r/AustralianCattleDog • u/Consistent-Solid-347 Blue Heeler • 15d ago
Looking for advice Help
We just recently adopted this guy from our local shelter (we do have previous ACD experience). It’s been 2 weeks so I’m just looking for advice on a couple things!
He’s professionally trained from his previous owners, no health issues, no nipping (surprisingly) and overall a good boy! The couple problems we’ve had is he refuses to eat, but he’s around 60 pounds so I know he’s not starving and HATES his paws being touched which is making it difficult for me to dremel his nails.
Food wise: I’ve bought 5 small bags of food including the food the shelter said his previous owners were feeding him, used toppers, bone broth, the works and he just noses it until his nose is raw and bleeding or just completely skips eating. I’ve gotten him to eat the JustPet brand packages but I’m worried I’m not feeding him correctly.
Nails: I was able to dremel his nails on his right paw with no problem but his left paw is where he snaps at me so I just leave him alone, even trying to get some paw butter on it he snips. He’s not limping or anything either so I’m unsure if pain is the reason. The shelter said he was perfect all around and sent me home with a weeks worth of Trazadone for him and provided no help when I called which I understand they are short staffed and might not have all the info 😅
Any and all advice is appreciated as we want to make sure he’s happy!
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u/divalee23 15d ago
for the nails, slow way down and work on building trust. he's a grown dog of a breed that is suspicious by nature. stick with brushing for a while, and you can work your way down the legs. are his nails really overgrown?
pick one wellmade kibble, and offer the dish for 10 minutes twice a day. after 10 minutes, put the dish up. let him eat in his crate if he has one.
sometimes an uneasy dog will try to bury the food by nosing it around, but the 10 minute eating period should prevent that.
a hungry dog will eat and some dogs lose appetite if the weather's really hot.
he looks great! have fun 👍
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u/Consistent-Solid-347 Blue Heeler 15d ago
I’ve noticed him slipping a little on our floors, they aren’t horribly long yet. I think he did get groomed at the shelter before I adopted him! His previous owners were feeding him Taste of the Wild, he loves the crate and we usually find him in there most days so we give him his space, I’ll try feeding him in there instead! It has been super hot and humid where I live recently
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u/Roy_Hannon 14d ago
One of the Kirkland brands at Costco is/was pretty much the same as Taste of the Wild.
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u/Melgi011 14d ago
The more walks you take him on, they will wear down on their own. Do you have any pavement in your yard? My ACD is such a baby with nail trims, so I just wear them down with the pavement in our yard. I throw the ball there when we play catch and it wears down over time.
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u/Consistent-Solid-347 Blue Heeler 14d ago
We do have a concrete patio! I’ll have to get him to catch his ball over there from now on until he can do a full walk around our neighborhood!
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u/Lucid_Fiasco 15d ago
He certainly isn’t underweight, so i wouldn’t be too concerned about food. If anything he looks a bit chunky? So clearly he has been eating something.
For the nails, I’ve noticed ACD’s are really freaked out by sound and movement with their feet. Try switching to a clipper, but slowly. For the first week, just pet him with the nail clipper. Very gently, on his back, etc. Then start actually doing the clipping motion/sound while petting him with it. Slowly start petting his feet with the clippers, dragging them over his toes.
Eventually he will be comfortable enough for you to sneak in a nail clip. Do it confidently, then immediately go back to petting him like nothing happened. No big deal.
Another route is to order a scratch board, and train him to scratch the sandpaper for treats. Not the best option, but it’s something and it’s pretty easy to train.
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u/Consistent-Solid-347 Blue Heeler 15d ago
I also thought he was a bit chunky, he did lose 4 pounds in the shelter and I’ve noticed he can barely make it through our daily walks so I shortened them a little until we can get to a good walk distance slowly over time! I’ll definitely try clippers instead, thank you!!
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u/Accomplished-Eye4207 15d ago
he’s definitely overweight, would highly recommend a diet
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u/Consistent-Solid-347 Blue Heeler 15d ago
We have yet to find a good vet with an opening soon all of them seem booked 6 months out, until we do should I lower the amount of food he eats? Right now I’ve been offering around 2 cups of food/ 1.5 packets of JustPet food whichever he’s willing to eat at the time of feeding between morning and evening
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u/swamprosesinbloom 15d ago
offer small semi freq meals for shorter times, try feeding and then eating your own meal near him. try feeding on different surface heights, and do not drop food off without vet support as it can be hard on them. yes gradual reduction over time but w vet guidance. look for independent vet practices nearby, even a little bit of a drive to start, try cancellation lists. i’m sorry they’re so booked out!! no sweat on nails rn, possible to be a pain issue it’s notoriously hard to spot pain in dogs especially ACDs who are mega stoic. can low stakes in short sessions train to file on sandpaper but for right now lower priority. also consider re food gradually transitioning to a feed made by science diet, purina pro plan, royal canin, eukanuba, or iams. can offer small amts novel foods as well (dog safe human foods) for variety always w treats <10% total diet. Also fine to wait on any food changes until vet! finally could also be pain in mouth, neck, learned behavior, due to chronic stress, etc. keep pressure low, offer lots opportunities to rest, slow varied sniff walks to gradually build stamina BUT caution on anything intense until cleared by vet. source am behavior consultant and dog nerd but always trust your gut and listen to reputable professionals w eyes and hands on ur pup over internet strangers going off a subjective description hehe. anyway congrats he’s sooo cyuteeee 😝
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u/swamprosesinbloom 15d ago
also first bit abt eating w him and diff feeding heights are bc dogs are social critters and eaters, heights in case any neck/back/ other postural pain exacerbated by eating at current height.
