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My picky dog only eats wet food. How to switch to dry kibble?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Dogs on canned food with dry food. Want them on dry food only. Very picky dogs. Thinking for their transition blending freeze dried bully mini cubes to make a yummy powder on top. A youtuber names Simpatico recommended for finicky dogs (liver treats) but how and when can I fade that out? Thinking just a table spoon or so the most on the food

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on April 29th, 2018

Mix a teaspoon or two of canned food in with the kibble. Leave it down for 20-30 minutes before picking it up whether they have eaten or not. Repeat this at the next mealtime. Do not offer any food between meals. Be consistent, dogs thrive on routine. Be firm, they will not starve.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on May 7th, 2020
Hello. I do not recommend a raw diet because of the concerns about bacterial contamination. You might want to try something like Fresh Pet, or The Farmers Dog ( https://www.thefarmersdog.com ) & see how Samson does with this. Thanks for contacting PetCoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA
Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer
Published on December 18th, 2016
Creating a balanced homemade diet for a dog is actually fairly complicated - for this reason, it's best to consult with a veterinary nutritionist to help you formulate a diet for him if you really want to do this. If this isn't an option for you, the website www.balanceit.com is a good starting point that will walk you through the basics of creating a diet. Alternatively, you could also try feeding a good quality canned dog food that is already complete and nutritionally balanced - many dogs prefer canned food and will eat it more readily than dry kibble.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on January 2nd, 2019
What she is doing is training you to feed her what she wants when she wants it.
You can stop this by discontinuing the chicken bits. If she isn't on a consistent schedule for feeding, start one immediately. Dogs thrive on routine. Prepare her food and leave it down for 20-30 minutes before picking it up whether she has eaten or not. Repeat this at the next mealtime. Do not offer any food or treats between meals except for tiny training rewards. Do not worry, she will not starve herself. She will eat when she is hungry and sees that no other food is forthcoming. Be firm and be consistent otherwise you may be creating a very finicky eater.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Training & Behavior

How to make my picky dog eat dry food without mixing in treats?

Picky dogs can be so frustrating! I personally am not a fan of grain free diets. The truth is, they are a marketing fad. The reality is that only 5% of dog allergies are caused by food, and of that 5%, the majority is protein related. Grain allergies are extremely rare, and I never recommend feeding a grain free food unless the dog has a proven food allergy to grains. Grains are beneficial to dogs, as it helps fill them up and keeps them satisfied for longer. I recommend switching them to a brand such as Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, or Iams. Whether or not you make the switch of foods, it's time to get tough with them if you want them to eat only dry dog food. They won't starve themselves, they will eat it eventually. You just have to be strong and not give in. Start by putting their food down in the morning for 15-20 minutes, taking it away after this time period even if they haven't eaten. Then no more food until dinner time. This is extremely important, they have to learn they need to eat the dog food or they don't get anything else. At dinner time, again put their food down for 15-20 minutes, taking it away after that time even if they haven't eaten. No more food until their dog food the next morning. Do not give in to them, no meat, cheese, or raw egg on their food. They will get hungry enough to eat the dog food only as long as you stay strong. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

How do I get my picky dog to eat dry food when he prefers wet?

Dogs can sometimes be very picky! You can try mix together the dry and canned food so he can have both at the same time. You can also try soaking the dry food in gently warmed low sodium beef or chicken broth. Over time, decrease the amount of broth you add to the dry food until he is eating the dry food only. It's ok for Buddy to eat canned food only, but I would give him dental chews daily to help keep tartar build up on his teeth. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My dog is a picky eater and won't eat dry food. What can I do?

Some dogs can be very picky, and if Brownie enjoys eating food with a little wet food mixed in, that's not a problem. Many brands of dry dog food also carry equivalent wet foods, and you can mix that in while still providing a balanced diet that is healthy for Brownie to eat. If you do add in wet food, you may just want to decrease the amount of dry food slightly to account for the increase in calories for adding extras.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My picky dog has allergies. Can mixing wet & dry food make him eat?

It's absolutely fine to mix together wet and dry food to feed your dogs. Just make sure the wet food does not contain any of the ingredients that cause his allergies. Typically with picky dog eaters, I recommend putting food down for 15-20 minutes, then picking it up when the time is up even if the dog hasn't eaten. The dog then gets no more food until the next meal time, no treats, human food, etc. At the next meal time, again put the food down for 15-20 minutes, picking it up when the time is up. No food again until the next meal time. What you are teaching the dog is that they have to eat during meal time, or else they won't get any additional food. You have to be very strict on making sure Jax gets no other food except during meal times. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog only eats chicken. How do I transition him to dry kibble?

Having a good source of a special treat like chicken is a blessing and a curse! IT sounds like he's learned that he can hold out for the food stuff. I would recommend very intentionally, slowly increasing the amount of kibble while decreasing the amount of chicken over about 2 weeks. Wetting and warming the dry food can make it more appetizing to him as well. Make sure to shred/cut the chicken as small as possible to mix with the food. Additionally, put the food down for 15 minutes, then pick it up and offer again later (2-4 times a day). If you wet and warm the food, just throw it away and start over each time. Also for a healthy, adult dog, it's ok if he goes a day or two without eating while you're transitioning. Good luck!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My dog is a picky eater. How to transition from soft to dry food?

You can mix the 2 together and slowly decrease the amount of soft food he gets to get him used to dry food again. You can add a small amount of chicken or beef broth to the food to give it a little more flavor an entice him back to dry food that way

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My dog only eats chicken and rice. How do I get him to eat kibble?

Dogs can be picky eaters, especially if they are given a choice of what to be picky about. I would not feed dairy products such as curd or too many fruits as this can cause digestive upset and diarrhea. If he likes chicken and rice, you can add the vitamin (or a liquid vitamin supplement to it) or even some veggies such as carrots or broccoli, however trying to get him on a balanced commercial diet is best. You'll want to put down the food for 15 m to give him a chance to eat, and then pick up whatever doesn't get eaten. While transitioning, you should not give any people foods, snacks, treats, other items, etc save for his regular meals. It may take some time, but a dog won't starve and they'll eventually try out the food. Sneaking in a little chicken or even low-sodium broth in with the food may also encourage eating in those 15 m windows.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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