My Yorkie wont eat his dog food!!! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

ckb · 10-05-2013, 01:58 PM

Hi

Looking for someadvice really. I recently became the proud owner of a 9yo yorkie boy and stupidly spoilt him food-wise. When he came to me he ate well and was perfectly hapoy to eat his dog food twice a day, then i started giving him bits like chicken or rice and now he point blank refuses to eat his dog food!!! If hes desperate he will eat a bite but thats it. Im trying to do the whole 'no human food so he has to eat his own' routine and have stuck to this but hes hungry and he makes me feel so guilty and like its my responsibility to feed him and i havent, even though i am putting good quality dog food out for him. He willingly eats his dog treats and meaty bits out of dry dog food but thats it. What should i do? I hate knowing that he is going to bed tonight hungry!

MauiGirl · 10-05-2013, 09:56 PM

He probably is not going to bed hungry. I think he would eat if he really was hungry and food was available. It often works to just enhance the kibble a little, with maybe a tiny bit of parmesan cheese on top, or a bit of finely diced chicken or rice, or chicken broth on the kibble. Make the added bits so tiny he can't easily pick them out, and once he pecks around, he will get into it.

We all spoil our pups a bit, and that is not a bad thing

alaskayorkie · 10-05-2013, 10:42 PM

I would just go back to feeding him a quality diet. He'll eat when he gets hungry enough, and it will be good for him. Don't worry unless his weigh starts dropping significantly.

If it really bugs you, mix a TINY bit of healthy canned food in with it or add some warm bullion to it. Even warm water alone helps to improve the smell.

kimp5 · 10-06-2013, 06:19 AM

make some chicken stock and pour it into ice cube trays. melt one over his food. They are scent driven..You can slowly wean them off it. I did it with Jess

DvlshAngel985 · 10-06-2013, 06:44 AM

This may sound weird, but have you tried playing fetch (or whatever his favorite game is) right before mealtime? That's what I do with Kaji to get him to eat. When I'm feeding him something extra appetizing, like Stella and Chewy's, he runs for the bowl and chows down. But when I switch him back to his regular kibble, he'll plain refuse to eat. If I get him to play, without fail, he'll take whatever toy we're playing with over to the food bowl and chow down.

alaskayorkie · 10-06-2013, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DvlshAngel985

This may sound weird, but have you tried playing fetch (or whatever his favorite game is) right before mealtime? That's what I do with Kaji to get him to eat. When I'm feeding him something extra appetizing, like Stella and Chewy's, he runs for the bowl and chows down. But when I switch him back to his regular kibble, he'll plain refuse to eat. If I get him to play, without fail, he'll take whatever toy we're playing with over to the food bowl and chow down.

Dvlshly clever!

gracielove · 10-06-2013, 04:50 PM

These little ones are very clever. I think that because they tend to sit with us that they feel it only right that we feed them what we are eating. They are members of the family after all!

Now that he thinks that your food is his food you may have to step up the brand of food you feed. My little girl refused to eat kibble from day one as a puppy. We have had great success with Stella & Chewy's. She loved the freeze dried and it got her eating dog food. We mainly buy the frozen version now because it is a bit less expensive to feed.

Try not to feed him when you are cooking something that he likes. The scent will distract him. Making meal time interesting will help to get him eating his own food again. The freeze dried Stella and Chewy's or some other good freeze dried food can be broken up and sprinkled on other less inviting foods to at least get them interested in eating.

Foster2Owner · 10-06-2013, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kimp5

make some chicken stock and pour it into ice cube trays. melt one over his food. They are scent driven..You can slowly wean them off it. I did it with Jess

I do this too. I also had a foster dog that refused to drink water. Fruit in the water did not help but chicken stock (frozen or mixed in to water) made her drink up.

Yorkie 2 · 10-07-2013, 05:18 PM

Hi, I am new to this forum. I have a problem with my Yorkie eating, my fault. I have had her since she was a puppy. She ate fine. She is now almost 2. I became very sick and since it was just BJ and me I felt so bad that I let her eat bites of my food. I was sick for 6 weeks with bronchitis so now she doesn't want her food. I have tried everything but she holds out. She likes her treats but NO dog food. I don't know why they can't make dog food taste as good as treats ! She has me wrapped around her little paw.

