How To Deal With Dogs Who Are Finicky Eaters?
Do These Scenarios Describe Your Dog Eating Habits?
- My dog will not eat his food no matter how much I coax him.
- My dog wants food that comes from my dinner plate or the refrigerator.
- My dog will spit out his food if I attempt to trick him.
- My dog wants nothing but food treats, and will eat them all day long if left on his own device.
Dog are creatures of habits and by nature they are not finicky eaters. They do not become bored with a consistent diet comprises of palatable, wholesome food. If they are raised on this diet, they will grow to like it eventually.
Now ask yourself this question. If you were never introduced to food like ice cream, chocolates and fast food as a child, would you think you will miss having them now let alone knowing how they taste like? Likewise for dogs, if they are not given a variety of food as a pup or during adulthood, they would never know those foods exist. Sure, they can smell the aroma of your beef stew but they won’t know what the taste like. They can only associate the smell and taste when you feeding them from your cooking pot. Now you see why your dog lingers in the kitchen while you cook dinner for your family. He is praying to get lucky!
Most dogs are greedy, if there are no other temptations, they will eat anything put in front of them. A dog will not starve himself unless he is suffering from tooth or stomach aliments.
Dogs will become finicky eaters when they are given too great a variety and by overfeeding. Almost all finicky eaters have good amount of stored “nutrients” in their bodies, so you can worry less about him chomping up on poops. To say it affectionately, these finicky eaters are no where near under nutrition but likely to be overweight.
9 Tips To Stop His Fussy Eating Habits
- No Variety of Food. If you are feeding him commercial dog food, then stick with it during the whole course. If you are feeding him home cooked meal, feed the food that has the most nutritional values and stick to that recipe. Variety is not as crucial to him as it may seem to you.
- No Dessert. Remember how your mom took away your dessert if you didn’t finish those peas on your plate? The same theory goes to your dog. Total abstinence. Even the dessert has the highest nutritional values, don’t. Honestly, there is no one fruit or food contains all the vitamins needed for a day.
- No Table Scrapes. Dogs are natural born beggars. Do not give in to his plead no matter how adorable he looks or what stunts he pulls. You will fare much better if you completely ignore him, that way you won’t go to bed with a guilty heart.
- No Snacks or Treats in Between Meals. At least not until he goes back to his regular food, again give treats in moderation and out of necessity. During this time, avoid any dog training especially if he is rewarded with food when he obeys the commandants. Otherwise you will only confuse him further.
- Fix Mealtime and Place. Let your dog know what is expected of him during that mealtime. If your dog eats while watching TV (only happens to extreme pampered dogs), then you may have to relocate his place to kitchen (permanently) or any place in the home with minimum distraction.
- Feed Once A Day. If your dog eats two meals a day, reduce to one per day without increasing the portion. And if he’s already doing one daily meal, then reduce to half. This is to create scarcity mindset.
- Take Away. And I don’t mean Chinese take out.
If your dog refuses to eat within 20 minutes, take his food away. Do not feed anything, including treats, until the next mealtime (next day). It may sound cruel to you, but you have to rule with an iron heart for his goodness. Don’t worry, your dog won’t fall ill if he refuses to eat for a day or two. Take this opportunity to cleanse his stomach – detoxing. - Create Hunger. Get your dog to exercise more. If he does 30 minutes daily walk, increase it by an extra 15 minutes each day he is off his food. Not only will he get a little more tried, he will sleep more. Hungry dogs usually are more active physically and mentally. You want to channel this energy to something productive instead of him bugging you for treats all day long.
- One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Treasure. While you put your dog on an anti-finicky-eater program, you must also guard your trash bins. Dogs are natural born scavengers; they can easily outwit you in any treasure (food) hunting game. Be warned!
Whether you apply all the nine tips or a selected few, remember that your dog should have available water at all times. Your aim is to get him to eat his food, not to dehyrate him during the course. No tonic soup, sport drinks or whatever they may be, just plain filtered (optional) water will do!
Oct 9th 2006
5:38 AM
Good morning and thanks for the helpful articles you post here. I actually found an additional — and important — reason why dogs may be finicky about food. Our little shih tzu was terribly finicky for years. A few years ago he developed “partial seizures.” We had tried everything, including high quality and even organic dog foods. When the meds for his seizures made him sleepy and fat, I did something drastic: I started making all his food from scratch so that I could control all his intake. 6 months later he was off his seizured meds and we’ve never looked back. He gets a new recipe every two weeks, so lots and lots of variety, and he eats every meal. Our vet believes that even the high quality foods had ingredients he was allergic to and the “finicky” was his way of trying to tell us the food was making him feel ill. Our vet also says that after 30 years in practice he’s seeing more and more dogs with seizures and he’s starting to believe that dog food, even high quality, is a related factor.
