How can I get my 10 week old chihuahua to eat normal dog food rather than cooked steak and chicken. He was Ari

Question

He was raised on pro peak but now does not want to eat it. So I now have to cook the steak and chicken so I know he will not go hungry.

Answer 1

Chihuahua's are notoriously picky eaters, but he needs more than just chicken and steak for a healthy diet. There are essential oils and probiotics, etc. that he's missing from his diet, so you'd be best to find a food he will eat. Dogs will not starve themselves, but you can't withhold food from a 10-week old chi because their bloodsugars could drop. I would suggest finding a canned food he likes and adding kibble to it, eventually taking most of the canned away and leaving the kibble. Another tip would be to sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top of the kibble. Although the cheap, crappy foods, you can buy in grocery and chain pet stores, are usually more appetizing to your dog because of all the flavouring and oils they use, you'd be better off finding a natural food like Innova. Good luck! www.naturapet.com

Answer 2

It's fine as long as the food you're giving him has high protein content. Check the ingredients and make sure the first ingredient is some form of meat. If it's not you should switch both your dogs' food so they get proper nutrition. As for the puppy give him calcium supplements, that's pretty much the only real difference between puppy and adult food (besides the size of the chunks) Large breed puppy chow isn't all that great for em anyway honestly, it's got stuff in it that slows down their growth and if they stay on it too long will actually stunt the growth. For the Calcium supplements, you can actually use human calcium vitamins you get at the store, just give em a smaller dose than a human. This will help him build big strong bones and can also help prevent hip issues when he's older.

Answer 3

One of the biggest mistakes people make when feeding a dog is to add things to the food to make them eat or chage the food when they get "tired" of it. I used to tell my clients that the problem wasn't the dog food but them thinking that if they miss a meal that the dog would starve to death.

That is simply not the case and by you continuing to cook steak and chicken you will create a problem that will continue for as long as the dog lives.

Trust me when I tell you this as a breeder of AKC show Boxers and trainer for more than 20 years. Just cut your puppy off cold turkey. Stop giving him the meat period. Just give him one dog food and stick to it. Do not add anything except maybe some warm water. You may be worried that he will go hungry, and he might for a few meals but he will get hungry enough to eat what he is given in an alloted time about 10 minutes or he gets nothing until his next meal. Do not leave food down for him either and try to feed him about the same time. We had a dog that was stubborn and went without for three days. When she finally realized that we were not playing the waiting game (waiting for something better and for us to give in) she stopped. Now some 5 years later, she is always the first one done with her meal.

As long as you keep him hydrated then there will not be a problem. If you give in plan on cooking for the next 15 years as these dogs will live a long time (my moms died at 20).

If you need any other help please let me know.

Boxer Breeder.
www.fireboxers.com

Answer 4

Use pro plan puppy food. Put a few pieces of steak or chicken in it for a couple weeks. 1 week at a time, reduce the amount of cooked food...by the end of the 2nd week just puppy food, NO more steak or chicken.
Good luck!

Answer 5

Simple. Stop bending over backwards to please him. Stop making the "good stuff" for him. Buy a high quality dry food for small or toy breed puppies (recommended: Royal Canin, Eukanuba, AvoDerm, and Nutro Ultra, or at least Max), and put that in front of him at mealtimes. If he doesn't eat it, put it away for next time. And so on. Eventually, he will eat it when he gets hungry enough. It's just like getting a fussy toddler to eat the right stuff instead of junk food. Don't worry, he'll be all right.
( I once had a really picky 5-month Yorkie puppy that would only eat Nutri-Cal. I stopped giving it to her, and after about a day she started eating her puppy kibble)

Answer 6

Your heart is in the right place, but this dog is WORKIN your emotions. When I got my dog, her former owners were feeding her nothing but table scaps. I needed her to be on dry food, not only for her health, but also because there's no way I'm cooking people food for my dog.

I offered her the dry food 2x a day, she refused for 5 meals (or 21/2 days). Thereafter she eats like a champ.

Try a food like Artemis or Chicken Soup. Don't feel bad if the dog isn't choosing to eat. They'll give in if you don't. :) I promise.

Also, don't let the dog free feed. Put the food down for 15 minutes, then pick it up. The dog will learn quickly that the window for food is short and they better eat while it's down.

Of course once your dog accepts the food you don't have to give it a limited time, but I still choose to because that way I'm not having to wait around for them to finish to put them outside to go potty.

Also, because my Chi tends to have flakey skin, we add a squirt of salmon oil to the food to help her skin stay supple.

Answer 7

Stop cooking the steak and chicken, it's that simple. Better do it now while he's young. They will not starve. When they get hungry they'll eat what's in the bowl!

Answer 8

try mixing the steak and chicken in with the dog food and slowly try to ween him off human food. or, instead of just plain dry food, add some canned food.

Answer 9

Each time you feed him add the dog food a little at time, and gradually increase it until there is more dog food than steak.

Answer 10

If he is hungry enough he will eat. Spoiling him now means you'll end up having to cook for him for life, and if you have to go away on vacation he'll have your absence and strange food to deal with.