My puppy won't eat his food, only wants treats. What should I do?

It sounds like she's trained you to give her the good stuff :) I'd first start with a vet visit to rule out a medical cause (Anxiety, intestinal parasites, an issue with her liver processing nutrients called a liver shunt). If everything is normal, then slowly start weaning her off the treats and on to food. It's ok for her to go a day or two without eating a normal amount while you're transitioning her.

Good Evening! As long as this is not a brand new problem, Bleu is of normal weight (not underweight where his ribs, back bone or pelvis are showing through his skin...) drinking well, bright, alert, not experiencing any other signs such as vomiting, loose stools, it sounds to me as though you may have a dog who simply is not very "food motivated", and you may have a "picky eater." on your hands! The good news about picky eaters is that they indeed WILL eat when they are hungry. If this is a new condition for Bleu, if he is underweight, or experiencing any other signs of illness, please consider visiting your veterinarian for a check up.

Dogs tend to try and hold out on the "healthy" stuff especially if more interesting things such as treats are available. If he is refusing to eat it is best to stop all people food and treats for a day to encourage him to eat his food instead. Most dogs will get hungry enough after a day to give their regular food a try.

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.

It can be frustrating and a little scary when puppies won't eat their food! Things to ask yourself to determine if this is something you should take Max into the veterinarian for: How long has it been since he has eaten a good meal? If it has been over a day, he should likely see a veterinarian -- puppies are usually HUNGRY! How is he acting otherwise? If he is still a bright bouncy puppy - he may just not be hungry - and I would try feeding him again in a few hours. If he is lethargic or vomiting or has diarrhea, he should be seen by your veterinarian soon. Also, take a look at the food you are feeding him - is it a high quality puppy food? I like brands such as Purina (Purina Dog Chow or Purina One, for example), Science Diet, Iams, Royal Canin all make very good food with lots of research behind their foods. Making the dry food moist by adding water and even heating it up a little (make sure it is not too hot that could cause burns!) can make the food smell more appetizing to the dog. It is always a good idea to have a good relationship with a veterinarian, especially during the puppy stage - to make sure he gets his vaccinations when he is supposed to AND to make sure he does not have any intestinal parasites (which can also make him feel bad). I hope this helps and Max is eating again soon! Thank you for using pet coach!

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is likely behavioral at this point. Meaning that he knows that you will get another food in a little bit if he does not eat that one. I would stick to one. If he skips dinner or breakfast that is fine and is unlikely to become an actual issue. You can add chicken broth, dog grade gravy, ham, among other things to his kibble to make it more palatable but I would recommend you stick to one diet and see how that goes. Eventually he will learn that he has to eat it. Best of luck!