Short Order Cook Just Quit
 

I need your honest advice. Maggie is 12 weeks old and she has been eating very well for the past two weeks. Now all of a sudden, she is back to nose snubbing. I don't need to know what to feed her, because my pantry is loaded with every food that was recommended. My question is this: At what age do you finally say, "This Is It, Eat It". I have read where they Will Not starve, but at what age do you practice the tough love. Also at what age do you discontinue the Nutristat or Nutrical. I never was a slave to my human children's eating, but seems like I am to my furbaby.

LMAO....... youre title of youre post caught my attention.....
i got my baby at 12 weeks old and he had a little problem eating at first, but i wasnt about to be as nice as most the poeple on here and buy 20 different kinds of food, hand feed him, or COOK for him (i dont even cook for me!!!)... i have always used what you call the "tough love" method, and none of my past dogs have ever starved themselves, toby now eats like a horse! :eek:

We have always put the food we want our dogs to eat down and any not eaten in 15 mins is taken away and not offered again until the next feeding time so far none of them have starved :D

Any kind of dry food? Combo dry and wet? I have it all. Will they eat the dry, if that is their only choice. About how long do you think she will pout, if not offered her seven course meal? At what age did you quit the Nutristat or Nutrical? Thanks for the replies.

When I first got Pochi he was 10 wks and he wouldn't eat anything I got him. He wouldn't eat the food his breeder gave me or even a can of wet food. I tried everything and was at my wits end. Only thing he would take is nutri-cal and I even tried cooked chicken which he loved. If I would have practiced "tough love" on him he surely would have died because he went into sugar shock 2x. I ended up force feeding him wet dog food and now he's fine. Even now he doesn't eat all at once like Daisy or Choppi, rather he nibbles here and there whenever he feels like it. Sometimes I'll put the food out and he looks at me like "is that it?" and he'll wait to see if I'll put something else better out(like cooked chicken but I won't give him that anymore). When he realizes I won't then he'll go eat. My advice is leave the food out for her to eat throughout the day. She'll eventually eat it. As long as she's not dehydrated or going into sugar shock, she'll be fine. I still have Nutri-Cal around. I don't think there's an age where they ever will be too old. I use it as a treat especially if I have to leave them alone when I leave the house.(I used it as a training aid for them to potty on the pee pads too) Just don't let your baby become so dependant on the NutriCal that that is all she will eat.

Thank you so much for your advice. If Maggie has a good eating day, then I only give her a dose of Nutrical before she goes Nite Nite. The breeder told me not to let these babies go 8 hours without eating. If Maggie has a snub nose eating day, then she gets 2 doses of Nutrical. I try to give it to her when it's not mealtime. I don't want to ruin her appetite, should one arise. If she doesn't eat the wet food by nite, nite time, then I pick it up and wash her dish. The dry food stays out all the time. A lot of time, she will bring kibbles into the den and eat them on her baby quilt. That's just fine with me, even though my skinkids didn't get to eat in the den. When push comes to shove, I will break down and fix her cheese scrambled egg. That is her favorite. I only give it to her now about one a week, as a treat. Thanks again.

Glad I could help...

I'm glad to hear that she will eat. It's so hard not to give them "human food" especially when it seems like they starve themselves because they know we will never let them go hungry and will eventually cave in. Pochi likes to eat on his blanket too. I don't mind it.

Oh how we spoil our babies!!!! :)