Stubborn Yorkie Will Not Eat His Food!! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

TeacupLove · 02-10-2012, 08:55 AM

Hi Everyone!

So here is my issue with Parker. When I first got him I started him on Welness puppy food (The hard kibble not the wet food) and he loved it! He gobbled it right up

then I started bringing him to my parent's house so they could watch him while I work because I hate the thought of leaving him home alone for 8+ hours. They spoiled him rotten constantly feeding him table scraps...I mean whatever they ate he ate too it was really bad. I had many discussions about not feeding him table scraps and letting them know how bad it was for him and what not and they continued to ignore me because they said I was being over-protective and that he didn't like the Welness food it must taste so yucky because he would not go near it. Never did it cross their minds that he wouldn't go near it because he was getting table scraps all the time! It got to the point where he wouldnt even touch wet dog food because all he wanted was what mommy and his grandparents eat

Fast forward to today I had them bring him to one of his vet appointments for me and I asked my Vet to talk to them about how horrible it is that they are feeding him table scraps. Needless to say he had a nice long talk with them and was very displeased that he had gained over a pound in one month! So now they stopped feeding him people food and strictly feeding him his Wellness. The problem is he won't touch it and I really don't know what to do

I've tried mixing it with wet dog food he wont eat it. The Vet suggested mixing it with yogurt which he is not interested in at all...he will eat a TINY bit mixed with cottage cheese but not the proper amount...I tried switching to Blue Buffalo food thinking maybe he would like a different brand...NOTHING! He litterally starves himself and then begs like crazy when I am eating my meals. It's sad because I want my baby to be healthy and to ENJOY eating his food and it's also driving me nuts because I can't eat without him begging! If anyone has any suggestions I would really appreciate it! Thank you and sorry this is soo long!

MikaTallulah · 02-10-2012, 09:07 AM

He won't starve to death. I would not mix anything into the kibble other than a little bit of wet dog food possibly.

xoxodoglover89 · 02-10-2012, 09:49 AM

I agree. I probably wouldn't add anything to the dry food except some canned dog food. Maybe try warming the food up a little bit. Dogs usually go by scent so maybe smelling the warmed up dog food would kind of entice him to eat his food.

As far as begging goes, my dog used to do the same thing when she was a puppy. Everytime at dinner, she was always under our feet and constantly jumping up on our legs begging for food. I finally had to train her to stay out of the dining room whenever someone is at the table eating a meal because it was starting to become too much when we had guests over and she was doing the same thing to them. It took awhile of constantly getting up, making her sit on the carpet at the entrance of the living room and having her stay but within a few days she knew she wasn't allowed. She knows so well now that at times when she tries to sneak into the kitchen, all we have to say to her is "where are you supposed to be?" and she'll turn around and walk to the living room carpet.

Puppies can be very stubborn especially when it comes to food.

TeacupLove · 02-10-2012, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxodoglover89

She knows so well now that at times when she tries to sneak into the kitchen, all we have to say to her is "where are you supposed to be?" and she'll turn around and walk to the living room carpet.

Puppies can be very stubborn especially when it comes to food.

Ahhh that is so cute! I will definitely try this and I will try warming up his food! Thank you! It's hard because parker is a year and a half now so he is kinda set in his ways and super stubborn

but I will work with him on this thank you!

LittleLolasMom · 02-11-2012, 06:25 AM

I am in the same position. Lola was great with her kibble then we would take her to parents houses and then they introduced her to all kinds of people food. now she wont even touch her dog food and holds out to get the good stuff. its awful and now i am going to try to get her on a new dog food hoping she will like that instead

BabyGirl Rosie · 02-11-2012, 08:05 AM

Table scraps are good for one thing....ending up at the vet. My Dh would love to feed Rosie table scraps until she got so sick. It costs us $400 at the vet. Table scraps are against the law at my house now.

