works for me. My goal is to have Barnabas weighing the same, not less, than when we got him! There is only one down side to this. Barnabas' diet includes 1/4 can of wet food. By the end of the eating session, I have ground whateva under my nails. Yuk!

Rather than bending over or sitting on the cold tile floor when I feed Barnabas, I've taken the only other logical spot in the tiny bathroom...the throne. I realized that I had never sat there that long before and it dawned on me that I can make the time do double duty. Hey, maybe that will help me from getting hemorrhoids. Thank you Barnabas for the idea you gave me.

I've learned one more thing from Barnabas. He doesn't eat much and takes forever to eat the little he does. No wonder he is so thin. I am going to try his approach to eating. Maybe I can get John to feed me little bites of chocolate-covered-strawberries and other delights.