Here's one that's been surfacing lately - she doesn't want to eat her breakfast.
Dinner, she'll snarf down in two minutes flat. But breakfast? She'll often sleep until 9, get up to go outside quickly, and then go back to bed.
She'll finally start to eat her breakfast right at the last minute when I'm ready to go for our walk.
Why does she wait until the very last minute before our walk? She's so odd.
Abby was like that, too - although sometimes she'd just skip breakfast completely, and I'd end up throwing it away. But she always ate her dinner.
Having had beagles (a.k.a. Total Chow Hounds) before Abby and Rita, I'll never get used to this sort of behavior.
Does your dog ever skip breakfast, or wait until late in the morning to eat?
Title Mischief
Okay, it's not really mischief, but my publisher wasn't in love with the title I'd chosen for my third novel. I'd been calling it AN INCONVENIENT RUTH since the beginning. (In fact, I thought of the title first, and wrote the story to go with it.)
It's about a perfectionist dog-mom who's an interior designer. Her husband's daughter, that he never knew he had, shows up with a baby of her own (named Ruth, hence the original title) and she wants to move in with them for the summer. The couple's dog, who is very well trained, ends up being a big help. (The dog's the real hero of the book).
My acquisitions editor, the marketing department, and I went back and forth a bit last week trying to come up with a new title, and we finally settled on HOUSE TRAINED.
I really like the new title as it is a nod to the main character's obsession with her beautiful house, and also a hint about how she tries to use her dog training skills on the baby.
HOUSE TRAINED is coming in November!! I'll share more news as it's available!
Thanks to Snoopy’s Dog Blog, Alfie’s Blog, and My Brown Newfies for hosting Monday Mischief!
I'm so excited for your new book and I like the new title! Harley and Shasta are food mongrels like the beagles so I haven't experienced the "picky eater" yet. However, my parent's yorkie is very picky even about where he'll eat.
ReplyDeleteHe's picky about where he eats? That's so funny. It's weird to have a picky dog!
DeleteHaha!
ReplyDeleteLots of Woofs from Earl, Ethel and I at Earl's World!
:)
DeleteHaving Labs, I've never, ever encountered a meal uneaten...unless they were deathly sick.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Labs, beagles - definitely a clear sign the dog is sick!
DeleteCongrat's on your book! I can't wait to read it! Harley is also finicky about breakfast occasionally. On Friday when he knows he's going to camp, he won't eat it at all. I've learned to trust his tummy judgement and allow him to eat later. I do not allow grazing, so by 11:00am I take it up and put it back down when he's ready.
ReplyDeleteRita usually eats hers at least by 11, but with Abby, many times I just dumped it. Crazy! She was such a skinny thing! But they both always eat their dinner.
DeleteMy Lilah only eats if she likes the food. She can be picky sometimes. Good luck with your new book!
ReplyDelete--Wags (and purrs) from Life with Dogs and Cats
I know Rita likes the food because she'll wolf it down at dinner time. She's just weird in the morning. Mostly just wants to sleep!
DeleteBoy, Indy would never have slept so late. Or not eaten her breakfast. I considered myself lucky if she let me sleep until 7.
ReplyDeleteRita's sleepiness is one of my favorite things about her! So glad she doesn't wake us up early. But if she's like this at age 3, I really wonder what she'll be like when she's old!
DeleteLOL Rita is a right bed-head for sure. Good luck with the new book. Have a marvellous Monday.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes Molly
Yep, a total bed head! :)
DeleteA note from Reg: "Geez, Rita, can you get any sillier? You know we do not sleep in or dilly-dally over meals!" He'll get her in the early morning groove when she stays with us next time.
ReplyDeleteGlad the new book title has stuck!
Luckily she'll go back to the old ways when she comes back home! We are not prepared for being up so early when he's here with us! It's going to be a shock!
DeleteI keep kibbles down all the time for my dogs and they never overeat so I can't be much help. Your new novel sounds most entertaining, but i liked the first title.
ReplyDeleteOh, man - you can't self-feed a beagle. They'd just plow through bowl after bowl! I liked the first title too - but I like this new one too (since I also thought of this one) :) but one thing I really like about the new title is that it's dog-related, so it's a better fit with my "brand".