Rosie has always been a picky eater too. I was told to put a little chicken broth on the food to get them to eat it. But I was afraid to do it because I thought she would get used to eating it with the broth. I did mix some wet with it and it made her more interested in it. I ended up trying to find one she liked by getting samples. Many places offer the samples. Now I just home cook for her. Since I started the home cooking she doesn't beg at all. I don't know, maybe she is more satisfied?

I would try some samples and whatever you do, don't give in on the table scraps. Hopefully the begging will stop.

grjoga · 03-07-2012, 10:01 AM

I love the idea of home cooking for my pets but don't really know what to cook to give them all the nutrients they need. Could you tell me what works for you? Thanks so much.

Taryn0405 · 03-07-2012, 10:13 AM

One thing I would try is changing the protein. Like if you have a chicken based dog food now, switch to a fish or even lamb. Fish is stinky, and many dogs like the stinky.

No worries though, he won't starve himself. Another thing that may work is mixing a little bit of sweet potato in his kibble as well.

Good luck.

BabyGirl Rosie · 03-07-2012, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grjoga

I love the idea of home cooking for my pets but don't really know what to cook to give them all the nutrients they need. Could you tell me what works for you? Thanks so much.

My diet for Rosie came from Dr. Rebecca Remillard. Here is a link with some info about her. Remillard

She is also the founder of petdiets.com. You can get a diet for your pet from there. The cost is $25. I also use the BalanceIt supplement in Rosie's food to get all the nutrients she needs. Hope that helps.

Charlie_Boy2011 · 03-07-2012, 12:31 PM

I'm going through this now minus the table scraps bit. He doesn't get that. But he has decided he barely wants to eat and only gets 1/4 cup twice a day as it is. I started putting a tiny amt of vanilla yogurt in and he liked that then switched to plain yogurt and he did ok. Now he just picks at it here and there.

Someone commented how skinny he is and asked if he is a good eater. He is 4.5 lbs ...born in October so around 5 mnths. I think he looks thin because he has a buzz cut. Plus that person has fat yorkies, lol, fed chicken and lunch meats etc!

I'll try warming it up. Maybe try canned food mixed in next. I want him to eat his hard kibble though bc it's good for teeth.

Nancy1999 · 03-07-2012, 12:51 PM

I’ve tried adding parmesan cheese to food, if I have a picky eater, it’s low fat and you don’t have to add much, most dogs lovvvve the smell, and they can’t eat it without eating the food. The best way is probably to just be more stubborn than them, and know that they will eat when they are hungry enough, but this is hard to do. Glad your parents will stop giving the table scrapes. This is so bad for a Yorkie and they are prone to pancreatitis. Once you dog starts liking his kibble again, he'll actually enjoy a piece of kibble as a treat.

Charlie_Boy2011 · 03-07-2012, 12:53 PM

Just warmed his kibble and a tad of plain yogurt up and we went crazy and ate it all. Even whined smelling it. Minutes before he refused to eat and has been refusing to eat the reccommended portions for awhile. Try to heat it up!

Weird thing is during training he eats kibble like it's a treat most days.

MikaTallulah · 03-07-2012, 01:07 PM

Did you vet do blood work?

Since Zoey has gotten diagnosed with Renal Failure I can't stress getting labs done if dog is acting off. Zoey lost weight but has always been a picky eater. Vet did not do lab work when I first brought her on. 1 month later he did and Zoey was found to be sick.

stl · 03-08-2012, 08:25 AM

We have the same problem. When we first got Teddy he was happy with kibbles, now he won't touch them. He demands chicken!! Been a while, but he's back on kibbles now, but the bad thing is he has to be hand feed. Takes a great amount of time to feed him everyday.