Oct 9th 2006
8:17 AM
Hello Tammy,
Thanks for sharing your experience. Actually, my first Maltese (during mid eighties in Tennessee) shared similar situation with your “former” Shih Tzu. Unfortunately, Frosty didn’t survive (his 2nd seizure attack got him) long enough to complete the diet program I planned out for him.
I couldn’t disagree with you more on isolating food ingredients. This is a very daunting process which many dog owners do not wish to go through. It is a lot of work; furthermore the result doesn’t come instantly. Just isolating to one ingredient alone, one has to wait an average of 8 weeks to verify the cause. I applaud you and thank you for doing such a wonderful job for your canine child.
Oct 9th 2006
11:55 AM
Hi, Renee -
I actually found the task of isolating ingredients pretty simple because I didn’t do a typical allergy diet approach. Instead, I educated myself about the more common ingredients that can be problematic for dogs (green peppers and corn, for instance) and just cut those entirely from his diet. I understand that it can be a much more arduous task for some if they wish to validate one ingredient at a time, yet wouldn’t want to discourage folks from trying this approach by making it seem too overwhelming! For some, simply making food and knowing that you’re preventing additives of any kind from going into it can be all that it takes. Thank goodness it was a small dog, though…if I had to do it for our Newfoundland I’d have to quit my job and become his full-time chef!
Nov 8th 2006
10:00 AM
Hi Pat,
Thanks for your question.
If you’ve tried most of the premium dog food with no success, chances your dog may not eat any other dog food inferior to which she had eaten before. It could be some ingredients in them that don’t go well with her stomach.
Your next step is to find which meat trickles her appetite—such as Chicken, Turkey, Beef or Lamb.
Don’t worry about carbohydrates and vegetables first. Since your dog is an extremely finicky eater, she’s unlikely to be overweight or obese. However, do not substitute carbohydrate and vegetables with meat.
Assuming you’ve an adult small breed dog less than 10 pounds with a semi active lifestyle, her daily calories intake would 500. Of which 50% is carbohydrate, 20% is vegetables and 30% is protein. Therefore, cook one of the meat (30%) listed above and see if she eats. Once you have a winner or maybe two, then go through my archives under dog food and dog treat to get some homemade recipes. Though the recipes here only contain 5% of my Doggie Cookbook but it should get you going for a while. Occasionally drop by to check for more updates. Sometimes I give away tips in most unlikely places.
Hope this helps.
Nov 8th 2006
8:44 AM
Can you tell me what kinds of things you cook for your dog? I have an extremely finicky dog and I’m running out of ideas. I’ve tried all the best dog foods and she’ll only eat when she’s starving.
Feb 21st 2008
8:09 PM
Please help! I just addopted at 7 year old Maltese and he won’t eat any type of dog food I’ve tried. Dry or canned. He will only eat what *I* am eating at that time. Not even left-overs tempt him. He may have eaten something yesterday until I get tired of hand feeding him but not even look at it today. He weighs 3 1/2 pounds and I’ve put that half pound on him since I got him. He didn’t even weigh 3 pounds when I got him. I’m at a loss since I don’t have time every day to temp him at every bite.
Feb 24th 2008
8:46 PM
Hi Linden,
Is there anyone else feeding him while you are at work? Do you allow free feeding while you are at work? Is there any food left around that he has access to while you are at work? Do you have any other pets?
These are some factors that can contribute to your dilemma.
In any case, not all human foods are bad for dogs. If you cook, you might want to consider feeding your dog home cooked meals. Healthy dogs can go without food for a day or two, and if it persists longer than that, you should have him checked by the vet.
Hope this helps!
Apr 2nd 2008
12:22 AM
I have a small shih tzu who has become a very finicky eater. She stays with my parents during the day while I am at work and they got into the habit of feeding her table food. They also started to feed her several treats throughout the day and she has become overweight. I asked them to stop feeding her the table food and to refrain from feeding her the fatty treats. She is now not wanting to eat anything and cries and begs for food. She has always been fussy when it came to her treats, but she has always eaten the same brand of premium dog food. I have tried giving her a different brand of dog food, but she did not want anything to do with it. Do you have any advice, I am at a loss?
Apr 4th 2008
2:32 AM
Hi Kelly,
The hardest thing for you and your parents to do now is to completely ignore her whenever she cries and begs for food that is not part of her main meal. Both you and your parents have to be very firm on her for her to succeed.
You are feeding her two meals a day? If so, cut the portion to a third of what you normally feed her (not including your parent’s feeding), but still provide her two meals a day. To be honest with you, no amount of dry premium dog food will tempt her right now. You have to improvise her meal for now. You can search through my dog food recipes category for more healthy mouth-watering food for her.
