I went through the same thing about a month ago. I will tell you what I did, but keep in mind, just because it worked for me, doesn't mean it's right for you and your pup. Others may have some better advise...
I got my pup at 13 weeks old. I was feeding her the same dry kibble the breeder used. She didn't seem to eat a lot, but I attributed it to being in new surroundings. At about 3 months old I started trying ways to get her to eat because she was so picky. I would put the kibble right in the floor and that seemed to be working. Then at about 4 months she wasn't interested in that anymore and I was worried that she wasn't eating enough and I started mixing in broth. And that worked for a few days, until she again wasn't interested. I then started mixing in wet food. Again, worked for a few days and then nothing. I then realized, she was totally playing me. She knew if she refused to eat, I would find something else yummy to give her. That's when I decided to give tough love. Starting in the morning I put only her dry kibble out. She is usually not hungry in the morning anyway, but about noon I would see her go to her food bowl, sniff and walk away. The first day it took her until about 4-5 in the afternoon to finally give in and eat. The next day she ate around noon. The third day she was stubborn again and was testing me, but I didn't give in (even though it was hard not to). After a few days she realized dry kibble is all she eats. Some days she doesn't eat till afternoon, but she still eats 3-4 times a day, and I'm not going through hoops to try to get her eat. |