New puppy, picky eater, what to do?

[April and Zeke]

Hi All, I have a new Goldendoodle puppy named Zeke. He is 12 weeks old and I am stumped as I have never had a dog that wasn't food motivated (have had two Goldens who would inhale anything!).  Have tried several brands of premium kibble, usually he turns up his nose (I have also tried hand feeding it and stuffing it in kongs with peanut butter, not much luck). If I leave it out he will nibble a bite or two here and there, but I hate leaving it out as my older Golden and my kitten are always hovering to get a turn at the trough! He is probably eating 3/4 c per day, less than half of the recommended amount.

This morning again he turned up his nose at a bowl of kibble  Out of desperation I opened the fridge and saw we had leftovers from birthday dinner at a restaurant. I rinsed off and chopped up 4 oz of prime rib and served it to Zeke and he inhaled it and begged for more! I then gave him a baby-back rib to gnaw and play with and he liked that too. I also tried giving him some sweet potato fries (rinsed off), he wouldn't eat that. So far the prime rib is the only thing I have seen him gobble up.

Also training of any kind is proving difficult as I haven't found any treats that really get him motivated. I have found very few treats he will even eat, much less anything that really gets him going. He does like apples and carrots, but usually if I give him a piece he nibbles on it like a hamster and takes a long time to finish it. He is the same with cheese, although I have heard that cheese is bad for puppies so I only tried a small test taste.

I have done some reading over the past couple of days in this forum and am interested and willing to cook him food if that's what it takes. But most of what I read appears to be about adult dogs and I am concerned about how best to approach this for a young puppy. I would like to try some recipes, but am concerned about mixing items when I don't know what he will eat. Should I try the individual ingredients separately first? I have no idea whether he likes oatmeal or rice or chicken or blueberries or any of the items I have seen in the recipes. I hate to waste time and money on a batch he won't eat (like all the stews and casseroles my kids would never eat due to ONE objectionable ingredient!) Where do I start?

Thanks!

April in OR

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Hi April,

There are probably more discussions here about picky eaters than any other topic. Here's the result of a search I did for "picky": http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topic/search?g...

The first advice I would give you is to stop changing foods and trying to find something he "likes." I strongly urge you to read this discussion for more on that: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/an-ode-...

Since your pup should not have had any changes in his food for at least two weeks after he came home, assuming he was 8 weeks old when you got him, he should not have been able to try several different kibbles in that short a period. Changing food too often can cause all kinds of problems down the road and actually lead to a picky eater. Pick one food and stick with it. Feed him three times a day (make sure you are not giving too much at each feeding) and pick up the bowl after 20 minutes, regardless of whether he has eaten or not. It will not take long for him to undrestand that he eats when the food is available or he waits until the next meal. I promise you he will not starve. There is no reason for desperation.

PLEASE do not give your puppy cooked bones; they can easily splinter and kill him. Baby back ribs and prime rib are both way too fatty for a dog, especially a puppy. Ditto, any kind of fried food, no matter how well you rinsed it. We have had several dogs here on DK in critical condition from pancreatitis, which can be caused by fatty food. You are also going to create a pickier eater that way. There are all kinds of healthy toppings you can add to the kibble to entice him to eat: eggs, yogurt, most kinds of vegetables, plain cooked poultry, canned salmon, a spoonful of canned dog food, and dehydrated raw foods like Sojos and Ziwi Peak. Cheese is not bad for dogs in moderation. try a little grated cheese on his kibble if you must get him to eat.

What was he eating at the breeder's? What kibbles have you tried since you got him, and what is he currently eating? What does he weigh? What treats have you used? I would recommend Zuke's minis for treats, as they are tiny and most dogs love them.  

[April and Zeke]

I’m sure it’s painfully obvious I have never had a puppy before…! My GR’s have both been rescues – Sam is ten now and I have had him since he was two. I have always had him on a very strict diet of kibble only (he has been on Natural Balance Lamb & Rice for the last 4 years), almost no human food and very few treats. He has maintained a healthy weight all the years I’ve had him and been very healthy overall, although he was recently diagnosed with lymphoma. But he would eat absolutely anything if I let him. I should also mention that I have been dealing for the last year with my teenage daughter who is anorexic and was hospitalized. Any living creature in my house that doesn’t eat causes me great anxiety, needless to say. I was absolutely ecstatic to see puppy eat something this morning so eagerly.

