Devin Reaches Out For Help

I found this on the GRACANADA forum  It appears that Devin has reached out for some help again.


Soooo

I think this falls under behaviour.

I started back to work this week.
working Fri Sat Sun. Milo and i have been getting up at 330am

here's what our 'routine" has been like.

0330 - 0345hrs first pee
come in, eat breakfast while i shower
He naps (generally an hour or so after eating he just goes off and crashes)
0415hrs'ish - we go out for our 30-45 min walk
0500hrs'ish - back home, i eat and finish getting ready for work.

He is not crated at night. he sleeps in his big boy bed beside mine.

Friday morning he got up around 3 am. He'd get up then lay back down. He did this until about 0330hrs. So i began our "day shift routine".

We're at Sunday now. And my lil' tater tot had me up at 130am (our last out was 9pm). I heard him get up, then noticed he was actually "sitting". He did this movement a few times, but would leap down into playing position. I ignored it until he started to get a throaty growl/work up to a bark on.

I took him outside - he did have one long pee.
he was pacing when i brought him back in. I thought maybe he was hungry. I gave him a milkbone he gobbled that up faster than it came to him.

After that he came to my doorway and laid outside of it for a bit.
Eventually came and laid back down on his bed.

0330hrs he was back in this play mood. I'm assuming trying to get my attention. I told him a few sharp No's. Told him to come lay down. He did i then pet him, but as soon as i stopped touching him he went into play mode again.

I told him no, waited a few minutes then got up.
I believe he was starving.

I gave him his breakfast and now he is out like a light.

Am i under feeding him????
I know if given half the chance if i left the food bag in front of him he'd have that polished off in no time.

He DID have a tape worm. so maybe that is making him more hungry??

With the way my schedule flips back and forth I didn't think he'd get used to my rotation of days so quickly.

I'm off Mon Tues - then i head back in for nights on Wed Thur (then off the weekend stretch)
I DO NOT want to be getting up at 330 am on my day off..lol

Can someone offer up some ideas?
I currently feed him a total of 4 cups of Canidae a day.
2 in the morning, and 2 at supper time.

I really do believe this "play and vocalization" is due to him being hungry.

His current weight is 64lbs.

I was taking him for walks 2 times a day at 30 to 45min stretches.
Maybe that is too much activity for what i'm feeding him????

I've since come down to 1 long walk in the morning.
It was way hot here the other day when i took him for a walk after supper. I didn't think it was "that" hot nor did it feel "that" humid.
It obviously was too much of both for him :(

So i've been letting him tell me when he needs to walk more.
I figured he knows his body more than what i do.

He still just sleeps a whole bunch so i don't think he's feeling the need to exercise more than what he's doing right now.
He goes out several times a day for a block or two at the very most with my mum when she comes over to hang out with him and let him out while i'm at work.