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Originally Posted by FlDebra  I am convinced that NO puppy is going to starve himself when perfectly good dog food is available. The thing is they are more stubborn than most of us owners. They hold out a little while and we give in and feed them something special. So, we TEACH them to be finicky eaters. All they have to do is not eat the dog food and they have us bending over backwards trying to find ways to make it more appealing, giving them human food, or trying all sorts of new food brands. I say pick out 3 brands that you are happy with -- good history of quality and nutritional value. Then give him 3 bowls, one brand in each. Do not feed anything else for a few days -- no treats, no people food, no gravy toppers or food additives. Let him show you which of the 3 he likes the best by whichone he eats the most of. Then go with that food! Dogs are just like children -- they will have days they don't eat very well. Do not confuse a few days of not eating much with them not liking a food they have always eaten well before. They may just not feel like eating that much on those days. You might want to pick th efood they liked second best and use that as a switch after a few months for a little variety -- but know the variety is usually more for the owner than the dog. They are happy to eat the same thing every day. Some of us even use the kibble for training treats -- all in presentation!  |
Thanks to all with the kind replies. I don't know what else to say, but probably not much else since some people don't appreciate me posting questions (Britster). I might as well give up this board if people like that seem to attack me here~!
In regards to trying a few brands in each bowl, I have tried recently giving him a few kibbles of "Blue Buffalo" chicken, turkey, fish, Eukanuba and the Iam's. What did he go for....the Iam's. I was happy he found what he liked, but he's not eating much of anything lately. I am mixing the "Blue" chicken and the Iam's, but he's hardly eating it. If I put "Blue" chicken & Eukanuba next to each other, he goes for the "Blue". I hardly give him treats and never give him broth or toppings as you mentioned. I've mixed the wet dog food in his dish and he will eat both the wet and dry together for a while. After a while, he will only eat the wet and not the dry. He may not starve, but he does a good job of it when he can.