 

I got Zeke at exactly 9 weeks, and he weighed 7 lbs at the time. The breeder was feeding him Kirkland (Costco) Premium Puppy, she said two cups a day (one cup morning and one cup at night), soaked in water to the point of mush. She gave me enough food for about 4 days. I do not have a Costco card, and Sam’s food (Natural Balance Lamb & Rice) says on the bag it’s good for puppy through adult, so that’s what I had planned to feed him. I started adding a tiny amount of that to the Kirkland food. But he was not eating anywhere near two cups a day, maybe only half that. I tried breaking it into three feedings instead of two, and then I tried serving it dry instead of wet (thinking he teethes on everything anyway maybe he needs to chew it). He ate it a little better dry than wet. A few days after I got him home (and before we got very far with the food switch), I toolk him to the vet for his first checkup. She said not to feed him any food that said puppy through adult, it must be puppy only. She recommended Royal Canin. So I went and bought Royal Canin Medium Size Puppy and began the switch to that. (So I guess he has had three brands in three weeks.)

 

The back of the RC bag gives amounts to feed by estimated grown weight, and that’s where I am a bit unsure. The breeder says males average 45-55lbs final weight but there have been some as small as 35 and as big as 65. According to the bag, it should be 1 ¾ c for a dog whose adult weight will be around 45 lbs. Zeke won’t even eat a full cup total. I just took him to the vet again for shots this week, at 11 ½ weeks, and he is 9 lbs 2 oz. He is 12 weeks old tomorrow. He has been eating less and less each day, yesterday maybe 1/2 c total. Still pooping though, and seems healthy otherwise so I hadn’t thought to rush to the vet or anything. Yet!

 

The bone I gave him this morning he nibbled a bit and played with for a bit, supervised, then it went in the trash. He didn’t eat the sweet potato fry and it went in the trash too. I have been watching him like a hawk this morning, he has pooped twice and seems to be doing fine. I am still putting out the RC kibble, dry, three times a day. The first time in the morning, he usually turns his nose up but comes back later for a few nibbles. The mid-day feeding is usually better, he eats about half. The evening feeding is usually completely rejected.

 

We have tried some different treats that I borrowed from friends with dogs so I wouldn’t have to commit to whole bags. The only one he likes at all so far is Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Bison biscuits, which I break in the tiniest pieces possible and he gets those when he goes potty. He nibbles it politely and slowly, but does eat it and doesn’t spit it out. Most of the others he just turns his nose away from. I will have to look for Zukes. Most of the time if I find something he will even take in his mouth he still nibbles it like a gerbil very slowly. I signed him up for a puppy class that starts in a week and is clicker based (my first experience for this type of training) and they said to find something soft that he loves and will eat quickly and cut up bunches of it to bring to class. Now I am wondering if that is possible…

 

It was kind of a crapshoot that we had primerib in the fridge, we are mostly vegetarian in our house except for eggs and dairy, and occasional seafood. The meat came from my nephews’ birthday party.  I never cook meat. But I would cook it for my dog;)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

April, please take a look at our Recommended Brands List. None of the foods you are feeding or have fed are very good quality, and are certainly not premium foods. That may be part of the problem.

We have discussed here many times that you cannot take advice on food brands from vets. It's well-documented that there is no required nutritional curriculum in veterinary school; what little information the vets do get is presented in seminars sponsored by Hills and Purina. It is not true that you should not consider an All Life Stages formula for your puppy. Many, many FG members have fed ALS foods and had great results. Certainly, an ALS food like Fromm's would be a thousand times better than Royal Canin or Nutro. Fromm's is also one brand that most dogs seem to love.

I would choose a food from our list, and if your guy is a picky eater, I would choose a grain-free food. Most grain-free formulas are more nutrient-dense and higher in calories, so the dog doesn't have to eat as much to get the nutrients he needs.

To give you an example, up until recently, my dog was eating Orijen. Due to an immune-mediated disease, he must now eat a limited ingredient diet. He is eating Natural Balance. He must eat 50% more of the NB to get the same number of calories he got from the Orijen; 4.5 cups a day instead of 3.

Unfortunately, the brands we recommend are not available at the "big box" stores like Walmart, Target, etc. Some are available at Petco and Petsmart, but many can only be found at the smaller pet supply stores. That's usually where you will find the better treats, too.  You want to make sure there are no ingredients from China in the products.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

If you're looking for a healthy training treat, my guys really like boiled chicken breast that I cut into tiny pieces. 

