My spoiled dog only wants human food?

Question

I have a 2yr old chihuahua that eats more than a big dog, she only wants what I eat and is totaly my fault because ive' spoiled her too much. Now she doesn't want to eat her food and she will only eat it when she has no choice, and very late at night. Ive' tried that "sauce" for dogs, the expensive brands, the mix of dry food with the other, and still she begs for mine or she wont' eat... and also she sees me doing something and just begs for it like if it were food, and when I have no choice but to give her a little piece of my food, she eats it like shes' never ate before, she's not fat because I only give her little piece of what im' eating but I really need help.

Answer 1

At least you can admit that it's your fault. You can NOT baby her any more. You can NOT give her any human food any more, no matte how irresistible her big brown eyes may be. When a child begs for that chocolate bar in the store, do you give in just because they look cute and they are begging? No. She eats it fast because human food is very salty to a dog. Many dogs can get an upset stomach or a sensitive stomach if you feed them human food.

Leave her food out at all times. Do NOT feed her anything but dog food. It will be up to her if she wants to eat or not.

You should also stay away from your dog when you are eating so that she isn't wanting to beg for your food. You should buy some Innova EVO (kibble) for your dog. You should also put out some either raw or cooked meat for her so that she isn't always forced to eat canned and kibble.

Yes, I'll probably get a thumbs down and yes, it may seem cruel to some people but if a dog has nothing else to eat except what she doesn't like, she will eventually eat it once she learns that there is nothing else to eat.

Answer 2

I have a female chihuahua and she is just as spoiled. She eats only human food too. So I try to give her healthy human food. I brown a pound of ground meat and take a can of mixed vegetables and mash the vegetables with a potato masher until they are pulverized and then add that to the ground meat and she loves it. It makes enough for several meals and I freeze some for later. I also boil whole chicken and pick off the meat and cook white and brown rice in the broth until it is mushy and mix it all up and she also loves that. Freezes well also. I got a tube of vitamin paste from the Vets office and I give her a finger full of that everyday for the vitamins. Also my vet told me I could keep feeding her dry puppy food since she likes it better than other dog foods because although it has more fat than adult dog chow it would not hurt her because she is so small. You can mix the dry food with a couple of tablespoons of cottage cheese and I promise you she will eat it. I leave this out at night or when I am going to be away from home for a short time and she will always eat some of it. Just don't give her unhealthy stuff like fried foods or chips or sweets, no chocolate (its poison to dogs), or fast foods. Feed her healthy people food and she will be fine. Good Luck.........Zoe's mom

Answer 3

Great! You got a Chi. We raise them and they all think they have to be treated special. This is going to hurt you more than your Chihuahua. Make sure the food dish has plenty of food in it, then totally cut the dog off from all human food. Don't look at her eyes or she will talk you into human food. You have to put your foot down, (not on the dog) but say no, eat your own food. They will always beg for what you have. But just enforce your rule, no, eat your own food. They will, it works. No matter how much they beg, you do have a choice, once you say no, then always keep it no.

Answer 4

First of all being so small unless you know the correct nutrition of the breed you can make her very very sick feeding her human foods. If she begs, ignore her. Act as if shes not there whenever you are eating or doing something and she starts begging. If she doesn't beg for something and you sit through a meal without her begging for food then you praise with ear scratches and "good girl". I would also suggest investing in a Kong toy and some yummy stuffings for them. Whenever you sit down for a meal give her a stuffed Kong (They have canned squeeze and biscuit stuffers) in another room such as the living room. This will keep her busy while you enjoy a peaceful meal. (I've yet to find a dog who doesn't enjoy a stuffed Kong!) Whenever you feed her and see her eatting -her- food, praise her. Let her know that by eatting her food shes making you very happy/proud! Do not continue to feed her scraps. Eventually she will learn that shes not going to get your food no matter what she does. The key to it is ignoring her for bad behavior and praising her for good behavior.

For those who don't believe in "dog food for dogs, human food for humans" you should realise that while a RAW diet can be wonderful for your dogs, it's not always the right diet for a dog, especually if the owner doesn't know the proper nutrition for a breed. Dry dog food can be a good diet for your dog if you pick the right kind. The first 3 ingredience should be atleast 3 real meats. If it says meal, digest or by-product in the first 3 ingredience (no matter what type) it's crap. chicken, beef, ect by-products in the first ingredience do not count. Your dog should be eating meats. Not feet, eyes, insides, ect. (What "by-product" is.) The main thing is to always look at the ingredience.