DeleteI like the title. There is no missing any meal around here. Some days I wish they would sleep in till 9.
ReplyDeleteIt's so awesome that she sleeps in! Today she got up and actually ate her breakfast at 8, but then she went back to bed. Once I finish my coffee, I'll have to get her up to go for her walk! (She doesn't really like to go until about 10, but it's usually getting too hot by then!)
DeleteCan't wait for the new book Jackie! Rita sounds like Kilo when it comes to food LOL.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm glad someone else has a weird dog like mine! :0)
DeleteI have corgis...no breakfast would EVER be thrown away! The day they don't want their meal is the day I start worrying!
ReplyDeleteI like the new title, it is a bit more positive I think, but I love the pun in your original!
Yeah, I really liked the pun in the original one, but the new one is definitely more positive. Don't want folks to be offended about calling a baby "inconvenient." Although she really is in the story! :)
DeleteI don't get breakfast any more! It used to be part of our early walk when I'd get home but then the early walks stopped so no breakfast. Trust me I ate it all! Love Dolly Pees: We LOVED the title Inconvenient Ruth!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was pretty attached to An Inconvenient Ruth, but I do like that the new title is doggy-related. It does work better with my brand, so that's good!
DeleteAnd no breakfast?! Wow. Rita may not want to eat hers first thing, but she does always eventually eat it!
Not eat breakfast?! That'd never happen with the pack. Never ever unless somebody is extremely ill. Its usually a couple of them trying to eat somebody else's...or the cat kibble.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new book and title!
That's so funny that they're always trying to eat someone else's. Rita would probably be more motivated to eat if there was someone else trying to steal hers!
DeleteUm...Blueberry would sooner stage an all out revolt before she skipped breakfast. If she ever DID want to skip it - I'd have to take her in to the vet to find out why! ;) Blueberry will, however, go back to sleep after breakfast.
ReplyDeleteI know - it was easier having a beagle. Walking away from a meal definitely meant a trip to the vet was in order! It was always an easy, sure sign! With Rita, it's a little harder to know when she needs to go to the vet!
Deletepugs are known for their endless appetites, once in a while Hazel might get a little finicky with something new but for the most part - all food is gobbled down
ReplyDeletehugs
Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel
Rita is pretty suspicious of all new foods! She will thoroughly sniff anything you try to hand her before deciding if she'll give it a try or not. So fussy!
DeleteI jumped over here from Jan blog, the Poodle and dog blog...and I'm so glad I did!
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/sherlock-boomer
Hi Linda - thanks for stopping by!
DeleteOur pups always love both breakfast & dinner ~ I always take them for a backpack walk first thing in the morning before breakfast is served, so I wonder if Rita would work up an appetite on a walk before breakfast?
ReplyDeleteHow cool that you have your book coming out ~ I'll be reading it for sure ~ I can relate to the storyline as I'm known to be a little perfectionist myself ;-)
Yes, I can be a bit of a perfectionist myself - although it depends on what we're talking about.
DeleteShe usually does end up gobbling her breakfast down at the last minute before we head out, which is what keeps me giving it to her before rather than after, but maybe we'll try after and see.
Mr. N doesn't eat if he's sick or anxious. Other than that he gobbles everything down. Looking forward to the new book!
ReplyDeleteRita's a fuss-budget! There are many many foods she won't even look at! I kinda wish she would gobble everything down. Like a normal dog! :)
DeleteMy angel Gemini was one who would skip meals occasionally. It is funny that they wouldn't want to eat!
ReplyDeleteI know, it's weird right?? Goofy pups.
DeleteThat's so funny about Rita and her breakfast! Zoe will do that sometimes, too! So I usually end up pouring it into a bait bag and she gets the rest for good behavior on our walk.
ReplyDeleteI love the new title! It's perfect! :D
Rita's is wet, so I can't pour it into a bag. Well, I could - but it would be disgusting! :)
DeleteGlad you like the new title!
I love the Ruth title...if it still is the title. Cole is so darn picky with food, we never know when he'll eat. He will ask to eat, we feed him and apparently it's not what he ordered. I don't know. My lab would eat the house. LeeAnna at not afraid of color
ReplyDeleteSadly, RUTH is out - HOUSE TRAINED is in! I'm getting used to it!
