Please help with a picky picky dog? I think I have tried nearly every brand of food going?

Question

I have a 1 yr old Lab/Golden Retriever mix that has been a picky eater ever since I got her at 13 weeks. The vet checked her out, and could find nothing wrong, and suggested I kept feeding her the same brand of food until she ate it, but she went 4 days without eating at one point. This seems strange to me for a Lab. When I put her food down she usually sniffs at it then wanders off. I can't leave it down as I have another dog, soon to be 2, who will both eat hers as well as their own, and it is getting tiresome having to watch over them for 20-30 mins each mealtime until I have persuaded her to eat or given up. I am concerned as I have a petsitter coming in to watch them over Christmas, and want to be sure she will eat while I am away, I don't need to worry about them any more than I already will. I have tried Pro Plan, Diamond, Eukanuba, Nutro Natural Choice and MAX, Canidae, Merrick, Lassie, Science Diet and Purina ONE. If I add 'proper' meat she picks it out.

I will not feed her junk. I'm sure she'd eat donuts or McDonalds for every meal given the choice, but it's not going to happen.

It is important that she gets good nutrition. She is a Search and Rescue dog, but is far more interested in work than dinner.

I feed all my dogs twice a day, as this reduces their chances of bloat and prevents overeating (in the other 2).

No she does not get table scraps. My other dog, a Bloodhound, is kind of like Yogi Bear at finding and stealing food, so I make sure they only get dog food. Funnily enough that dog on the Dog Whisperer looked very much like her, but she is extremely active already.

Thanks for the useless insults GitEmGang. She doesn't get an alternative, she just doesn't eat or eats reluctantly. That is my concern. I don't feed her filet mignon when she turns her food down.

I've added warm water, beef broth, canned food (of just about every brand), the rolls of meat (Natural Balance), eggs, liver, and that nasty cheap hamburger looking food. It would make me feel a lot better if i'd see her enjoy eating anything, even if she doesn't care. I suppose she is a submissive dog; she doesn't cower or roll over to other dogs, but she couldn't seem to care less about her position in the pack and lets anyone or anything take things away from her. She's more happy-go-lucky than submissive. I have even put her in her kennel with her food for 30 mins-1 hr, and fed her outside. It makes no difference :(

Answer 1

I'd avoid the recommendations on what the "Dog Whisperer" did. Personally, the concept of making a dog work for its food is valid, but to withhold it to get the dog interested in it? I think that would just cause food aggression. Just my opinion though.

I feed my dog Blue Buffalo but am considering trying out Authority.

I agree with one answer about leaving it down for a set amount of time and then that's it. If your dog chooses not to eat, they don't eat. I would recommend feeding the dogs seperately no matter what.

Something that came to mind is trying to create interest in the food like its something super duper special. I've read about this in regards to getting dogs interested in certain toys but I'm sure it could work for food too, especially if she doesn't eat.

Say for instance, you put down her food and she sniffs and walks off. Pick the bowl back up so you aren't wasting time to see if she'll come back to it. Feed the other dog. After the other is done eating, maybe take her bowl and go have a seat in a chair in the living room or kitchen or wherever (you might want to seperate the dogs for this since there's only an issue with your Lab). Act like you are eating the food and having the best of time with it. When and if your dog walks over to investigate what all the ruckus is about, guard the food and bowl. Move it out of her site. Make a little more of a big deal about it then hide the bowl. She can watch where you hide it but she can't have any of it. All that is supposed to do is pique her interest in what you have. Maybe practice that several times throughout the day. Maybe give her little pieces of the kibble after the first few times of "guarding." I suppose my whole point with this is try to find someway to add value to the item.

Maybe she does like some of the foods but she's seen you get anxious when she doesn't eat. Maybe she's relating food to a negative thing. If you are forcing her back to her food dish to get her to eat, that's a negative thing. She doesn't want to make you upset but she knows it does and is possibly trying to avoid it all together.

Do you think that might work? I'm at a loss for other ideas.

Answer 2

Alright the dog whisperer just covered this one
There was a large breed dog that just refused to eat anything but dog treats,
They let this man take their dog to doggy boot camp
while there, he first made the dog work, and work hard, more than any normal exercise routine, after that he showed the dog what it was like for other dogs in a pack to eat, after a couple of weeks working like hell this dog would work for food( jumping up to get food out of your hand ect.) the idea is that you teach the dog that he is working for that food, not that it is being handed to him, balance among the pack
if you feel like you have to put meat in it, make sure you mix it by hand to get the flavor on all the food.
good luck!
I had a picky dashaund until I tried this and he eats great now
it may take some time so you might have to change your holiday plans

Answer 3

Have you tried just adding warm water to the food?
Another suggestion is to try adding plain yogurt or even some chicken broth - not very much at all like maybe a tea spoon or two and stir the food in the broth to see if you can get it covered with the chicken broth flavor, also, if you use yogurt, make sure the food is mixed well with it.
lol don't mix the chicken broth with the yogurt! Try them sepratly LOL just thought I'd clarify that good luck

Answer 4

If she's not eating and she doesn't have bones poking out all over the place, it means she is not physiologically hungry....because her body is getting enough nutrients to maintain itself.