Answer 5

Its like smoking once you have the habit its hard to break. But by feeding you dog people food you are killing it with kindness..... It really isn't good for the dog. But cutting the dog off all together wont work either, because the dog will then start looking for any opportunity to grab food..........First get a Quality dog food (not grocery store brands), like Royal Canine, Solid gold or one in which the first ingredient is Chicken, Beef or Lamb (not a by product like Chicken Meal)
Then mix a bit of people food into the dog food she will get some of the dog food as well. The other option is to get canned dog food. You started a really tough habit to break. But this habit was not formed over night so it cant be solved over night it is going to take time and persistence........ When you dog eats the regular dog food praise her as well, don't make it seem like a punishment...... And as for treats for your dog try liver treats used for training instead of something off your plate. She is going to need a lot more attention from you during this process so she knows she has not done anything wrong...... Good Luck

I just wanted to add.... The reason dog food is better is because it addresses the Needs of you dogs digestive system..... If people food is so healthy why is it we need to take vitamins to compensate for the things WE don't get from our own food.

Answer 6

WOW, what you mean by people food? LOL

food is food hun, if you are eating bad food (like junk food) it is not going to be good for you nor your doggie.

If you give him proteins, it won't hurt him. I give mine turkey necks and she loves it. I have a chihuahua too and one neck keeps her full.

I give mine a combination of turkey (protein), ham and dry food.

When I had my Rottweiler, it was such a HUGE DOG, so I mixed the turkey necks with rice so it made a big plate for him. Rice is good for them you know?. I also did rice and ground beef.

My rottweiler last about 18 years. Very healthy.


Other thing....do you think dogs ate chickens in the past and left the bones out? LOL like in the wild?

Coyotes dont for sure. Chicken bones won't hurt your dog but if you are worry just cut the chicken bones to little tiny pieces.
GOOD LUCK

Answer 7

No more human food honey! Your chihuahua wont starve if you leave out a bowl of food and refuse to give her anything but that. You just have to be strong to break the bad habit. No matter how much she begs or cries... DO NOT GIVE IN. You need to retrain her into thinking that the kibble or whatever doggy food you give her is her only source of food.

She'll get it... it'll probably not even take that long. I say a week tops. Just keep a bowl of food full.... and she'll realize when she stops being stubborn that thats the only food she's gonna get.

Be strong!

Answer 8

ok so here is the deal....you can feed her "people" food. You just have to feed her the right one. You can feed her chicken and rice, plain. Just boil chicken and plain rice, you can give her whole pieces of RAW chicken. If you are cooking the chicken is MUST be boneless. You just hve to learn what you can and can not give her. Actually if she will eat food that you prepare for her it will most likely be better for her because you are not giving her all of the preservatives and crap they put in food. there are plenty of things online about making food for your dog. I can only recommend using the internet as a tool in better educating yourself. There is nothing more important than being knowledgeable.

here are a few sites:
http://www.ehow.com/how_12697_make-homemade-dog.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_food
http://www.pet-grub.com/

but when it really comes down too it you really need to learn to teach her not to beg. Reward her for not begging. Reinforce the positive and go from there. Dogs are very much creatures of habit, so help her form the good ones. Hope any of that helps!

Answer 9

My chihuahua mix is the same way and I don't think it is a problem as long as you buy your dog chews to keep their teeth healthy. Most dogs love those new hard jerky tenders and those dingos (round ball ones r-best for little guys). You can boil chicken and put some in the fridge and freeze a bunch and add it a little at a time to just a little tiny bit of dry-it's even cheaper than buying wet dog food...

I see it this way, I don't always eat what is best for me either and me and my Scooby-doo are pals...

Every perfect gift comes from heaven...relax and enjoy...we are blessed...
Sista C

Answer 10

No wonder she's eating so much, she's desperately trying to get all the nutrients she actually needs as a dog.
Stop feeding her human food, you're doing more damage than good, she gets far more from her dog food. Be responsible, or find someone else who can be, at least for the poor dog's sake.