terrier mix

Question
Please help! I have a terrier/dachshund mix 3-4 year old spayed female who I rescued from a shelter as she was literally about to be euthanized. I have no information about her background other than the shelter people said she was the only one of her family who they couldn't seem to adopt out. Katie is a very cute but incredibly demanding dog. She is very food-obsessed and will bark for 2+ hours when she want to be fed, or sometimes just because she enjoys barking. If she wakes up during the night and wants to be fed she will bark and bark. Because of her long spine the vet has insisted that she be given 1/2 cup of food twice a day and very limited treats. Katie acts like she is starved all the time and will eat birdseed or anything that is available. I have always owned dogs but never a terrier before. She is extremely stubborn and will mind only when she chooses. We love her but her personality is making her very difficult to live with, particularly when I have to work all day. I do not reinforce her demanding behavior by giving in to her but nothing help. She is driving us crazy! Any advice would be gratefully accepted. Thanks.

Answer
Judy

Your vet is right about keeping her weight down.

There are some things you can do to help her stay satisfied.  You can give her canned pumpkin (not pie filling), carrots, slices of apple, slices of sweet potato (not the while kind), green beans.

These things can be considered to have no calories so feel free to feed her enough to shut her up !

You may also want to start with this technique for helping her "get a grip" about how she is expected to act.  This may give you some ideas.

http://cairnrescue.com/docs/NILIF.pdf

I hope this gives you a start.

-Beth