10-05-2013, 01:58 PM	#1
ckb YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: leicestershire Posts: 7	My Yorkie wont eat his dog food!!! Hi Looking for someadvice really. I recently became the proud owner of a 9yo yorkie boy and stupidly spoilt him food-wise. When he came to me he ate well and was perfectly hapoy to eat his dog food twice a day, then i started giving him bits like chicken or rice and now he point blank refuses to eat his dog food!!! If hes desperate he will eat a bite but thats it. Im trying to do the whole 'no human food so he has to eat his own' routine and have stuck to this but hes hungry and he makes me feel so guilty and like its my responsibility to feed him and i havent, even though i am putting good quality dog food out for him. He willingly eats his dog treats and meaty bits out of dry dog food but thats it. What should i do? I hate knowing that he is going to bed tonight hungry!

10-05-2013, 09:56 PM	#2
MauiGirl Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Maui, Hawaii Posts: 7,737	He probably is not going to bed hungry. I think he would eat if he really was hungry and food was available. It often works to just enhance the kibble a little, with maybe a tiny bit of parmesan cheese on top, or a bit of finely diced chicken or rice, or chicken broth on the kibble. Make the added bits so tiny he can't easily pick them out, and once he pecks around, he will get into it. We all spoil our pups a bit, and that is not a bad thing __________________ SANDY, MOM TO TIKI , KAYLA , KARLEE , R.I.P. MEIKA

10-05-2013, 10:42 PM	#3
alaskayorkie Banning Thread Dictator Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Anchorage Posts: 30,843 Blog Entries: 57	I would just go back to feeding him a quality diet. He'll eat when he gets hungry enough, and it will be good for him. Don't worry unless his weigh starts dropping significantly. If it really bugs you, mix a TINY bit of healthy canned food in with it or add some warm bullion to it. Even warm water alone helps to improve the smell. __________________ Mike ~ Doting Dad to Jillie, Harper, Molly, Cooper, Eddie (RIP), Lucy (RIP), Rusty (RIP) and Jack (RIP). Check us out on YouTube

10-06-2013, 06:44 AM	#5
DvlshAngel985 Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA Posts: 12,693	This may sound weird, but have you tried playing fetch (or whatever his favorite game is) right before mealtime? That's what I do with Kaji to get him to eat. When I'm feeding him something extra appetizing, like Stella and Chewy's, he runs for the bowl and chows down. But when I switch him back to his regular kibble, he'll plain refuse to eat. If I get him to play, without fail, he'll take whatever toy we're playing with over to the food bowl and chow down. __________________ Littlest JakJak We miss you Kaji

10-06-2013, 06:19 AM	#4
kimp5 YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Boston MA Posts: 890	make some chicken stock and pour it into ice cube trays. melt one over his food. They are scent driven..You can slowly wean them off it. I did it with Jess

10-06-2013, 04:50 PM	#7
gracielove YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY Posts: 6,582	These little ones are very clever. I think that because they tend to sit with us that they feel it only right that we feed them what we are eating. They are members of the family after all! Now that he thinks that your food is his food you may have to step up the brand of food you feed. My little girl refused to eat kibble from day one as a puppy. We have had great success with Stella & Chewy's. She loved the freeze dried and it got her eating dog food. We mainly buy the frozen version now because it is a bit less expensive to feed. Try not to feed him when you are cooking something that he likes. The scent will distract him. Making meal time interesting will help to get him eating his own food again. The freeze dried Stella and Chewy's or some other good freeze dried food can be broken up and sprinkled on other less inviting foods to at least get them interested in eating.

10-07-2013, 05:18 PM	#9
Yorkie 2 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Centerville OH USA Posts: 2	Hi, I am new to this forum. I have a problem with my Yorkie eating, my fault. I have had her since she was a puppy. She ate fine. She is now almost 2. I became very sick and since it was just BJ and me I felt so bad that I let her eat bites of my food. I was sick for 6 weeks with bronchitis so now she doesn't want her food. I have tried everything but she holds out. She likes her treats but NO dog food. I don't know why they can't make dog food taste as good as treats ! She has me wrapped around her little paw.