My dog is a picky eater. Is feeding him human food unhealthy?

Yes, it is bad for his health because boiled chicken and rice is not a nutritionally complete food for dogs. He has decided what his diet will be, but that is not his job . . . it's yours. Stop feeding him the chicken and rice. 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 he has eaten or not. Do not give him anything--no treats, snacks or human food--until his next scheduled mealtime. Then repeat the process. It may take several times for him to realize that there will be no more chicken and rice, and that he must eat his food. Remember that you are not starving him–he is choosing not to eat. When he is hungry enough, he will. Do not give in or "feel sorry" for him. It will only make it harder to correct. He must have a nutritionally complete diet, and chicken and rice is not sufficient.

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would avoid human foods if you can. Once you go down that road of adding human food it is almost impossible to go back. If you need to add human food I would still with boiled chicken or hamburger as it is more bland then corned beef. Consider changing dog food brands or adding water or canned dog food to his dry food. Healthy dogs do not choose starvation and if you hold steady and firm that dog food is all he gets then he will learn. Dogs are smart and will hold out when they know something better will come along. A lot of times the dogs train the owner not the other way around. Be careful with what human foods you feed as they can cause an upset stomach or pancreatitis if too high in fat. I wish you the best!

Chapatis, oats, and rice are not a balanced or healthy diet for a dog. Dogs need protein and calcium as well as many other vitamins and nutrients, and that diet you provided doesn't give him that. I see that Max is six months old, so he needs a puppy formulated food. Puppies need higher amounts of calories, protein, and calcium than adult dogs, and a puppy formulated food will provide that for him. I would not give him human food any longer, and put him on a puppy dog food until he is 12 months. Then he should be on an adult dog food. Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. I would also have a health check for him with the vet. He may be feeling unwell from have a nutrient deficient diet, or he could also have a medical illness causing the loss of appetite. Please keep in mind that even if it is a medical illness causing him to lose his appetite, the current diet you are feeding him is very poor and he needs to be on a puppy food. Good luck, I hope this helps!

No, this is not an acceptable food for Brad. Anything cooked in oil, even vegetable oil, can cause pancreatitis in dogs which is very serious and can be deadly. He should only be eating dog food. The reason why he is picky is that he knows you will give him human food if he doesn't eat his dog food. You need to get strict with him. Put down his bowl of dog food first thing in the morning, and leave it down for 20 minutes. After that time, pick it up even if he hasn't eaten anything. This next step is very important. Do NOT give him any other food. No human food, no treats. He needs to learn that he has to eat his dog food when it's given to him, and he won't get any other food at all. At dinnertime, again put his food down for 20 minutes, taking it away after that time. No more food until breakfast the next day. He will get hungry enough to eat his dog food. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

That is very common and unfortunately the only way to resolve this problem is not to give anymore human food but only his own. In the meantime you can try different flavor of dog food. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

If you're feeding your dog everything, including people food and treats, he likely enjoys those a lot more than his food. Just like people, giving too much junk food may encourage your dog to want those items and ignore their healthy diet. It is best to remove/stop giving all extras including treats, people food, etc and only give his food -- You'll want to place it down for 15m and whatever he doesn't eat, pick up and try again in a few hours. Once he is hungry enough, he'll try out his food again and you can get him back to his normal routine.