[SONYSW]

Originally Posted by mistyinca

I have struggled with trying to get Chloe to eat consistently and here's what I have found. If you little eater is inconsistent, try feeding the same thing each meal. On days that I have put other things in Chloe's bowl, she is likely to not eat her regular meal the next time. It is like they are waiting for something better. Second, I put Chloe on a feeding schedule. This took a couple of weeks to really kick in right, and you have to find times that work for you. I found 8a, 1p, and 6p to work for us. I started leaving the food out for 1/2 hour at a time, then I gradually decreased the time it sets out to 10 minutes at a time. She finally realized that she better eat while the gettin's good. If you've decided that what you're feeding isn't the best nutritionally, read the reviews, and you'll find one that is good--you'll find lots of opinions out there, and it is overwhelming. I feed Royal Canin puppy 33 with a smidge of powdered freeze-dried liver sprinkled on it. This is what she really seems to like, but all dogs have different tastes. Start with what it says on the bag for your dog's size and age, divide it by the number of feedings you plan to do, and put the same food, same amount out at regular times. When the 30 minutes are up--no matter how much has not been eaten, pick up the bowl and have him/her wait until next meal; Chloe was really difficult for a while, and I found it helped to have the empty bowl sitting at her place until next meal time. When she would return to it to find it empty, it was kind of like a reminder to get it while the gettin's good.

It took us a good couple of weeks to get it to work really well, but now, I put the measured amount in her bowl at mealtime. She comes and almost always finishes her portion. I now give her 10 minutes to finish, but she's usually done in under 5.

Very good advice. Mine is the same until recently I try to feed her the same food. As long as she is eating in the morning, I am happy.