My dog suddenly won't eat his food. How do I fix his pickiness?

It is your job to decide what Zoe's diet will be . . . not hers. It is good that you are not giving her human food. Put regular dog food in a bowl on the floor without fuss and leave it for 15 minutes. After that time, pick it up whether she has eaten or not. Do not give her anything--no treats, snacks or human food--until her next scheduled mealtime. Then repeat the process. It may take several times for her to realize that this is her dinner, and that she must eat the food that's in front of her. Try settling on one food brand and sticking with it, as frequent changes may be upsetting her stomach. This could be part of why she doesn't eat. Remember that you are not starving her–she is choosing not to eat. This is a battle of wills. When she is hungry enough, she’ll give in and eat, and your problem will be solved. Do not weaken or "feel sorry" for her. It will only make it harder to correct.

Hi there! Scooby sure sounds like he's becoming a very picky eater! A lot of dogs do this, and the more you give in, the more they will demand new and different foods mixed in and people food. The best way to break the behavior is to offer him his food, and no matter how long he takes to eat it, wait it out. Eventually he will realize that that's what he's getting to eat and that's it! If some people still have trouble at this point, I tell them to try balanceIT.com. it is a website that teaches you how to make a home cooked diet for your dog and also offers a supplement you can add into the food to make sure that they ate getting enough of the minerals and vitamins that they need. From the way it sounds, no matter what you add to scooby's food he's going to want something different in a few days, but you can try some plain low fat Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or pumpkin mixed into the food, or even just some warm water to help bring out the fragrance. Also make sure of course that scooby is up to date on his vet visits, vaccines, dewormings, and other preventive care, and that he is not having any signs of illness like diarrhea or vomiting. If he absolutely will not est, a vet visit is in order, but it doesn't seem that way.

Given a choice, most dogs will eat table food before dog food. Discontinue feeding cheese. Feed Sultan on a consistent schedule. Dogs thrive on routine. Prepare his dog food and leave it down for 15-20 minutes. Afterwards, pick it up whether he has eaten or not. Repeat at the next scheduled mealtime. Do not offer any other food or treats between meals until Sultan is eating his own food regularly. You can add warm water or a teaspoon of baby food to stimulate his appetite. Mix well to prevent him from picking it out though.

Honey has decided what her diet will be, but that's not her job . . . it's yours. Stop feeding her all different foods. The changes probably upset her stomach, making her feel even less like eating.. Put regular dog food in a bowl on the floor without fuss and leave it for 15 minutes. After that time, pick it up whether she has eaten or not. Do not give her anything--no treats, snacks or human food--until her next scheduled mealtime. Then repeat the process. It may take several times for her to realize that there will be no otrher food, and that she must eat what you have given her. Remember that you are not starving her–she is CHOOSING not to eat when she does have access to food. This is a battle of wills. When she is hungry enough, she’ll give in and eat, and your problem will be solved. Do not weaken or "feel sorry" for her. It will only make it harder to correct. She must have a nutritionally complete diet, and what you are feeding her now is not sufficient. Good luck!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Riley. It sounds like he may be acting picky. I would put his food down in the morning for breakfast and leave it there for 15-20 minutes. After this time, pick up the food even if he hasn't eaten it. Do NOT give him any other food. This is very important. No treats, human food, nothing. He needs to learn that he has to eat when you give him food, and he won't get anything else. At dinnertime, put his food down again for 15-20 minutes, picking it up after that time. No more food until breakfast the next morning. He will get hungry enough to eat. I hope this helps!

OH Moose sounds like quite the character. Unfortunately, some dogs are super picky. Other times, they need a little tough love. It sounds like you've already ruled out any possible medical issues so Moose must be picky, and you are super nice pet parents for catering to him. I find for some dogs its a taste or texture they don't like. But it sounds like you've tried them all and Moose keeps turning up his nose. I would recommend putting his dish down for 10 minutes, then picking it up and putting it away until his next meal time. Repeat. Feeding 1-3 solid meals a day like this will teach him to eat when the food is out. A dog will not starve themself, but they may need to get a bit snacky for the next meal to encourage eating. Also cut out ALL treats. Moose needs to learn to eat his food and not fill up elsewhere for the time being at least. My other recommendation for these picky eaters is to buy only small bags of food at a time. Less waste, but also some dogs are particular about freshness of their kibble too. Buy only a big enough bag that will last no more than 3 weeks. Store the food in the original bag, in an airtight container. And feel free to try new brands with each bag purchase, just make sure you transition from one food to the next to avoid tummy upsets. Moose might just be one of those dogs that likes variety. TIP: sticking to foods that have similar protein % will avoid protein overloads and tummy troubles, Some brands also specialize in rotational feedings and are meant to switch from different proteins, your (pet specialty) local store should be able to assist you with those brands available in your area.

It sounds like he has you trained just the way he wants you. The good news is a dog can go without eating for days if they are otherwise healthy. If he hasn't seen the vet lately, get him an appointment to make sure there isn't another reason for his inappetence. If he is cleared medically, determine how much and what kind of food he is supposed to have (feed the best quality diet you can afford to avoid future nutrition-based medical issues) and decide how many meals you want him to have during that day. Put the food for his morning meal down, give him twenty minutes or so to eat and then take it up and put it away. Don't give him treats unless it is for training or for performing something you've taught him to do correctly and not too many. When it is time for his next meal, put his food back down and give him another twenty minutes to eat. Whatever food is still in his bowl at the end of that time gets put away until the next meal time. It may take a few days, he may make you feel incredibly guilty with pitiful stares and whining, but he will get the idea and eventually eat what he is supposed to.