Update on crying puppy

[Amanda and Wheatley]

Well, last night she slept like a dream in her wire crate! Turns out she is very intrigued by carrots! And the fact that she was probably dead tired by night. However, now I have a new issue. It's day 3 and she still isnt eating! She eats carrots, but she wont touch her dry food, and I know she eats the dry food because its what my breeder gave me! For the sake of her eating I cooked her a piece of chicken and she ate it, but she wont eat the dry food! I dont understand why?? Is she still too stresses...even though she eats raw foods?? Thanks

[Nina]

Hi Amanda, the first week I had my puppy I thought that she wasn't going to be food motivated. She wasn't interested in any food, treats, etc. I think it is just being nervous about the new situation. Now my dog will do anything for food and treats. I resisted giving her food I cooked since I didn't want to cook for her. When dogs are hungry, they eat. As long as she is getting hydrated, she will be fine.

[Amanda and Wheatley]

Ya she won't respond to treats at all! Just carrots. I even have the moist treats but she doesn't care. What did you do? Just let her do her thing even though she wasn't eating?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Amanda, what kind of food bowl are you using? If it's not stainless steel, get one that is, and wash it first before putting the food in.
It's very possible she is still stressed, this is an enormous change for a baby. The chicken is much more appealing than the kibble, and I'm thinking you may have fed her the carrots by hand, which may be why she ate those things. If she's healthy, her appetite will kick in soon.

[Amanda and Wheatley]

I do have a stainless steal bowl, and I used her dry kibble that the breeder gave me but she didn't touch it. I dropped.a carrot on the ground and she went nuts, she used it as a chew toy but realized it tastes good to, so I just throw those in her crate to keep her busy. When she woke up this morning I took her out and let her go to the bathroom then I poured her food and she ignored it. I'm concerned about her not eating so I cooked her a skinnless chicken breast and broke it up in the kibble but she weeded out the dry food and just ate the chicken. I don't want to do that again though cause I don't want her to get used to cooked food rather thank kibble. So I'm just gonna keep trying I guess. My breeder recommended putting canned food in with it, should I try that? Oh and when she went to my moms house last night she watched the corgi eat his origin so she decided to eat that too, but its not puppy food! I don't know what's going on

[Adina P]

You know how it goes...the kibble is always yummier if it belongs to another dog! :-)

I think perhaps in the first week I'd be nervous about my pup not eating...after all she's little and doesn't have a lot of reserves to go on. If you embellish her food this week a little to get her to eat, not the end of the world. But after this week...I'd stick to my guns. Crate puppy with a bowl of kibble (or kibble inside of Kongs sealed with a dab of peanut butter) and give her 30 minutes in her crate. After that let puppy out, kibble goes back into container (if it's not covered by peanut butter) or at least put away out of reach. Next meal, repeat. No treats or treat like foods except for kibble. Maybe even put her kibble in one of those treat dispensing balls...so as she rolls the ball kibble falls out. Might make it more interesting!

I highly doubt she'll go more than a day without eating.

[Amanda and Wheatley]

That's what I thought, but its been 3! I think she's had 4 baby carrots, a 4th of a 3 oz chicken breast, 3 bits of kibble and a teaspoon of peanut butter. And that's it since tues morning

[Adina P]

Well I think the difference between what I'm advising for maybe next week is that you would give her ZERO of the other stuff. NONE. Talk to your vet and find out "What is the longest my puppy can go without food without causing any problems?" Then stick to your guns for THAT long. No carrots, no chicken, etc.
By the way I'm THRILLED to hear the second night went well.

A couple months ago I babysat a friend's 7 month old labradoodle and although he's crate trained...he cried, whimpered, whined THE ENTIRE FIRST NIGHT in his own crate in our bedroom...surrounded by our three dogs. I thought I was ready to sneak into his house and take him back! I was at my wits end.

Second day we wore him out with 2 hours at the dog park, lots of playing with my three...and not a PEEP out of him! We also kept on a nightlight so he could see Rosco right in front of him. All those things together worked magic!

I'm positive that part of the problem was the newness of his situation, the excitement of doggy friends and consequent annoyance at only being able to be NEAR my dogs and not touch them all night. He had only come over that evening and was just too out of sorts to settle down.

Also just for another story... when Rosco was a wee pup he went through a week or so when he was REALLY picky about eating. He just would not eat. Or he would eat if the food was on the tray but not in his bowl. He'd eat from my hand but not from his bowl. I sprayed some I Can't Believe It's Not Butter on his kibble for a few days, but quit so he wouldn't expect it.

Eventually he became a food-a-holic. So this may be a phase for yours too.
Will she eat if you offer it out of your hand? THat's how we trained at meal times. I'd teach him sit, down, etc with kibble in my hand and hand feed him.

[Amanda and Wheatley]

Ya I try doing the food in hand thing but she just snifs it and walks away. Ill try mushed carrots and some canned food, because she feels a little skinny and I don't want her to get sick

[HANNAH 8/2/07 & HONEY 7/2/08]

Hi Amanda,
Did you try cooking carrots and letting them cool off and mushing them over her food. You can slowly ween her off the mushed carrots if you like, but there really is nothing wrong with dogs and pups having Veggies.

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

Hi Amanda ~ I have a suggestion that may work for you. Most days at one meal our doodles might get a canned offering. Sometimes it is in the form of 'meatballs' when I am adding supplements, etc... to ensure each is getting the proper portion (Natural Balance Venison & Sweet Potato and Evangers classic chicken both have excellent texture for this). More often than not though we make 'gravy', I open a can and immediately mix it with a can of water. I pour what I will use over the kibble ~ the kibble absorbs it so it has the added flavor and appeal without the ability to pick it out. It is also much easier to handle any remaining that is refrigerated rather than that hardened congealed chunk canned food often becomes. If you will seldom use it then you can even freeze it in ice cube trays and pull as needed. Pop on over to the food group for lots more suggestions on eating!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

This is probably obvious, but have you tried a different puppy food? Peri won't touch the kirkland's puppy food...maybe because I have been mixing it with the new food. I have given up on a transition period and only give her the new now. Just an fyi. Carrots are great for dogs, you could also try some apples if you are worried. They won't hurt their stomachs at all. I know because I have a chihuahua who didn't eat normally for 1 month two summers ago. No joke. But he had eaten something on a recall list.

[Jersey, Jasmine, Jypsy and Diane]

Have you tried adding a little warm water to the kibble to soften it up? That might work.