DeleteAre all poodles picky, or just Cole??
Congrats on the new title and coming out in November! Glory and Nellie eat right away while Gambler waits to eat until they are done and when they come by him he eats, barks, growls and spits his food out cuz he is choking.
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny about Gambler. I think he could compete with Rita for the "my dog's so weird" title. :)
DeleteOhhhhhhhh! I like the new title!
ReplyDeleteLeroy use to not eat his food all the time in the morning but now Sherman and him always eat as soon as the food gets put down!
Oh, hooray - glad you like the new title!
DeleteMy boys do that. They are never hungry until I try to take the bowls up. My chihuahua is 14 and eats very little. He refuses to eat out of his own bowl. So he and the Great Dane share a bowl.
ReplyDeleteThat is SO cute! Sounds like a sweet image you'd see on a dog food commercial. :)
DeleteCongrats on your book. With pugs you'd never have that slow eating problem
ReplyDeleteRetro rover
Yeah, this probably conclusively proves that Rita is NOT part beagle. (As if the DNA test was in doubt...)
DeleteKatie never ate well until she was about two, then she ate like a horse, but now the past six months or so breakfast is hit or miss with her too. It makes Mom nuts. Many days she won't touch it but an hour later she will eat it or if something is sprinkled on it she will eat it. Strange. Bailie and I always eat.
ReplyDeleteYeah, sometimes I can get Rita to eat her breakfast if I sprinkle a little something extra on it. She's so spoiled.
DeleteMine would NEVER skip breakfast...in particular, if Toby ever did, I'd be rushing him to the Emergency Vet!
ReplyDeleteGlad you and your publishing team finally decided on a title. I love them both, and I can't wait to read it!
Thank you! I'm so glad we came up with a title that I love! :)
DeleteI think the new title is fantastic, and lucky me, I got to read the book! I can't wait to see it getting rave reviews in November because it is a wonderful story.
ReplyDeleteAwww, thanks, Sam! I excited (and nervous!) for it to come out!
DeleteOne of my foster dogs, Odi (it's a good name for him - he's a bit odd, but lovely with it), simply won't eat his breakfast. I found he quite fancied it after his walk? Inconvenient pooch! Loving the new title, btw. Sounds really good! :) xx
ReplyDeleteOdi - what a cute name for him. Would fit Rita too! Thanks for the title love! :)
DeleteGreat title for an AWESOME book!! Your fans are going to love it (she says smugly since she's already had a chance to read it!!)! And, by the way, our little ol' man, Leo, is turning 17 next month and has his own food routines: treats for breakfast, followed by trips to his dog bowl to carry his dog food from the kitchen to the carpet in the family room before eating. The only problem is, he is down a few teeth (come on, he's nearly 120 years old!!) so the kibbles literally scatter from his mouth all over the place. (He's very picky and NEVER eats the random jettisoned bites.)
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks, Dee!
DeleteThat's so funny about Leo. Wow - 17 is a great age! Rita is a total slob, food just falls out of her mouth and she doesn't bother to go back and hoover it up, like a normal dog would. But she's only 3, or 21, so can't blame it on old age! Maybe she blames it on being an irresponsible, sloppy youngster.
Brown dawgs simply cannot relate to dogs who don't eat. :) Congrats on the new title and date!!!
ReplyDeleteRita sounds like me, lol! The novel sounds like a fun read. I'll be looking for it later this year. I know a few people that would probably enjoy it as a Christmas gift. :)
ReplyDeleteI like the new title and can't wait for the book!
ReplyDeleteWe've had some occasional fussiness at breakfast (no, not from the beagle...the other two), so Luke and Sheba actually get a smaller meal at breakfast time and a larger one at dinner. That seems to have done the trick.
Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets
BD (Before Delilah) when Sampson was on kibble he was a free eater. His preferred time of eating was always right before bed. He'd go out for the night and we'd be heading upstairs and that is when he would eat his food. Of course, Delilah's chowing changed that and we had to make adjustments (mostly Hubby would take her out of the room and I'd sit with Sampson while he ate.) But now that they are on raw, he eats his food quickly and thoroughly at each and every meal.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the book, I'm excited to read it~