[Jen, Lachlan, and Declan]

Hi April, congratulations on your new baby! He's adorable!

I'll second loudly what Karen said, and from experience. Lachlan is the pickiest dog I've ever owned, but he really won't starve himself. I rushed Lach to the emergency vet at 9 weeks old because puppies, in my past experience, don't just stop eating for no reason. They were kind enough not to mock me, at least where I could hear them. *grin* Sometimes Lachlan just doesn't feel like eating his meal, or is full half-way through. He'll eat eventually.

I do top his food with something he likes when I really need him to get through a meal, but always with something healthy that won't upset his stomach and not on a daily basis or he wouldn't eat without the topper. Usually plain yoghurt, which he loves, or a bit of scrambled egg or cooked chopped chicken breast.

I'll also second the recommendation for Zuke's minis; Lachlan loves them!

[Pattty Oehrlein]

Hi ya- sorry to hear your puppy is so finicky- I agree too much change and maybe too much leftover food. I'm no expert but have a 12 week old here too. She eats her kibble with a bit of wet (1tsp) mixed in bowl for part of her meals and then rest is given in toys and kongs. I can understand the stress of not thinking your baby is getting enough nutrition.

We use HALO Spots Stew chicken puppy formula dry and wet. The breeder was feeding her Wellness brand and Halo - so I mixed the two together for the first few weeks to keep it consistent, and now I am going with just Halo for convenience. I joke that it must have an addictive property because she woofs it down in her bowl, I just ordered a slow feed variety bowl for that very reason.

Maybe you could try putting her food in a toy and it may spark some interest. We have kongs (of course) but this interactive toy looks like a big red paw with little yellow cups she has to pick up to unveil a couple pieces of kibble. She goes nutty over it, and you can tell she is really enjoying working to find her food.

I hope that helps.

Good Luck!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Nooooooooooooo!   The old adage is if the dog is healthy, they will eat - eventually.  The guidelines on the food package are just that - guidelines.  If Zeke eats less than that, it really is ok.  For example our 47 pound Springer eats up to 3 cups a day of food and our 64 pound Goldendoodle eats only 2 cups - this is for correct weight maintenance for each dog. Ned is not food motivated (although he likes treats) and we put his kibble down.  If he show no interest within a minute or two, we pick it up and give it to him with his dinner portion.  Ned likes to eat at night, in the dark, and alone.... and when we don't have other doggy company, we leave it out for him.   Ned's favorite treat is string cheese.

It really is not a good idea to switch foods a lot.  This doesn't mean you don't try to get one that is healthy for the dog and creates solid poos.  Some people feed their dogs Fromm because of the flavor choices.  Because grain-free foods are more calorie dense, light eaters can get more nutrition in each meal.

Are you sure the directions say to feed the dog the amount you think they will be as an adult?  I thought the charts were puppy age and current size.

[Maria, Ton & Zoe]

We had exactly the same problem, but eventually found a food that Zoe eats.  She never ate the "recommended amount" though.  Orijen puppy worked - this is what she had at the breeder's house - but she usually ate less than 1/2 of the recommended amount.  Since August 2011 (she was 5 months old) we switched her to Ziwi Peak - she eats a little less than the recommended amount, but more than 1/2...  But because this is dehydrated food and mostly meat, she needs to eat much less (volume) than kibble for the same amount of calories - as Karen said.  Sometime I top it with 1/2 patty of Stella and Chewy - either beef or chicken.  It's not inexpensive, but because you don't need that much for each meal, it turns out OK.  Your puppy is also smaller than Zoe, so he will eat less.  I would think a $28, 2lb bag will last 2 weeks.

We get Ziwi Peak at smaller pet stores around here or I order it from Amazon.  Try the lamb one as it's recommended for puppies (a little more fat than venison).  And once he eats you can rotate between Ziwi Peak types.

As treats for a picky doodle go, dehydrated lamb lungs work really well for us.  I cut them in tiny pieces.  Also Natural Balance food roll cut in tiny pieces.  I get the small rolls, cut them and store them in ziplock bags.  All the trainers around here use this one, as it's actually food, not treats.

Good luck with this, try to resist adding things into the food and giving him people food.  Zoe had sometimes 2-3 days in a row without eating much, but she would get back to eating afterwards. 

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

If you are looking for small training treats, I suggest the Natural Balance food rolls.  You can cut them up into as small of a size as you want.  Cubbie really enjoys it and will come running when he sees me take the little baggie out of the fridge.