Suggestions:
1. Keep her very busy by increasing her activities, such as walk more often and for longer distance. This not only diverts her attention away from food but also helps to bring her weight down and increases her appetite.
2. Only feed her after she had her walk.
3. If the table food your parents give is safe and healthy, you may want to add that to her kibbles; but keep it to one-third to half of her regular portion. Within that one-third portion the ratio of kibble to table food should be 1:3. Remember to take it away if she refuses to eat within 20 minutes. Then gradually increase to 2:2 and then to 3:1.
4. Walk her again after meal.
5. Water should be easy access to her through the day.
Try this approach first. Good luck!
Jul 15th 2009
2:04 PM
She just had pups Saturday. Sunday she delivered a dead pup. Monday I stayed at the vet’s 2 and a half hours for clean out shot and a prescription. This a wire Dachshund.wires have terrier mixed in this breed and I am having trouble getting her to eat. please advise. She’s been use to eatting Ol Roy dog food and I bought Beneful moist packs. She doesn’t like the carrots
Jan 11th 2010
12:13 PM
help please ……just what is the ratio needed for protein/ fat/fiber….. i am adopying 2 chis… one is 3-4 lbs & 10 months old -depending on food consumption…the other is 4lbs 12 ounces and 3 yrs old …both with normal activity level….confused some articles say too high protein intake affects liver,,,do 20-28% and others say do at least 30 to 34% because small stomach = smaller food intake + higher energy output means more calories needed which mean higher protein intake,,, i an confused…food with 38 to 40% protein level too high
Apr 9th 2010
9:12 AM
Hello- I am so-o-o-o frustrated! I have a 10 mo. old chiweenie. As a young pup, he had a great appetite. He has gotten to where he refuses all food (homemade or dog food (all types) except for treats. I will try your recommendations, but still don’t know what to feed him. He won’t eat chcken, turkey, beef or lamb. No vegetables. No dry dog food or canned food. HELP!!!- Paige
Apr 25th 2010
12:04 PM
Hi Paige,
Not sure if you have read 3 more articles on coaxing finicky dogs to eat kibbles. I’ve written quite extensively–Part one, two, and three.
HTH
Jun 19th 2010
12:43 AM
I am going crazy!!!! my 23 month old cockerpoo was always a finicky eater, but since she was ill with diareaha 10 days ago (treated by our vet) she won’t eat anything, even the chicken and rice that I was making her…I don’t know what to do…she won’t even take her heart worm med treat that she always accepted. HELP!
Jun 22nd 2010
8:22 AM
VIRGINIA VIRGINIA VIRGINA! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GET YOUR DOGS OFF THAT FOOD! THEY BOTH ARE RATED AT THE BOTTOM OF EVERY RATING SITES ON THE NET. I FEEL LIKE CRYING BECAUSE I KNOW FROM EGADS OF INTENSE RESEARCH OF DOG FOODS JUST HAD BAD THOSE 2 DOG FOODS ARE
( I FEED RAW BECAUSE YOU KNOW EVERY SINGLE THING YOUR GIVING YOUR DOG. GOD MADE THEIR DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS TO EAT RAW NOT CRUNCHY KIBBLE THATS PROCESSED GALORE AND CANNED FOOD FILLED WITH WHEAT CORN FILLERS SOY MEAT BY PRODUCTS ETC. EVEN IF YOU DONT AGREE WITH RAW (ITS THE BEST FOR YOUR DOG I USE PAW NATURAW AND BARFWORLD.COM AND NATURES VARIETY ORGANIC CHICKEN. OK I COULD GO ON FOREVER. I JUST HAD TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT THOSE 2 DOGS FOODS YOUR USING. GO TO ALL THE DOG REVIEW PAGES. READ DR. PITCAIRN’S BOOK…YOU WONT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN. GET IT FRO,M THE LIBRARY IFD CAT AFFORD BUT ITS A MUST BOOK. THE NAME IS DR PITCAIRNS COMPLETE GUIDE TO NATURAL HEALTH FOR DOGS AND CATS! YOU WILL BE SO HAPPY YOU READ IT AND ESP YOUR DOGGIES. ITS AN EYE OPENER WHAT THE COMMERCIAL DOG FOODS ARE DOING TO OUR PRECIOUS COMPANIONS!
/ I AM SAYING IT ALL LOVINGLY BECAUSE I LOVE DOGS SOOO MUCH AND WHEN I KNOW SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP IN ANY WAY WITH THEIR LIVES I “HAVE” TO SHARE IT!! BEST WISHES ~DAWNDY~
I HOPE YOU READ THIS