02-10-2012, 08:55 AM	#1
TeacupLove Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: NH Posts: 64	Stubborn Yorkie Will Not Eat His Food!! Hi Everyone! So here is my issue with Parker. When I first got him I started him on Welness puppy food (The hard kibble not the wet food) and he loved it! He gobbled it right up then I started bringing him to my parent's house so they could watch him while I work because I hate the thought of leaving him home alone for 8+ hours. They spoiled him rotten constantly feeding him table scraps...I mean whatever they ate he ate too it was really bad. I had many discussions about not feeding him table scraps and letting them know how bad it was for him and what not and they continued to ignore me because they said I was being over-protective and that he didn't like the Welness food it must taste so yucky because he would not go near it. Never did it cross their minds that he wouldn't go near it because he was getting table scraps all the time! It got to the point where he wouldnt even touch wet dog food because all he wanted was what mommy and his grandparents eat Fast forward to today I had them bring him to one of his vet appointments for me and I asked my Vet to talk to them about how horrible it is that they are feeding him table scraps. Needless to say he had a nice long talk with them and was very displeased that he had gained over a pound in one month! So now they stopped feeding him people food and strictly feeding him his Wellness. The problem is he won't touch it and I really don't know what to do I've tried mixing it with wet dog food he wont eat it. The Vet suggested mixing it with yogurt which he is not interested in at all...he will eat a TINY bit mixed with cottage cheese but not the proper amount...I tried switching to Blue Buffalo food thinking maybe he would like a different brand...NOTHING! He litterally starves himself and then begs like crazy when I am eating my meals. It's sad because I want my baby to be healthy and to ENJOY eating his food and it's also driving me nuts because I can't eat without him begging! If anyone has any suggestions I would really appreciate it! Thank you and sorry this is soo long!

02-10-2012, 09:07 AM	#2
MikaTallulah YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NJ Posts: 1,812	He won't starve to death. I would not mix anything into the kibble other than a little bit of wet dog food possibly. __________________ Beware of Nestle Purina Cozy (4/06), Roxy & Zoey (2/08), Lucy (4/09); Buddy 4/09- Rescued 12/11); Mika ('98) & Tallulah ('00) RIP Harley 4/2009; Lucky 11/2010; Zoey 4/2012

02-11-2012, 08:05 AM	#6
BabyGirl Rosie I ♥ my girls! Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: With My Yorkies Posts: 18,980	Table scraps are good for one thing....ending up at the vet. My Dh would love to feed Rosie table scraps until she got so sick. It costs us $400 at the vet. Table scraps are against the law at my house now. Rosie has always been a picky eater too. I was told to put a little chicken broth on the food to get them to eat it. But I was afraid to do it because I thought she would get used to eating it with the broth. I did mix some wet with it and it made her more interested in it. I ended up trying to find one she liked by getting samples. Many places offer the samples. Now I just home cook for her. Since I started the home cooking she doesn't beg at all. I don't know, maybe she is more satisfied? I would try some samples and whatever you do, don't give in on the table scraps. Hopefully the begging will stop. __________________ Momma to three sweet Yorkie girls Rosie Marie, Mikki Leigh , and Lily Mae Grace!

03-07-2012, 10:01 AM	#7
grjoga Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Lenoir, N.C. Posts: 28 Blog Entries: 1	home cooking I love the idea of home cooking for my pets but don't really know what to cook to give them all the nutrients they need. Could you tell me what works for you? Thanks so much.

03-07-2012, 10:13 AM	#8
Taryn0405 Owned by a Gremlin Donating Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: The Mitten State! Posts: 3,706	One thing I would try is changing the protein. Like if you have a chicken based dog food now, switch to a fish or even lamb. Fish is stinky, and many dogs like the stinky. No worries though, he won't starve himself. Another thing that may work is mixing a little bit of sweet potato in his kibble as well. Good luck. __________________ Taryn Momma to Gizmo AKA Monkeyman My husband, daughter, son, and dog make me who I am "My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am."

