How to Get Your Dog to Eat the Dog Food It Does Not Like
Try integrating dry kibble into wet food., Make sure the dog food is meat-based., Warm the food., Make some additions., Limit treats., Mix old food with new food., Make mealtimes more fun., Exercise your dog before feeding time., Change up the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Try integrating dry kibble into wet food.
Dogs will sometimes fight you on eating their dry food, the kibble.
To your dog to eat his dry food, mix some wet food with the desired dry food.
That way, your dog will still get the taste of wet dog food while also consuming the dry dog food at the same time.
However, make sure you completely mix the wet and dry food or else the dog will only consume the wet food, leaving the dry food in its bowl.
Each week, feed your dog less and less wet food until you are completely feeding him dry dog food.
Your dog should get used to this and will soon be eating the dry dog food without any complaint., Odor, taste, temperature or texture can all be manipulated to tempt your reluctant dog to eat.
Dogs prefer the taste and odor of meat over grains.
Check the ingredient labels on the dog food brand you've been feeding your dog.
If meat (not meat by-product) is not the first ingredient listed, try another brand.In addition, keep away from dog foods that list corn as one of main ingredients.
A diet with corn listed as a main ingredient is less suited to a canine digestion than a meat-rich diet.
It is a sign of cost-cutting by the manufacturer as corn is often used a cheap bulking agent. , Warming dog food will intensifies its smell and will hopefully entice your dog to eat the food.
This works best with canned food.
If you are trying to feed dry food, add some warm water to the food to soften it. , Add a small amount of meat broth (which can be warmed first) or a tablespoon of pureed banana or pumpkin to the food.
You can also add cottage cheese or a bit of cooked egg.
These are all foods that dogs typically enjoy and their addition to the dog food may incentivize your dog to eat it.None of these additions should be more than 10% of the total daily food allowance. , In fact, try to discontinue treats altogether and only feed your dog twice a day until he is regularly eating dog food.
After your dog has successfully become a normal eater, do not use human food as a treat—only dog treats or dog foods.If you are trying to work out if the dog is ill and this is reason he's not eating, then try him with a favorite food.
If he wolfs it down then he's being picky, but if he doesn't eat even that then he may be ill and should see a vet.
Avoid chopping and changing foods as this gives the dog the message that if he doesn't eat he gets offered an alternative.
If you try three brands and both wet and dry food, it may be time to talk to your vet. , If you suspect that the problem is that you've been trying out a new brand and your dog doesn't seem to be taking to it, try mixing the old and new food together first.
Start out by mixing a small amount of the new food in with the old and, over the course of one to two weeks, gradually increase the ratio of the new food and decrease the ratio of the old food until your dog is only consuming the new food., To help encourage your pet to eat, consider making feeding times more fun and exciting for him.
For example, try playing with a dog toy that dispenses food.
Alternately, make food the reward for when your dog does a trick, such as shaking a paw or rolling over.
If done repeatedly, your dog may come to associate that food he previously did not like as a reward and be more inclined to eat it., Try taking your dog for a walk before giving him his food or playing fetch with him for a while in your backyard.
As he burns energy and calories and hopefully builds up an appetite through this exercise, your dog might be more willing to eat when his food is put in front of him., Make some adjustments to mealtimes to see if any of these make your dog more willing to eat his food:
If you usually feed him alongside your other pets, try feeding him alone.
Put his dish in another, separate room.
Try the opposite if you tend to feed him alone.
Use a different food dish for his food.
Place the food dish in a different location in the room or at a different height.
Put some of the food beside his dish as well as in it. , If your dog is healthy otherwise, don’t stress right away if he refuses to eat for several days.
Some dogs can be quite stubborn when being forced to eat a dog food diet.
While it is not desirable that your dog starves himself, he will not come to any harm if he doesn't eat for a couple of days, though he might lose a little weight.
Indeed, dogs that starve themselves for weeks to months do not come to harm, although they will obviously become very thin.
After a week or so, you then may want to consult your vet for other strategies.Leave the food out for 15 minutes in the room and leave the room yourself so the dog has no audience to play to.
If he doesn't eat it within that time-frame, take it away.
Throw uneaten food away, as wet food tends to dry out once it's been opened and so will lose it's appeal.
Your dog will eventually choose dog food over no food.
You just have to wait him out.
It is only by resisting the urge to switch foods and give your dog what he wants when he doesn't eat that he will learn that you mean business. , In a few cases, you may decide to cook a home-made special diet for your dog.
This can make a perfectly acceptable diet for your dog, provided you work closely with a pet nutritionist to formulate a well-balanced diet.There are some veterinarians who have training in pet diet formulations.
Otherwise, veterinary colleges generally have a nutritionist on staff or can direct you to reliable online resources to help you come up with an acceptable diet which is affordable for you and palatable to your dog. -
Step 2: Make sure the dog food is meat-based.
-
Step 3: Warm the food.