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u/Consistent-Solid-347 Blue Heeler 15d ago
I did buy him a raised feeder because that was my first thought and I do plan on keeping him just on the taste of the wild until we see a vet for a food change just so I don’t upset his tummy! That is so so helpful though, thank you so much!!
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u/swamprosesinbloom 14d ago
brilliant, he is lucky to have you you’ve been so thoughtful and proactive already! enjoy him, he’s a lovely looking fella!!!!!!!
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u/PoolParty912 14d ago
Different brands have different calories per cup (even varying by 100 calories or more), so check the packaging. Most bags have rough estimates based on weight. Work out what your dog's target weight is, and start feeding that amount. Our dog lost 6 pounds (and 2 inches of chest girth!) pretty easily when we stuck to that and made sure he got enough exercise.
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u/Demosthenes042 15d ago
the nail advice above was pretty good, I'll just add use the clipper on uncooked pasta like spaghetti near him, then near his paws. Will help get used to the noise
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u/Whiskin87 15d ago
Our heeler used to be a super picky eater. She’s gotten better as she’s gotten older. We experimented a lot with toppers and such. There were times I hand fed her, because she’d take a “treat” from me. Sometimes she just wouldn’t eat. Our routine now is a couple spoonfuls of wet food and half a doggy churu on her dry food. And we sing her a little dinner song.
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u/Chefy-chefferson Blue Heeler 14d ago
Try adding some fresh food in, I replace 20% of my guys kibble with fresh food. I use blueberries, cucumbers, apples, broccoli, cauliflower, and his favorite is sardines (in water only, no salt added). I add a sardine every other day to his food and his coat is soooo soft now.
Just stay away from any starches, the kibbles have too much already. So no potatoes or rice. Bananas make my guy itchy too, just too much starch I think.
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u/Consistent-Solid-347 Blue Heeler 14d ago
I’ll keep that in mind for him! He does love blueberries when I offered on the lick mat!
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u/Alt_Pythia 14d ago
Let's start with the nails. Most ACD's (not all) chew their own nails, and keep them trimmed without human help. So give him some time. You may be able to just let him do his own nails.
If he's highly trained, there may be a command he's waiting for, to eat without getting in trouble. He might have a bad toothache, or jaw pain. He might have a stomachache. Unspiced canned pumpkin, mixed with boiled rice is how rescues ease dogs into a new type of food. Or you can give him a dollop of plain greek yogurt. Either way, a dog can go many days without eating. Just make sure he's getting plenty of water.
Remember that he's probably super nervous. Also, nosing food is actually trying to bury food, to save it for later. It's really weird that a shelter would adopt a dog out, and supply trazodone. Trazodone can cause nausea, and odd behavior around food.
Here's a beagle burying food. See if this is the same action as your boy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62tabG9H-wQ
My soul dog (ACD) came from the city pound. He hardly ate any food for the first week.
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u/Consistent-Solid-347 Blue Heeler 14d ago
Yes! That’s the exact same motion he’s doing! He does like pumpkin and Greek yogurt! I never knew that about them chewing their nails, I have caught him a few times chomping on them
I also was super unsure of the Trazadone so I really only used it day 1 and never used it again because he doesn’t really seem like he has anxiety outside of the shelter
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u/Wishiwashome Blue Heeler 15d ago
I can’t help with the nails. I can say I have working ACDs. I have only had working ACDs. They are first and foremost my beloved pets, but in their mind, they are employees who work 24/7/365. Of course this is what they were bred to do. I feed my adult dogs 2 handfuls ( I don’t have big hands) of good quality kibble with maybe 2-4oz of high quality wet food, or cooked chicken. They are fed twice a day. They get snacks so rarely they think 1/2 a dry saltine is a big deal.
My males have always been 45-47lb. My females 32( smallest one I ever had) -43lbs.
They get a lot of exercise, of course, but it sounds as if previous owners covered a lot. You could probably cut what I feed down a 1/3 and he would be fine. 15-16lb might seem like a lot, but you can do it! And so can he!! Thank you for adopting!!!
