Suggestions for a picky puppy?

Question

I have a 7 month old maltese that is so picky about food! He will eat one thing pretty consistently for about a week and then refuse to touch it. He is a great dog and is so easy going with everything but food. He won't go near his dog food (dry or wet) and so I tried just plainly cooked chicken. For about a week he was enjoying chicken and rice (but wouldn't eat the broccoli) and now he won't touch that either.

I'm willing to mix up his food but I want to make sure he gets all the nutrients he needs without making things too complicated. Does anyone have any suggestions for guidelines I should follow while trying to figure out what to feed him? What things I should stay away from and what ingredients I should try to keep pretty constant?

Answer 1

Look my dog was the same way once you introduce them to human food it's hard to break them of eating it. You will have to feed Purina or dog chow to your dog. Like any creature If your hungry you will eat. Break your dog of this habit and you will see for now just keep up with the water. Let your dog know you care and play with him but when it comes to food your gonna have to practice tough love. Keep putting the dog food in his bowl and after a while he will give in.

Answer 2

Some dogs, especially small dogs can be very picky about food. Choose a high quality balanced dry food (like Innova or Candidae) and feed twice a day. Feeding in a quiet room or a crate where there are no distractions is sometimes good for dogs like this. Eventually your dog will eat. But don't keep bringing in the constant smorgasbord and if you decide to cook for your dog, follow a good balanced complete diet, not just chicken and rice.

Answer 3

If you really want to break your puppy of this habit, YOU must be consistent.

Decide what you want to feed the dog, and then put it down for him. If he doesn't eat, leave the food there and basically ignore the situation. When the little guy gets hungry, he will eat. He will not starve himself to death with food available.

I had to go through this years ago. We gave our puppy some Mighty Dog canned food, and Bear thought she was going to be a Mighty Dog Puppy. When we ran out, it was back to the dry dog food. Bear didn't like it and turned her cute little nose up at the dry food, and my wife wanted to get her some more canned food. As semi-starving college students, we could not afford to feed the dog better than we ate.

We had a helluva big row about it, but I prevailed. For three days, Bear did not eat. I thought I'd have to hog tie my wife, but eventually she did as I said and left Bear and the dry food alone. After three days, Bear ate the dry food and never attempted a hunger strike again.

I suggest you try some of the better grades of dry puppy food from Iams, Science Diet, etc. If you wish, add an egg, and some cottage cheese to the dry food, this will make his coat shiny and glossy.

Doc

Answer 4

It's normal for them to be "picky" at this age.

They aren't growing as fast, so they don't need as much food.

They start not eating all their food, and the owner panics and starts trying to tempt them into eating.

The dog quickly figures out that if they don't eat, they'll be offered something better.

Voila! Another picky eater is made.

Just get a good quality food. Put it down in the bowl for breakfast. Give him 15 minutes, then pick it up again. Repeat at dinner time.

He'll hold out and refuse to eat for a while, but when he gets hungry he'll eat. A healthy dog will not starve himself.

Answer 5

He's picky because he's got you well-trained!

You have to be tough with him. What he eats is YOUR decision, not his. There's no need to cook for him.

Find a good quality dry food. Offer it to him twice a day. Of course he won't be happy about it. Too bad. If he doesn't eat it, take it away.

A healthy dog will not starve itself if food is available. It might take a few days, but he'll catch on that he either eats what you put down, or he gets very hungry! In the meantime, NO treats or scraps.

He's just pushing your buttons. And you are encouraging him to do just that if you keep trying to please him. Good Luck.

Answer 6

I suggest that you take the pup for a check up, just to make sure there is no underlying
physical problem. Ask the vet how much your dog should eat. Don't overfeed! I would also try Wysong food for your dog. It is human grade food, prepared for mximum nutrition, freshness and taste. http://www.wysong.net/page/WOTTPWS/CTGY/CD
Good luck with your dog!

I had a samoyed who quit eating and was picky, I had to give her Science Diet Maximum Stress and nothing else. Her fur was falling out before changing her diet. Once we got her back on track, she was fine for the remainder of her life.

Answer 7

we are feeding our dog raw in the morning and kibble at night

we are buying her Stella and Chewy's Raw beef patties


Raw Frozen Beef Steaks
Our frozen dog food is made of 96% human-grade, free-range meats and bones, and 4% organic fruits and vegetables. It will help strengthen your pets’ immune system and add healthy years to your pets’ life. Contains naturally occuring taurine, an important amino acid.

Farm-Fresh Ingredients
USDA-inspected beef, beef liver, beef kidney, beef heart, beef tripe, ground beef bone, organic cranberries, apple cider vinegar, whole chicken egg, organic broccoli, calcium carbonate, red potatoes, organic spinach, organic seaweed, organic beets, organic butternut squash, organic apples, organic blueberries, whole flaxseed, brewer’s yeast, organic carrots, and sage.

Fortified with vitamins and minerals. Rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids and probiotics.

Vitamins & Minerals
Zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, ferrous sulfate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, cobalt sulfate, choline chloride, vitamin E (di-alpha tocopherol acetate), niacin, calcium pantothenate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mono nitrate, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride, biotin.

Guaranteed Analysis
crude protein... min 15%
crude fat... min 9%
crude fiber... max 2%
moisture... max 68%

Dry Matter Analysis
Typical Minimum analysis of Micronutrient content in milligrams of I.U. per kilogram of dry matter:

Vitamin A... 11,000 I.U. 0 Pyridoxine... 6.1 Mg. 0 Iron... 100.00 Mg.
Vitamin C... 19.0 Mg. Niacin... 120.0 Mg. Copper... 8.0 Mg.
Vitamin D3... 750 I.U. Pantothenate... 11.0 Mg. Cobalt... 0.1 Mg.
Vitamin E... 96 I.U. Biotin... 0.08 Mg. Zinc... 120 Mg.
Vitamin K... 2.2 Mg. Vitamin B-12... 0.02 Mg. Manganese... 38.0 Mg.
Thiamine... 9.5 Mg. Folic Acid... 1.5 Mg. Iodine... 1.5 Mg.
Riboflavine... 5.0 Mg. Choline... 2,500.0 Mg. Selenium... 0.12 Mg.

Storing and Thawing
Keep steaks frozen until ready to use. When defrosting for use:

* Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
* Thaw only the amount needed for the next day.
* Use a container that is designated for raw pet food.
* (There may be liquid at the bottom of the container when it thaws; this is normal).

If you forget to defrost ahead of time, you can "flash" defrost by placing the steaks in a ziplock bag and submerging them in COLD water for 30-45 minutes.

Feeding Guidelines
Recommended daily portion, by body weight. Feed puppies and lactating females 2-3 times more.
1.5 oz. STEAKS
10 lbs. 3 steaks
20 lbs. 5 steaks
40 lbs. 9 steaks
60 lbs. 12 steaks
8 oz. STEAKS
25 lbs. 1 steak
50 lbs. 2 steaks
80 lbs. 3 steaks
110 lbs. 4 steaks



at night we feed her Nautre's Logic Venison dry food. She is doing amazing on it....