We have a very picky dog who refuses to eat dog food. I am not sure if he knows he is a dog
as he is around our kids all day long, and usually eats the rest of our dinner after we are finished.
We also baby him a lot and talk to him like a person, and he actually understands asking him to do stuff as commands.
We used to boil chicken for him and mix vegetables in with it as his "dog food", but this became too time consuming.
Now we have to go to Petsmart and buy Royal Canine for him as it is the only brand he will eat. It is expensive
dog food, but that's all he eats besides human food.
Honestly? After all the researching done on canine health and dog food, my opinion is keep feeding him people food. Only give him people food that is healthy for people, though, not lots of cheese and junk food.
We've been convinced by dog food companies that dog food is more healthy for our dogs but that isn't the case. Actually, a raw food diet is probably the best thing you can feed your dog.
My dog use to be a picky eater, but we've found a food that she seems to like with the purina one and the costco variety. She's a larger dog so it has to be weight control or adult giant breed foods. All foods that I've looked at for her have been checked by our Vet as well.
She's been on her healthy weight food for about 9 months and its been really good on her. Her coat looks awesome and she's had very little gassyness which can be a problem for giant breeds.
What kind of dog do you have? I have a friend who has a Welsh Terrier who will just refuse to have dry food. The family always has to mix in a 1/2 can of wet food along with the dog's dry food in order to get it to eat. Strange, since my dog, a lab, will eat anything in sight regardless of whether or not it's even edible. In fact, I suspect that my dog enjoys inedible objects more than she likes her food.
Anyway, back to your dog - what happens if you offer regular dog food? Does your dog just ignore it for an entire day? I mean, eventually it'll get hungry and I imagine that a dog won't go and turn away food just because it prefers chicken. That's got to be quite an added expense to dog ownership if you're feeding chicken to your dog every meal!
Perhaps you can try looking online at the different manufacturers to see if they offer free samples through the mail. Or check with your local pet supply stores to see if they give out free samples as well, lay them all out for your dog and find out which ones he likes. You may find a cheaper brand that he's partial to.
My Jack Russell is the same. From the day I got her she has refused to eat any form of dog food, wet or dry. It became a battle of wills. She was so tiny that after almost 20 hours of her not eating I gave in. I found that if you buy a chicken and roast/boil it, chuck in some veg or pasta you're good to go. It's actually cheaper than dog food in the long run. One chicken will last a week and if you cook it in a large batch and freeze the excess it isn't such a daunting task. She is perfectly healthy and very energetic. I'll mix in a bit of mixer or the like so there's some crunch to it as well. For variety I also look out for reduced meat but never pork as its a no no for dogs.
My Yorkie Peanut is SO picky about food! However, Prissy, my other Yorkie, will eat ANYTHING! I recently changed them both to eating a no grain dog food. It was getting expensive buying the special food from a pet store....as well as a little inconvenient just because you can't just pick the special food up from any store, you HAD to get it from that particular pet store and there is only one store near me that is about 30 minutes away. I would have to make a special trip sometimes just for that food. I was excited when Walmart started selling no grain foods! They are currently eating Pure Balance and they love it!
My dog is the opposite she will eat anything and I do mean anything (on the street, in the garbage, my shoes) it can be quite annoying but I did have a pet who was very picky and we would have to buy her particular food but that is what we did it was not too big of a deal.
There are a few simple things to remember when giving your pet table scraps and/or people food.
Receiving table scraps or people food encourages unhealthy and rude food behaviors. It can cause food aggression and it encourages begging at the table. Begging may not bother you but is very annoying to guests and problematic for children.
Giving pets table scraps supplements their diets with many unnecessary calories. Animals depend on the nutrients found in food specially formulated for them. If they eat people food, they will eat less of their own food and miss out on adequate nutrition.
Dogs who eat their normal amount of pet food in addition to the extra calories in table scraps can easily gain weight. Obesity puts animals at risk for numerous health problems.
Some foods are toxic to dogs, such as chocolate in large quantities, and dairy products. Onions and garlic can also be poisonous to dogs so pet owners should be aware of the ingredients in anything they feed to animals (even onion powder can have adverse effects on pets.) Fatty foods can lead to pancreatitis, and excessive levels of sugar can lead to obesity and diabetes. Trust me, I am a former owner of a precious Schnauzer who developed diabetes and pancreatitis. He was never fed table scraps so i believe that it is safe to assume that if they can develop these conditions without the aid of table scraps, imagine what the addition of people food to their diets will do. His battle lasted only 2 years. Think about the consequences.
Dogs cannot digest all foods. Haven't you heard your veterinarian tell you that a constant change in dog food is not healthy for your pet? What do you think is happening when we give our pet people food.
I believe that if you have visited your veterinarian and have ruled out all medical reasons that could be associated with a picky eater then you have a picky eater that was MADE, not BORN.
Unfortunately the dog does not always know or agree as to what the best food is. Just like children, dogs often like “junk food” better than healthy food. Dogs can be picky eaters, however that is not true, unless you allow it to happen.
It is important to remember that a healthy dog will not starve itself. Sometimes a dog may become bored with the same food day in and day out. Or maybe the dog has learned that if he holds out, you will add something better to his food to entice him. Owners often feel bad if the dog does not want to eat, so try to add extras mixed in to make it more appealing. While there is nothing wrong with adding extra healthy foods to the dog’s meal, but doing this to entice him will simply create a picky eater.
A healthy dog will eat when he is hungry enough. The dog is probably holding out and wanting you to give him something “better” (in his little mind). If you cave in and give him something “better”, you are just making the situation worse and he will continue with his picky eating habits.
The solution is simple. Research pet foods and find one of good quality. Please steer clear of canned food as this will lead to future dental problems. Lay down the food as feeding time. If he/she wont eat, pick it up and put it away until the next feeding time. Repeat this process until your pet eats. Don't cave to guilt. I promise, your pet will eat!
I feed my dog FreshPet Select slice and serve. It comes in a roll. I mix in some dry, grain free food. He eats it very well. I check out my dog foods on the site dogfoodadvisor.com and make sure that what I am feeding my dog has a 5 star rating.
I don't feed table food. The spices are not good for the dog and it is not healthy to constantly change a dog's food.
I do cycle the protein source under the same dog food though. One time I get beef, the next time I get chicken and so on. But I never change the brand.