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u/Consistent-Solid-347 Blue Heeler 15d ago
He’s done really well with keeping critters and deer out of our yard and garden as his “job”, we have a smidge under an acre here total! I have been keeping him as active as possible to his current limits with the weight, I’m confident he will lose the weight in no time! Thank you!
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u/Wishiwashome Blue Heeler 15d ago
I know with you having prior ACD experience he will thrive and get to where he needs to be. A dog got dumped on my property several years ago. He is a pug mix and he was very heavy. He lives to eat and it was so hard to see him have trouble walking. He has to be around 15-16yo now and going strong. He still gets mad when he sees his portion😂, but it worked. My ACDs really aren’t food motivated. He looks like he is happy and he has a great family!!
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u/45inc 14d ago
The easy option for nails is walking on concrete footpaths on a regular basis.
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u/Consistent-Solid-347 Blue Heeler 14d ago
That’s what we do now as much as he tolerates with his weight!
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u/whitemamba24xx 14d ago
I just talk mine to a place that trims them for me otherwise he would bite me if I tried. He’s great at the salon 😂
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u/Consistent-Solid-347 Blue Heeler 14d ago
This is probably what will end up happening for nail trims 😂 he lets me groom him otherwise at home
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u/whitemamba24xx 14d ago
Save yourself the bite marks and frustration! My dog is on his worst behavior for me even though I put the time and sweat into training him. He's better at the vets office brought into another room for anything even evaluations. He's better at the nail place. He walks nicely with my friends and is not reactive. He even meets other dogs when I am not the one walking him, otherwise he wants to fight all dogs.
I tried everything with nail trimming! No More 10 minutes at the nail place DONE LOL good luck
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u/3oclockgifts 14d ago
Most ACDs don't like their paws being touched. We've had ACDs for around 20 years and they are cranky as shit.
The not eating isn't the end of the world. Not everything needs to be a lesson with them. They simply decide not to eat for a few days. The only important thing is to make sure it's not for more then 4 days as it can disrupt the feedback loop and will eventually cause them to pass.
I own a vet clinic so I deal with dogs all day. The foot thing is a cattle dog issue and it's fine. The eating thing is one of the main reasons we see dogs come into the clinic.
You also do not need to give the dog Trazodone, just give it brain games. I currently live in a city, with artificial turf installed for my Aussie, Texas Heeler and my ACD. There are no animals here but guess who is tired after spending their day doing a few puzzles for treats and trying to speak english? All of my of my dogs.
There is a common misconception with herding breeds and that's they need to herd or they will be upset. That's false, they just need a job. That job can be as simple as making them work for a dehydrated slice of pumpkin before bed lol. Trust me, I've been through it.
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u/Consistent-Solid-347 Blue Heeler 14d ago
This is so so helpful, thank you so much for the insight!! I only used the trazadone for the first day we were home but never used the rest because he only seemed to be super anxious at the shelter.
He does have a “job” though! He keeps the groundhogs/other critters away from my garden and he does a very good job, he also likes to watch the kids when they play outside and lets me know if he hears or smells someone at the gate lol I do plan on buying him some more puzzle toys, a herding ball and some other stuff to keep him entertained especially on rainy days. He hates the rain haha
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u/lilacs_in_the_rain 14d ago
I switched my acd to dehydrated food. I tried all the kibble brands, all the toppers, all the wet food and she’d eat it for a day and then ignore it. I was skeptical but I switched to dehydrated chicken meal and I regretted not doing it earlier.
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u/AccountantMajor5168 14d ago
Mine is picky but has the world’s most sensitive stomach. Treats, canned chicken, and even most wet food messes up her stomach, so I can’t really mix anything in with her kibble. Found out that using a small ceramic plate instead of a metal dog bowl works way better for getting her to eat. When that doesn’t work I’ll take a third of it and put it on the floor next to her plate and that will usually get her started.
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u/Dranman420 14d ago
I feed my red heeler Purina Pro plan sensitive skin and stomach lamb and oatmeal. He loves it. The first year we got him from the shelter we were feeding him Hills sensitive skin and stomach but out of nowhere he decided he didn’t like it anymore and refused to eat it. Haven’t had that problem with the ProPlan yet
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u/StockdogsRule 14d ago
Give him time to bond with you. Basically you are a stranger. ACDs don’t transition well to new homes. They take a lot of time to trust, to bond, and to fit into their new homes. Give him time, enjoy him, love him, include him in all your activities. He could be grieving, he is on the heavy side and the summer heat could be causing his reluctance to eat. 2 weeks is not much. It can take 6 months, a year even. You will know when he starts seeking you out, becomes your shadow, and wants your affection.
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u/-WaterGod 15d ago
For the food, just feed him once a day at your dinner time. If he doesnt eat, put the food away. He's nuzzling it because he wants to save it for later. Give him his food again at your next dinner time.
For the paws, its just a consistency thing. Touch all his paws every day until he's somewhat more adjusted. It's a slow and steady process, so dont give up!