Huffs strange eating habits.

[Taylor & Huff]

I have been meaning to post this for a while. Huff has some strange eating habits. He eats treats throughout the day and he refuses to eat and breakfast so we just feed him dinner around 10:00pm-12:00am (yes that is how late we eat). And you would think he would be hungry... NOPE! He sometimes eats half of his dinner and then goes back for more later or he dosen't eat it at all. If it is really late and he still hasen't eaten we have to spoon feed him (which I know is bad training but he needs to eat.

 

What should we do about this? Keep in mind that we feed him chicken rice veggies and fish oil and vitamin powed which he loves. I figure he is jusrt a brat.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

I agree with the treats-the treat ball with kibble is good because he's at least getting the nutrition from the dog food. We never have free fed our dogs and when Chloe wouldn't eat within 20 miuntes of dinner time we took it away until morning it a tough luck way to learn but she did. Huff is something else! I love hearing about his adventures!

[Taylor & Huff]

hahaha:) He is very adventurous... Thanks:)

[Kyoko]

I think I would cut down on the treats. Then feed him normal amount of kibbles. After awhile, I would put away what's left until the dinner time....

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

cut out ALL treats. if he doesnt eat, then he waits til next meal time. 

 

Occasionally I do spoon feed Cooper - she eats Orijen most of the time (free from work), but on our days off  she gets raw. Sometimes I get free raw food, and if its a brand she hasnt had before, or a new protein she sometimes wont go near it. We sit down with her and put some in a spoon. if she sniffs it she gets praise. if she licks it she gets praise. eventually she will eat it. If she doesnt she goes hungry til next meal time. Once she eats it she eats out of her bowl. So sometimes, i think spoon feeding is ok, but not to persuade a dog to eat its regular meal.

 

Can Huff have kibble in a treat toy like people are suggesting? Why do you home cook for him? Maybe he is bored of getting the same thing all the time. I rotate Coopers kibble (poultry/red meat/fish) each time I buy a bag and she gets different raw each meal time.

[Taylor & Huff]

Huff doesn't always get the same thing. Sometimes he has just plain chicken rice and vegetables, sometimes he has some beef added to it. He usually gets some of whatever we are eating unless it is not good for him.

[Taylor & Huff]

About the kibble in treat toy, he might be able to sometimes but I don't like to leave treat toys out for him at the shop because other dogs slobber it and if we are not at the shop we are in the car or at my grandma's house from there we go home and go to bed. It would make a mess in the car and at my grandma's he is supposed to be eating his dinner

[Ozzy Bob and Leanna]

I definitely wouldn't spoon feed him and I definitely wouldn't give him too many treats!  You might try changing his food and even putting some warm water on it to see if he'll eat it.  (Let it set a few minutes after you add the warm water) 

Good luck!

[Adina P]

Can you feed him earlier and then remove his food and put it away for the next day?  Offer him food as soon as you get home, give him 15 min and then put it in a zip lock in the fridge.  Repeat the next day.  He will probably be hungry the next day but then start eating.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ned is a middle-of-the-night eater also. He likes privacy and dark.  When we are home, we can allow this and when we are in the RV we can't. If Ned were my only dog I would always leave his kibble down just making sure that I didn't refill the bowl more than I should.

[Sharon & Monty]

Monty gets spoiled with treats from time to time.  I would equate it with would you like a piece of cake for breakfast Taylor? Most likely you would, at my office when we have birthdays, we call that the Breakfast of Champions!  But of course it is how us women convince ourselves to have cake at 9 or 10 in the morning.  Of course by lunch we dont want real food, and by afternoon, the sugar low we are experiencing makes us want to have MORE CAKE!  Oh yeah, bring on the junk.  :)

[Taylor & Huff]

hahaha:) We have actually been cutting down on the treats and he still sometimes refuses to eat.

[Sami Lee]

Cut out the treats and put the food down for a limited time. He will eat when he is hungry.