By not eating her dog food, she's TELLING you that she's not truly hungry. If you keep looking for a food that tastes so good she'll eat it anyway, you're only going to cause her health problems that you'd rather avoid.

Stop trying to feed her taste buds. 'Forcing' dogs to eat in that way (when they're not truly hungry) is what causes weight problems and is one of the reasons obesity is so rampant among our pets in this country. The fact that she picks the meat out and eats it just proves you're only feeding her taste buds. I'd eat brownies even if I wasn't hungry, because they taste good. But give me only Bussels sprouts, and I'll likely go for a week before I'll eat them. But when I get hungry enough, I will.

Pick ONE good food. Put it in bowls in separate rooms, close the doors, and leave both dogs for 20 minutes. Then, pick the bowls up no matter how much or how little was eaten and don't offer it again until the next regularly-scheduled mealtime (which should be 2-3 times daily even for adults.)

Unless she starts showing ribs and backbone prominently, you'll have nothing to worry about. She WON'T voluntarily starve herself if you offer a regular source of food. You're not doing your dog any favors by buying her only what she 'likes.' What if you did that with a child? Would you feed them nothing but Doritoes and Twinkies just because they didn't want the pot roast and green beans you made for dinner?

People bring dogs to board with us and tell us stories like this all the time. Invariably, they start eating just fine as soon as they realize that's all they're going to get.

Answer 5

I have a terrier puppy that has the same situation. I usually just have to block her path and tell her sternly that she must eat. Most of the time, she submits. However, I know that wouldn't work for many dogs. So, heres another plan...

I have seen on the "Dog Whisperer" that some dogs are only fulfilled by working. Dogs that were bred for specific purposes need to work and get off energy, whether it be taking a long run, performing tricks for food, playing fetch, or herding sheep. According to Cesar (Dog Whisperer guy), a lot of dogs can be helped by a treadmill. If a high-energy dog needs some exercise, he can be gradually introduced to a treadmill and attached by a leash. This helps the dog both physically and mentally by focusing on something and working on it.

The dog's purpose is to please their master and work for them. After they do this, they should want food because their role is more stable and fulfilled. But again, my info comes from Dog Whisperer, not myself...this may not be the reason your dog acts like this, idk. This is just one suggestion. Hope it helps!

Answer 6

You can try a few things one have tried feeding the dog moist or canned dog food, if not I suggest trying it, the dog may not like anything crunchy or with weird textures. Second if your dog likes a certain type of human food you can mix it in or get something that taste like it(liquid) and pour it over the dog food, then gradually lower the amount each time. I hope these work.

Answer 7

I have a lab who used to be a picky eater when he was a puppy. To get him to eat his food I added 2 large spoonfulls of wet dog food to his dry food mixed it together and also added 1/4 cup of warm water to make it like a broth. Be worth a try :)

Answer 8

i have the same problem with my pit bull. she will go days without eating and i know it is mind boggling for me. i am afraid she is going to get sick. i have been putting warm broth mixed with sour cream in her hard food (i know it probably isnt very good for her but it is the only way she will eat her food) i can understand your concern for your baby. i put a question similar to yours on YA and received some rude answers too. just ignore them. i had even written that i had taken her to the vet and someone wrote "take her to the vet". so, you know take these answers with a grain of salt and do what you can for your dog. if you have to give in a little to your dog to make sure she is healthy do it. good luck.

Answer 9

It is not the dog it is the trainer. Your dog needs to be taught there is a time to eat or go hungry. No healthy animal will allow itself to starve, instinct will kick in and the dog will eat. You said it yourself you give up. A dog that goes four days without eating is not in danger. Wolves in the wild may not have a successful hunt for a week or so. You have to take charge and stop letting your emotions get the best of you. Good Luck

Answer 10

My lab/shepherd mix was and sometimes still is a picky eater. When he was a pup I would switch his food up almost everytime I brought food trying something new. Don't sweat yourself over it. Dogs will not starve themselves, Angus is, as my vet says, one of the healthiest dogs she has seen. Your dog will be fine, she will eat when she is hungry!