Finicky Eater?

[Sandy]

Is it possible that my pup is just a finicky eater? From the start we've had to moisten his kibble, or he won't eat it. Today he wasn't eating at all until I put a little peanut butter in it. Is there a diet Doodles prefer over over things? I was tempted to pour turkey stock on it...I bet he would have eaten it then! Any hints for picky eaters would be lovely to hear.

[MBKANE]

You are not alone is this picky puppy issue. My pup Kensi is a super picky eater. It took weeks before I found something that she would even think about eating more than a few bites of. With that said after trying many different brands she seem to enjoy: Before Grain "chicken" kibble. It is a high end dog food that I will warn you is not cheap. But she eats it, and its healthy so I will pay up for it. I mix in some shredded cheddar cheese or parm cheese (just a bit) and they seem to respond well to the cheese scent. Also try mixing up how you serve the food. I.E.-- sometimes moisten with warm water, or try a lot of water, or just dry and mixed in with the cheese. Our lab likes his food with tons of water (almost like a soup so he can drink up the water then eat the kibble). While Kensi my doodle likes it dry mixed with some cheese or canned food. Let me know how it goes!

[Sandy]

My puppy is fairly thin, which you don't notice right off because of his hair. I think all along it's been a dislike of his food. Possibly today it just caught up with him. I actually put a little turkey stock on, and he gobbled it down in a big, big hurry. Now he seems a little more chipper. Off to the store I go in the morning to find something to perk up his meals. I have a big bag of Iams puppy food already, so want to finish it. Whatever I get I'll cut in with his regular food, and hopefully solve this problem.

[Melissa, Samson & Shelby]

My Samson was the king of picky eaters! We would add things to his food. Try giving him different brands as a "treat" (not a meal, just a reward piece) to see if he would even eat it at all. We added chicken broth, sprinkled parmesan cheese, yogurt, scrambled egg, you name it and we tried mixing it in with his food so that he would eat something.

I found that he seemed to prefer Blue Buffalo. And things seemed to get better with time. At 13 months, he eats his food at his own time, but he eats. We no longer put various things on the food to entice him. I seemed to have a much bigger issue with the no eating thing than Samson did. I'm sure that he would never have starved. But I couldn't bear the thought of him not eating.

My best advice would be to relax and try not to make yourself crazy. He will eat something.

[Sandy]

Did Samson grow slowly? I'm hoping this doesn't cause Toby's growth to slow. I tried your idea of a tiny bit a grated cheddar at supper - he went nuts, and ate well. It almost seems like he doesn't want the same thing twice in a row. I'll try the cheese in the morning again and see what happens. He's just GOT to eat. It's not healthy not to.

[Melissa, Samson & Shelby]

No, he didn't grow slowly at all. He did stop gaining weight by about 10 months. He is now 58 lbs. The breeder told us he would be 60-70 lbs. He was the smallest in the litter. I watched him eat with the litter once, and he was the least interested in the food bowl. I wish I could be a little less interested in food! I don't think that we'll ever have to worry about an overweight dog! It doesn't effect him in any way. He grew normally, had tons of energy, gets lots of exercise, and plays and plays.

We would top his food with different things as he tired of something. He has never been a food motivated dog. He likes his treats, but they are way down on his list of valuable things.

His personal favorite and what we still top his food with is a little bit of freeze, dried liver. We still feed him as much as he wants. I put his food down first thing in the morning, but he doesn't eat until evening. You'll find what your pup prefers.

Through trial and error, you'll find a food that he likes "better" than others. Not to say that he'll ever run to his food and wolf it down.

[Adina P]

No suggestions for you. Rosco had a finicky week and then was a voracious eater after. Doodles vary quite a bit....mine would eat sawdust formed into kibble.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

How many times a day is he eating and how much? He is probably just getting too much food. By adding goodies to his kibble he will train you to treat him as a "picky eater". All animals, human and canine included will eat when hungry. Pick a really high quality food and stick to it. As children and puppies grow it is normal for their appetites to fluctuate. Just give him a few minutes to eat and pick up what is left with no comment. Cut down or increase his food as you notice changes in his appetite. This doesn't have to be done daily just once in awhile if you are consistently throwing food away. Don't worry - there are no known cases of dogs dying from malnutrition when they had adequate food presented to them on a regular basis. You know that old adage - you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink (if he isn't thirsty).