Food issuses?

[Taylor & Huff]

Okay, so I think most all of you guys know that Huff gets home cooked meals. I think any dog would die over what he gets: meat (or chicken), sweet potato, kale, green beans, and the broth it has been cooked in (or rice). Pretty much every night he has to be dragged over to his plate and spoon fed to finish his dinner. When we first put it down he might take a bite (if you are lucky) and walk away or go to the cookie cabinet and beg for a cookie (he stares at the cabinet and sometimes whines, I don't know why he does this because we never gave him cookies when he does that). We don't even give him many treats (maybe like 3 or 4 through the day before his dinner). So last night I got him to wake up from sleeping and we gave him some kibble and he ate it! I know you are saying don't spoon feed him but even when we spoon fed him, he was acting like the food was disgusting refusing to put it in his mouth. I don't get him! He is so frustrating sometimes! I just think maybe he wants to eat kibble? He didn't used to like it though... I have never even heard of a dog being so picky and I am around dogs everyday! What would you do?

 

 

[Taylor & Huff]

By the way, I know it is not because he is full because he doesn't eat anything the whole day...

[Camilla and Darwin]

I think that I would stop giving him any treats during the day. Then during dinner, if he doesn't want to eat, pick up  his food and put it in the fridge. Then give it to him the next day, or next meal time.

 

He has learned that he'll get spoon fed, or even get a cookie or treat, if he holds out. So obviously he's going to hold out. Once he realizes it's his food or nothing, he will eat it.

 

There are members here, that have had success with this method. One in particular. Her dogs were VERY picky and if she gave them treats during the day, they wouldn't eat dinner. She stopped the treats, and took away their food if they weren't eating, then gave it to them the next day, or the next meal time. It solved the problem.

[Taylor & Huff]

The thing is, I am not really in charge of his meal times. My grandma is the one who makes his food and she puts it down for him and everything. I do help her spoon feed him though. Anyways, she thinks it is very sad for him not to eat and since his food is home cooked, that will be wasting food since once it is in his dish she can't really store it again but I do think that might work. It just feels so wasteful and I don't think I could convince my grandma to do it. The weirdest part is that even when we spoon feed him, he refuses to eat. I don't know....

[Camilla and Darwin]

Why can't she store it after putting it in his dish? Can't she just stick it in the fridge? If you can't convince her to change anything about his feeding then I guess I have no advice...

[Taylor & Huff]

She doesn't think it is sanitary and his dish is too big.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ziploc bag.

[Adina P]

Exactly.  Just scoop out the leftovers, plop them in a zip lock and the fridge doesn't have to share his germs in anyway.  Besides unless nobody touches his bowl and nobody touches HIM...I'm sure there is some food residue on his chin or mouth afterward anyway. 

 

It's totally your family's choice what you feed him, but there are some really good and trustworthy kibble brands out there.  But unless there is a MEDICAL problem leading him to not eat...there's NO reason you should force feed him or spoon feed him.  Just think about when you're not hungry and how undesireable it feels to eat at that time.  Why would it work to force feed you when you're not wanting to eat?  It's not even good to try to coerce KIDS to eat when they don't feel like it.  Let alone a dog that probably is a better regulator of their 'off switch' when it comes to feeling full and satisfied.

[Taylor & Huff]

I understand that about force feeding, but if he hasn't eaten all day and only take 1 or 2 bites and doesn't want anymore? That is the part I don't get.

[Adina P]

I don't get it either.  But he obviously isn't that hungry.

[Taylor & Huff]

She might do that. I will tell her haha:)

[Jennifer Tramell]

I agree with Camilla - give him the food for a couple minutes, if he's not interested, take it away.  He won't starve by missing a meal.  He might not be hungry & is entertaining himself at your expense.  I don't think it would be wasting the food, just cover the whole dish and put it in the fridge, or put it in a plastic container in the fridge. 

[Kyoko]

I agree with Camilla and Jennifer. Whatever the amount he does not finish within few minutes, put it away and give it to him at next feeding. The dog will not starve himself by refusing to eat. But they can be manuplative :-)