Feeding time
Roxy and Arthur
Working cocker spaniels eat to live. Arthur has to be persuaded to concentrate on eating and is very easily distracted. He is a fizzy little dog, tail and nose never still, and he would like to be a lap dog. He is such an affectionate fellow.
Gilbert
Working Labradors live to eat. For Roxy, eating is a hobby, one that she likes to indulge as often as possible. Gilbert enjoys his food, but is not greedy. Is that a difference between male and female dogs?
Bitches, in the expectation of rearing puppies, are hard-wired to eat when food is freely available, to build up fat reserves against the times when food is scarce. The instinct remains despite being spayed. That’s just my observation – I’m not a behavioural expert.
Arthur is busy most of the time. Gilbert is a lively young lad and Roxy watches the two boys play, relieved that she is having some respite and giving an occasional short bark of remonstration if they get too noisy or rough.
We call Jellicoe the third Labrador. He would also like to develop his obsession with food and steals from the dogs’ bowls if he can get away with it, as well as swiping food from our plates. For him, the naughty corner is the conservatory. He doesn’t really mind – it’s light and warm and full of plants – and his banishment never lasts long.
Herschel
Herschel is just a normal cat. He eats when he’s hungry and doesn’t attempt to supplement his rations with food from other sources.