02-10-2012, 09:49 AM	#3
xoxodoglover89 YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 747	I agree. I probably wouldn't add anything to the dry food except some canned dog food. Maybe try warming the food up a little bit. Dogs usually go by scent so maybe smelling the warmed up dog food would kind of entice him to eat his food. As far as begging goes, my dog used to do the same thing when she was a puppy. Everytime at dinner, she was always under our feet and constantly jumping up on our legs begging for food. I finally had to train her to stay out of the dining room whenever someone is at the table eating a meal because it was starting to become too much when we had guests over and she was doing the same thing to them. It took awhile of constantly getting up, making her sit on the carpet at the entrance of the living room and having her stay but within a few days she knew she wasn't allowed. She knows so well now that at times when she tries to sneak into the kitchen, all we have to say to her is "where are you supposed to be?" and she'll turn around and walk to the living room carpet. Puppies can be very stubborn especially when it comes to food.

02-11-2012, 06:25 AM	#5
LittleLolasMom YT Addict Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: New Jersey Posts: 275	I am in the same position. Lola was great with her kibble then we would take her to parents houses and then they introduced her to all kinds of people food. now she wont even touch her dog food and holds out to get the good stuff. its awful and now i am going to try to get her on a new dog food hoping she will like that instead

03-07-2012, 12:31 PM	#10
Charlie_Boy2011 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Nebraska Posts: 134	I'm going through this now minus the table scraps bit. He doesn't get that. But he has decided he barely wants to eat and only gets 1/4 cup twice a day as it is. I started putting a tiny amt of vanilla yogurt in and he liked that then switched to plain yogurt and he did ok. Now he just picks at it here and there. Someone commented how skinny he is and asked if he is a good eater. He is 4.5 lbs ...born in October so around 5 mnths. I think he looks thin because he has a buzz cut. Plus that person has fat yorkies, lol, fed chicken and lunch meats etc! I'll try warming it up. Maybe try canned food mixed in next. I want him to eat his hard kibble though bc it's good for teeth. Last edited by Charlie_Boy2011; 03-07-2012 at 12:32 PM.

03-07-2012, 12:51 PM	#11
Nancy1999 I ♥ Joey & Ralphie! Donating Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Arizona Posts: 25,396 Blog Entries: 2	I’ve tried adding parmesan cheese to food, if I have a picky eater, it’s low fat and you don’t have to add much, most dogs lovvvve the smell, and they can’t eat it without eating the food. The best way is probably to just be more stubborn than them, and know that they will eat when they are hungry enough, but this is hard to do. Glad your parents will stop giving the table scrapes. This is so bad for a Yorkie and they are prone to pancreatitis. Once you dog starts liking his kibble again, he'll actually enjoy a piece of kibble as a treat. __________________ NancyJoey Proud members of the CrAzYcLuB and YAP! ** Just Say No to Puppymills – Join YAP! Yorkshire Terrier Club of America – Breeder Referrals

03-07-2012, 12:53 PM	#12
Charlie_Boy2011 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Nebraska Posts: 134	Just warmed his kibble and a tad of plain yogurt up and we went crazy and ate it all. Even whined smelling it. Minutes before he refused to eat and has been refusing to eat the reccommended portions for awhile. Try to heat it up! Weird thing is during training he eats kibble like it's a treat most days.

03-07-2012, 01:07 PM	#13
MikaTallulah YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NJ Posts: 1,812	Did you vet do blood work? Since Zoey has gotten diagnosed with Renal Failure I can't stress getting labs done if dog is acting off. Zoey lost weight but has always been a picky eater. Vet did not do lab work when I first brought her on. 1 month later he did and Zoey was found to be sick. __________________ Beware of Nestle Purina Cozy (4/06), Roxy & Zoey (2/08), Lucy (4/09); Buddy 4/09- Rescued 12/11); Mika ('98) & Tallulah ('00) RIP Harley 4/2009; Lucky 11/2010; Zoey 4/2012

03-08-2012, 08:25 AM	#14
stl Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2011 Location: Asia Posts: 214	We have the same problem. When we first got Teddy he was happy with kibbles, now he won't touch them. He demands chicken!! Been a while, but he's back on kibbles now, but the bad thing is he has to be hand feed. Takes a great amount of time to feed him everyday.