My puppy won't eat any puppy food. Plus more problems.....?

Question

We have had the puppy for about 4 days now. She is very very used to us as people. Whenever she says me or my girlfriend she will run to us and jump and get all happy. Other people she will run away from somewhat. Whenever we are around she always follows us everywhere in the house. She is a mix of a shih tzu and long haired chihuahua. She is 13 weeks old now. So we are having a few problems. One she is attatched to us and when we leave to go to work, she alwayswhines very loud at the door when we close it. The second problem is she won't eat her puppy food. Dry or wet. At first she ate is very well for the first 2 days, but now she will only sniff it. When we offer her some small amounts of human food, she will eat it in a heartbeat. I don;t think this is good for her. She is peeing a lot around the house, and pooping mainly one time a day. With little food in her system. I know she needs to be acustomed to where she is at, but she loves us. Lately she has been sleeping a lot as well.

She is a young puppy, we have taken her with us to most places out of fear of leaving her at home. We are thinking about doing crate training as well. As for the food situation we are scared she is not eating at all. She loves her treats, loves human food, but no puppy food. This is the same food same bag even that the owner gave us. We also mixed with the same pedigree soft food. The owner said she did not have a problem with it. The puppies mother also fed her until about 11 weeks, which they said to be different. We are just not sure what else we can do to get the puppy happy and healthy. We are taking her to a vet in about 5 days, and she is most likely due for her next shots. She gets brushed daily, bathed ever so often.

Thanks so much for everyone responses. I guess i am baby-ing her too much, her name is Suki, and here is her picture http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/751/2ga7.jpg
she ate today the soft food right when I walked in. Will it be hard to change her from Pedigree as she has been on it so much already?

Answer 1

First, if she doesn't eat dog food, and you give her people food, she's trained you. Don't give her any more people food.

Second, if she's lethargic, she might be suffering hypoglycemia, which is common in toy dog puppies. I would have a vet check her out.

When you leave her, she should be contained in a pen with a comfortable dog crate to sleep in, a potty pad, indestructible toys only, and a very small amount of water if you'd like.

Don't let her have the run of the house even when you're home. She's too young. Keep her in one room with you or in a pen.

When you leave, do not talk to her, do not pet her goodbye, and do not EVER open the door back up if she whines. Dog's do not understand goodbye. If you go and pet her and say goodbye, all she perceives is attention, and then you walk away and shut a door in her face! It's confusing to her. Put her in her pen, and walk away without looking back. It sounds mean, I know, but it's what's best for her.

Crate training is definitely a good way to go. Do not be afraid to leave her home, if you take her everywhere now, she'll never let you leave her, and that's bad news. Get her used to it while she's young.

Make sure you're not feeding her too much, puppies have small bellies. Also, do NOT feed Pedigree dog food! Or Alpo, or Purina, that stuff is all crap. There is nothing good in those foods. Try these instead: Artemis, Avoderm, Blue Buffalo, Canine Caviar, Nutro Ultra, Wellness, Verus, Pinnacle. If you can buy it in a supermarket, it's no good.

Don't hand feed her either. Bad habits form quickly, and you don't want to be hand feeding a dog all your life. Take her to the vet as soon as you can. If there's no medical problem, she'll eat when she's hungry. A healthy dog will NEVER starve itself to death in the presence of food.

Answer 2

You may want to sit down on the floor by her food to get her to eat. Maybe try to hand feed her. She is probably very anxious and nervous during the day and cannot eat. If nobody is home during the day, you really should have her in a crate while you are gone. This will prevent her from peeing all over the house, plus she will feel more secure in her own private space. She is tiny, so if she is being left alone in a big area, she will be nervous. The reason she is sleeping a lot is probably just because she's a puppy... she's still just a baby! Check out this website for some great training tips: http://www.free-dog-training.org/

Good luck!

Answer 3

Not much will happen as long as they don't make a habit of it. They might have a little upset tummy or loose stools from changing foods, but that's probably all. It's not a good idea to let them eat each other's food on a regular basis, though. Puppy food is formulated to have a lot of calories that will only put unnecessary weight on an adult dog, while adult dog food may not have all the nutrients that a growing puppy needs. I *do* like the answer above about the young dog wanting to wear make-up and stay out late, though. Good one! :-)

Answer 4

You puppy is being a normal puppy but you a creating in her some very bad habits.

1. Don't give her people food. I know she loves it but unless you plan on feeding her (well balanced for dogs) people food forever she is not going to eat her doggy food. She is not stupid and people food smells better and tastes better - plus she see's you eat it and she thinks you are the smartest best pack leader in the world.

2. Stop saying good by to her at the door. Don't even let her know you are leaving. If she has a crate put her into it and just go. By making a deal out of her crying at the door you are causing her to have seperation anxiety. You need to help her understand that you leaving is no big deal. Maybe you and your girlfriend could take turns walking out the door, closing it waiting 10 minutes then come back in - do not make a huge fuss with the puppy when you come back in - make it like going in and out is a non-event.