-
Step 4: Make some additions.
-
Step 5: Limit treats.
-
Step 6: Mix old food with new food.
-
Step 7: Make mealtimes more fun.
-
Step 8: Exercise your dog before feeding time.
-
Step 9: Change up the feeding routine.
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Step 10: Don't give in.
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Step 11: Get assistance.
Detailed Guide
Dogs will sometimes fight you on eating their dry food, the kibble.
To your dog to eat his dry food, mix some wet food with the desired dry food.
That way, your dog will still get the taste of wet dog food while also consuming the dry dog food at the same time.
However, make sure you completely mix the wet and dry food or else the dog will only consume the wet food, leaving the dry food in its bowl.
Each week, feed your dog less and less wet food until you are completely feeding him dry dog food.
Your dog should get used to this and will soon be eating the dry dog food without any complaint., Odor, taste, temperature or texture can all be manipulated to tempt your reluctant dog to eat.
Dogs prefer the taste and odor of meat over grains.
Check the ingredient labels on the dog food brand you've been feeding your dog.
If meat (not meat by-product) is not the first ingredient listed, try another brand.In addition, keep away from dog foods that list corn as one of main ingredients.
A diet with corn listed as a main ingredient is less suited to a canine digestion than a meat-rich diet.
It is a sign of cost-cutting by the manufacturer as corn is often used a cheap bulking agent. , Warming dog food will intensifies its smell and will hopefully entice your dog to eat the food.
This works best with canned food.
If you are trying to feed dry food, add some warm water to the food to soften it. , Add a small amount of meat broth (which can be warmed first) or a tablespoon of pureed banana or pumpkin to the food.
You can also add cottage cheese or a bit of cooked egg.
These are all foods that dogs typically enjoy and their addition to the dog food may incentivize your dog to eat it.None of these additions should be more than 10% of the total daily food allowance. , In fact, try to discontinue treats altogether and only feed your dog twice a day until he is regularly eating dog food.
After your dog has successfully become a normal eater, do not use human food as a treat—only dog treats or dog foods.If you are trying to work out if the dog is ill and this is reason he's not eating, then try him with a favorite food.
If he wolfs it down then he's being picky, but if he doesn't eat even that then he may be ill and should see a vet.
Avoid chopping and changing foods as this gives the dog the message that if he doesn't eat he gets offered an alternative.
If you try three brands and both wet and dry food, it may be time to talk to your vet. , If you suspect that the problem is that you've been trying out a new brand and your dog doesn't seem to be taking to it, try mixing the old and new food together first.
Start out by mixing a small amount of the new food in with the old and, over the course of one to two weeks, gradually increase the ratio of the new food and decrease the ratio of the old food until your dog is only consuming the new food., To help encourage your pet to eat, consider making feeding times more fun and exciting for him.
For example, try playing with a dog toy that dispenses food.
Alternately, make food the reward for when your dog does a trick, such as shaking a paw or rolling over.
If done repeatedly, your dog may come to associate that food he previously did not like as a reward and be more inclined to eat it., Try taking your dog for a walk before giving him his food or playing fetch with him for a while in your backyard.
As he burns energy and calories and hopefully builds up an appetite through this exercise, your dog might be more willing to eat when his food is put in front of him., Make some adjustments to mealtimes to see if any of these make your dog more willing to eat his food:
If you usually feed him alongside your other pets, try feeding him alone.
Put his dish in another, separate room.
Try the opposite if you tend to feed him alone.
Use a different food dish for his food.
Place the food dish in a different location in the room or at a different height.
Put some of the food beside his dish as well as in it. , If your dog is healthy otherwise, don’t stress right away if he refuses to eat for several days.
Some dogs can be quite stubborn when being forced to eat a dog food diet.
While it is not desirable that your dog starves himself, he will not come to any harm if he doesn't eat for a couple of days, though he might lose a little weight.
Indeed, dogs that starve themselves for weeks to months do not come to harm, although they will obviously become very thin.
After a week or so, you then may want to consult your vet for other strategies.Leave the food out for 15 minutes in the room and leave the room yourself so the dog has no audience to play to.
If he doesn't eat it within that time-frame, take it away.
Throw uneaten food away, as wet food tends to dry out once it's been opened and so will lose it's appeal.
Your dog will eventually choose dog food over no food.
You just have to wait him out.
It is only by resisting the urge to switch foods and give your dog what he wants when he doesn't eat that he will learn that you mean business. , In a few cases, you may decide to cook a home-made special diet for your dog.
This can make a perfectly acceptable diet for your dog, provided you work closely with a pet nutritionist to formulate a well-balanced diet.There are some veterinarians who have training in pet diet formulations.
Otherwise, veterinary colleges generally have a nutritionist on staff or can direct you to reliable online resources to help you come up with an acceptable diet which is affordable for you and palatable to your dog.
About the Author
Claire Jordan
Brings years of experience writing about crafts and related subjects.
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