cant get my dog to eat his dog food?

Question

I have a 10 month old shepher/hound mix. when we first got him he ate his food fine[he was 3 months old ] no it seems like no matter what kind of food we give him he refuses to eat it. I have even tried to leave the food down for 2 days to see if he would at least nibble . The weird thing is if I put the cat dish down he goes right for it and devours the whole thing . So I tried to give him cat food[I know it is not good for him but I was desperate] but he wouldnt even touch it because it was in his bowl. We have tried wet ,dry and mixing . When we first tried wet he would eat it but now he is back to his old ways . I dont want him to starve so we give him what ever we eat [Iknow that is bad also] . There is nothing wrong with his teeth or gums so I know its not that. Some one please help I m wasting money on food every week on a dog that wont eat it.

Answer 1

lots of dogs are picky with there food. however you should bring him to the vet just to make sure there isn't an underlaying cause for him not wanting to eat. Although your dog is not overtly sick, when my dog was very ill i got my dog to eat moist food by microwaving it to make it warm. i would put some on a dish, microwave it till warm (mix it and put your finger in it to make sure no super hot spots). The vet said warming the food make it more palatable.

Answer 2

I know what you're going through. I had a dog that was like that.

You said he won't eat out of his food bowl. Have you tried another type of feeding dish, or making him work for his food? Some dogs really enjoy that. What about something like a buster cube, where he rolls the device around on the floor and the kibble comes out a little at a time, or a kong?

You don't say how long this has been going on. With my guy it went on for about 3 months and I took him to the vet. It turns out he was sick and really didn't feel good.

Answer 3

It kind of sounds likke he is having issues with the bowl, I mean if he loves cat food but won't eat it the second it touches his food dish, maybe you need to get him a different food dish? Just so you don't waste money, try using various bowls you have around the house, switch them out every day or two and see if that makes a difference. And if the bowl is not the problem, try getting "vita-gravy". Its a sauce you add to your dog's food as a treat, don't add a lot, just a little to entice him. And over time put less and less on his food, eventually he will be eating his regular food and won't even know it.

Answer 4

Your puppy has you well"trained"!!! Dogs are self sustaining animals. They will eat when they are hungry.....no matter what! He knows what he wants and he is going to play the waiting game with you (and he is winning by the way!). Do not free feed him. Set a schedule time to feed him and STICK to it, no matter what. Give him 10-15 minutes to eat and then put the food away! AND do not offer anything else, nothing.... you have to be strong here. Dogs are opportunists and are very good at it, obviously! I guarantee you that if you "schedule" his food time, offer nothing else, he will eat. It may take a day or more, but he will eat what you give him once he learns that you are the food boss!

Answer 5

Have you tried feeding your dog from your hand? Also will he still eat cat food from the cat's dish? I think its interesting that he won't eat it from his bowl. Maybe his bowl is a problem somehow. Try feeding your dog with a different bowl in a different room. Also try taking him for a run and bring him home to fresh water and food.

Answer 6

Your first stop is the vet to see if he has some problem you don't know about. We feed our dog on a dinner plate next to the table while we eat. Crazy, but she likes to eat with us. There are lots of different gourmet foods to try, but at 10 months he really should be scarfing down whatever you put there. Try giving small pieces of dog food as treats while you train him. Maybe he'll see them as a treat....

Answer 7

get a new bowl, & keep it clean.

Just leave the food out for him, he'll eat when he's hungry enough. Cat food & table scraps are bad, you should stop feeding that.

If you want to make his regular kibble more appetizing to him, try looking up some info on natural food for dogs. Mixing a bit of raw meat, or blueberries, or even cottage cheese can help break the monotony of kibble daily. (its best to ease into natural food slowly, too)

Answer 8

Feed your cat away from the dog,then only put down a small amount of his food until he eats it.When he is hungry and the cat food is unavailable,he'll be eating his soon.If not, you may have trouble on your hands, he's almost grown and a routine should be established now.They will not starve themselves to death.Keep him on a good dry food, they cause less gas...hope this helps.

Answer 9

My dog used to be very picky too. What worked for me is that I bought another dog dish and ate dog food at his side. Now, whenever we have company, I insist that my guests bring their own dog dishes.

This past thanksgiving, grandpa refused and so we sent him to his room with no supper. Then we forgot about him upstairs until we were on the plane. Luckily, after a few weeks we were able to get tickets back and grandpa had managed to fend off the two burglers roaming our neighborhood.

That was the best valentine's day ever

Answer 10

Just put his food in the cat dish dry and he will eat when he gets hungry. Feed the cat separately.I have two dogs that want to eat out of each others bowl. Strange but i think they just want what is not theirs. My dogs like raw carrots and it doesn't seem to bother them.