Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My new dog won't eat his food, only begs for human food. What to do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | unneutered | 7 months and 11 days old

I bought him 3 days ago and he seems to only like human food whenever I'm eating he'Kk start begging for my food he doesn't like dog food that much I've tried dry food caned food I've tried mixing wet and dry if I fill his bowl with dog food btw his bowl is tiny by the end of the day only half of it is eaten so he isn't getting that much food what should I do I don't want to give him human food his bowl is tiny and he only eats half of it a day I leave the bowl In the kitchen so he can snack

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on May 12th, 2017

Congrats on your new dog, but I'm sorry Marley is causing you some problems! It sounds like he is being difficult about eating, and you need to be tough with him. Good on you for recognizing that he shouldn't have human food and not giving it to him. You need to start him on a feeding schedule. Put down his food in the morning for 15-20 minutes, then take it away until his next feeding time. It's very important that he gets no other food during this time. No treats or human food. At dinner time, again put his food down and leave it for 15-20 minutes. Take it away after that time even if he hasn't eaten. The goal of this is to teach him that he needs to eat when he's given food. He will learn to do this once he gets hungry. I hope this helps!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on April 30th, 2017
Great question! You are going to have to get tough with Rusty. In the morning, put his food down for 15-20 minutes. Do not add anything else into it. Once that time has passed, pick up the food and do not give him anything else until his next feeding time. This is very important, he should not get any treats or human food. At dinner time, again put his food down for 15-20 minutes and take it away even if he hasn't eaten all of it. He needs to learn that he has to eat his dog food when it's given to him and he doesn't get anything else until his next feeding time. He may be resistant to it at first, but he will get hungry enough to eat.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Ana M, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on April 15th, 2018
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucky. Start by placing his food down at the morning meal time. Allow him 15 minutes to eat and then take the bowl up. Offer him his evening meal at night. Again, allow him 15 minutes to eat. He will soon learn that if he wants to eat, he will need to do so during these time frames. Do not use human food to entice him to eat or he will prefer it. He needs to eat dog food as it is balanced for his nutritional needs. You can add warm water to the dry kibble or mix canned food in as well.

As far as training, start with basic commands and be consistent with him. You can use pieces of kibble as training treats. You may try a training class as well. I hope this information helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Training & Behavior

My new dog won't eat her food, only human food. How can I help?

Great question! It sounds like Chickie is being picky, and you are going to have to get tough on her. Put her food down in the morning for 15-20 minutes, then pick it up after that time even if she hasn't eaten. Then do not give her any more food until her next meal time. This is very important. No treats or human food, and prevent any access to human food. At her dinner time, put the food down for 15-20 minutes, then take it away after this time and no more food until the next morning. She will get hungry enough to eat, and it will teach her that she has to eat when her food is offered to her.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My dog won't eat his kibble and begs for human food. What to do?

It is best not give him human food at all. If he begs while you are eating put him in a different room or outside so he can't beg. Remove the opportunity. Feed him at the same time you are eating but in a different room or outside as stated above. Once you are done eating you can let him in and if he hasn't eaten his food then pick it up and then give it to him again at his next meal. He will not starve himself to death. Eventually he will eat his food once he realizes you are not going to give in. He is training you instead of the other way around. Coco is very young to be already starting this behavior. You need to stop it now before it becomes a habit that going to be even more difficult to break. Dogs do not need to eat human food ever. They should only be eating dog food.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My new adopted dog won't eat his food, only human food. What to do?

Poor Boomer! It does sound like he's a bit stressed. You can try hand feeding him his food for a few days until he settles in to see if that helps (especially if he takes it from you), or try to entice him to eat his own food by adding in a little boiled chicken or low-sodium broth to make it tasty. You can then slowly phase out both as he becomes more comfortable. If he continues to refuse to eat, or starts to show any signs of illness, seeking a vet exam to rule out any issues is a good idea. If he doesn't seem to settle down or is very stressed for several weeks, talking with a trainer is another option as well.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My 9-month-old dog won't eat dog food after human food. What to do?

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.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My puppy won't eat kibble, only table food. What should I do?

The good thing about dogs is that they can go for a few days without eating and they'll just get hungry, whereas it can harm cats to not eat for a few days. It sounds like Ginger is trying to train you instead of the other way around. First of all, no more people food! Until she will eat her own food reliably, giving her people food will only reinforce her efforts. If you leave her kibble out all the time, stop doing that. Figure out how much dry food she should have per day (the label on the bag should give you feeding recommendations) and divide that into however many meals you want to feed her. I usually feed my dogs in the morning and evening. When it's time for her breakfast, put her bowl down and give her 15-20 minutes to eat. Whatever is left at the end of this time gets taken up and put away until the next meal. Don't give her treats unless it is for training rewards. When it's time for her evening meal, put that down and again, give her 15-20 minutes to eat. She may try to make you feel guilty by begging, don't fall for it. Don't feed her any people food and especially don't feed her off the table while you'ree eating. Make sure any family members or other residents in your home are aware of and are participating in the training, otherwise you're wasting your time. After a few days, she'll get the idea that her food it out at specific times and if she wants to eat, that's the time to do it. Good luck!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My dog is a fussy eater and won't eat kibble. How do I get him to eat?

You are doing the right thing by setting down his food and taking it away after 30 minutes. It sounds like Louie is being very fussy, and I would keep up the two scheduled meals. Continue with the no table food or treats. He will get hungry enough to eat.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

How to get my dog on a feeding schedule without him begging?

Feed him three times a day the amount specified on the bag. Take his food away ten minutes afterwards so he learns that he has to eat then or it is gone. If he missed a few feeds it is not really a problem.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share