3. At 13 weeks old your puppy doesn't even know she is going to pee until she starts doing it. Get a puppy pee pee pad and when she goes in the wrong place don't say anything to her at all just scoop her up and place her on the pee pee pad. If you see her sniffing around scoop her up and put her on the pad. Don't fuss at her if she goes in the wrong place. You do not want her to think pee pee is bad, she will then sneek her pee. Instead praise her and go wild happy when she does it on the pee pad. Same thing when she poops.

4. The blood may be from several things, her worm meds, her people food, in any case take her to the vet and get her checked out to make sure it is nothing.

Good luck with your new puppy baby - sounds like she has a great home.

Answer 5

Quit giving her ppl food. Offer the dog her DOG FOOD (3 times a day) if she doesn't eat within 10 minutes remove food and give your dog nothing else till next feeding time and repeat process. Hunger is a powerful motivator and she will eat, it may take a couple of days at the most but she will not starve.Your dog missing a meal is harder on you then it is on her, so toughen up because if you do not you will have to feed your dog human food for its life.
Do not give the dog attention while she is whining because she learns that is what to do to get her way.
As for house breaking crate her it is the best solution. Take her out often and no freedom( no running around without complete supervision) in the house until she is reliable.
Edit: It is not hard to change food just do so gradually over a 7 to 10 day period. Add a little of the new food in with the old food everyday day but increase the addition of new food each day until you are only giving the new food. Doing it this way prevents stomach upsets and /or diarrhea.

Answer 6

As for the whining...give her a bed of her own (i.e. a box or kennel)...try to put one of your article of clothing in it (after you have worn it). Your clothing will smell like you and she will feel closer to you, and maybe not miss you so much. Another trick is to find an old wind up alarm clock to put by her bed (not in so she does not chew off the knobs), the ticking of the clock will remind her of her mother.


Eating....Try calling the people that had her and find out if you are giving the same type of food. If that does not work try canned mixed with dry (slowly decreasing the amount of canned...dogs need the hard for their teeth...although a little canned now and then won't hurt). If she still is holding out for the people food you can mix a can of green beans in it. Green beans are used for over weight dogs as a filler because of the few calories that they have. I am NOT saying your puppy is over weight, what this will do is give her the "people food fix" she is looking for and give you the piece of mind of what you are giving her.

As far as the bathroom problem....most people use to rub their dogs nose in the accident...please do not do this all it does is confuse the puppy. What you need to to is CATCH HER DOING IT clap you hands one time LOUDLY on in a fim tone (not shouting though) say NO! then pick her up and take her outside. Do this enough and she will learn.

Sleeping...her is a young pup a "baby" and that is what babies do best!

Bathing...Any dog should only be bathed every 4 weeks (unless VERY dirth). Bathing any more than that can dry out their skin and cause itching. GOOD LUCK!!

CONGRATS ON THE NEW PUPPY!! What did you name her?

Answer 7

well for starters, the food problem can be easily taken care of. All you have to do is mix the human food in with the puppy food. Dont give too much puppy food though, he might not eat it then. Just enough so he thinks it is human food. After a while add more puppy food and less human food, take it slow though. Now for the bathroom problems. When the puppy goes pee or poop in the home just rub the nose in it. I know it seems cruel but it works. Trust me when i first got my dog she seemed that she couldnt control her bladder at all. Then about a month or so later she didnt go anymore in the house and when she had to go she went to the door and we knew she had to go ao we took her. trust me, at first i didnt want to do this method but then i realized i could do it or i could have a home that semlt like dog pee and poop.

Answer 8

here is my suggestion is to feed her puppy food only and sence she is part chihuahua then they have a tendency to have a problem with their blood sugar dropping easily so i would suggest that you leave the puppy food down all the time and dont feed her any other food or treats untill she is back on her puppy food she will not starve her self,, and i know it sounds mean but its really not you need her to be on puppy food only but only now and then to have a treat of people food,, in a small amount of it, thats only when she is back on her puppy food,,, I hope this has helped and good luck with your new puppy and she may not be as old as the other owner says she is so you need to ask the vet how he thinks she is when you take her in cause a vet can tell how old they are,,, have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Answer 9

the puppy just needs some time to adjust. if she is away from her mother, it may be making her nervous. when you leave the house, it scares her to be alone which is why she whines. when you feed her what you are eating(human food), she feels more comfortable which is why she will eat it. take her to the vet just in case, but there is probably nothing seriously wrong. you will just have to wait until this transition period is over.
Good Luck!

Answer 10

you are condoning the very behavior you are complaining about. puppies are like children and will test limitations to see how far you'll allow them to go. stop feeding her table food and she'll eat her food.remember that her stomach is puppy sized so she doesn't require a lot to keep her going. babies sleep alot. stop worrying so much and enjoy your new addition.