My cockapoo is extremely fussy....I need suggestions please.

[HonestBlueRobin]

1st time dog mum here... cockapoo girl.. shes now 9 months old... shes very spoilt I will admit.. she sleeps in my bed. She is settled, good with the kids despite the younger one having her tortured. She is so lovable and I absolutely love her. However, she thinks shes a human, she will sit and watch TV up right with her paw on the side which is really cute and absolutely no problem, however, here's the problem, she wont eat dog food... she actually has vomited on occasion where shes been so hungry and still won't eat dog food.. ive tried wet dog food, kibble, different kinds, she wont eat it... any suggestions?

Our golden retriever is the same! Will very occasionally eat her kibble (It’s a very high quality/natural one by Origen - we allow constant access, it just sits beside her water bowl) but apart from that she would genuinely rather starve than eat dog food. Even refuses most treats. She’s our 4th GR - never met one like it!!

She more or less lives off tuna, beef & mackerel with olive oil, rice & vegetables mixed in.

I wish I could tell you it gets better but it really never has, she’s nearly 3 and fussy as ever. One of the other main draw backs I’ve found is that it’s very hard to train a dog who isn’t food driven, you’re very limited in what you can use as a reward.

I agree 100%.. she isnt bothered with treats at all. Its a nightmare. I was wondering if trying any of the fresh dog food companies would work? Obviously be much easier if she had her own dog food... she is so spoilt and I know im to blame but I dont know how to fix it... I cant watch her vomit with hunger.

have you tried a raw dog food ?

Try raw food.
There's plenty of companies online who deliver.
One of mine refused to eat until we switched to raw.
No problems with her eating now

My younger dog has never been very interested in food. He particularly disliked wet food. He is 7 now. He doesn't starve - he is 53 kilos! - but he is definitely picky. Anyway, he prefers kibble. But he often waits hours before he eats it.

No, silly question but like what?

Any recommendations? What one do you use?

What exactly IS she eating then if not dog food?

I have a poodle X who can be fussy. At 12mths she was ill with a gastric bug so the vet recommended plain, cooked rice and plain chicken. My dog LOVES chicken! For months, she refused her kibble and wet food- but it was because we were still giving her chicken.

Bit by bit, you need to cut down whatever you are feeding and revert to dog food. The vomiting might be because its too much of a quick change. Mine is 4 now and does eat the dog food again. She is also VERY partial to any tid bits of meat we give her, but its very moderated.

well obviously she is eating something otherwise by 9months she would be dead.
start with what are you feeding her?? table scraps for all meals? or are you mixing up people food for the dog?
we've on occasion made our own dog food and currently do; butcher off cuts, sweet potato, and kale. we pressure cook the combo and add a dollop to the dry Origen (they are older and on the regional red).

Our very fussy cockapoo is happy with Butternut Box, it took us a while to find a food she would eat once she grew out of puppy food. She’s always loved chicken though!

The only one our cavapoo has eaten for more than a few weeks is Years dog food. We put a little bit of "human food" on top - a little grated cheese, peas, a bit of left over pasta....

We use raw food with our fussy cockapoo - it's tge only thing I can guarantee he'll eat. I buy packs of it (it looks like a loose frozen mince) from a local independent pet store and just weigh out what I need into a sealed tub the night before and defrost overnight in the fridge.. I use the one that has bone in it and tge upside is his poos are almost smell free and much firmer so easier to pick up.

Raw food solved this for my toy poodle cross (poochon or Maltipoo!) as well as helping me pick up poultry allergy

As the post states she thinks shes a human I assumed it would be obvious shes eating human food... eg chicken, rice, tuna, ham etc.... I have placed an order with butternut box this morning so fingers crossed. Thanks for everyones replies

You can batch cook “home made” dog food. Most include rice.
Avoid salty foods like ham though.

What the hell does 'having her tortured' mean? I can't believe what I've just read and this is a post about dog food???

There are dogs that won't eat dog food - it's a thing. These dogs are fed cheaper versions of human food - meat offcuts, mince, fish bits, small amounts of veg, etc. With some dogs, it's fed raw, with other dogs it's fed cooked.

Having looked at and smelt commercial dog food I don't blame them. And kibble is something I would never feed a dog - it's dry and cold, something that is completely unappetising and unnatural, compared with the type of food that dogs have evolved to eat.

Ask a vet and they will give pretty clear advice.

Dogs should be eating high quality dog food, a WSAVA compliant brand if at all possible to confirm it’s properly researched. Anything other than dog food (topper etc) should form no more than 20% of what they eat, max.

No dog will starve themself. Pick that high quality dog food and stick with it, don’t keep swapping out and changing assuming it’s the food. No table scraps / human food or they just wait for you to give that. They’re smart.

Raw is not a safe option or research-backed and is all marketing, neither is home cooking unless you have proper guidance from a qualified vet nutritionist to ensure that macro and micronutrients are balanced. (https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/all-pets/raw-diets)

Tried raw here - no, didn't work and was gross in Summer.
Tried butternut box - worked for about ten days, but then was refused, and it took up loads of freezer space.
Years doesn't need to be frozen and it's the most "human food" like I have seen.

If butternut box doesn't work out maybe give it a try?
Fresh Dog Food Subscription & Delivery – Years.com https://share.google/saabM75kaKgjIOcAw

We use kibble mixed with wet because both dogs are on a special diet - one for copper storage disease, which affects the liver, and one for a kidney issue.

I have bernese mountain dogs. They are 7 and 10. My previous one died the week before his 10th birthday. They have all surpassed the usual lifespan of a bernese even with being fed kibble.

I have a ridiculously fussy poodle that came to us (rehome) only eating chicken and rice. We tried so many different things and honestly thought we’d be feeding him human food forever more but over time have managed to transition to high quality kibble in the morning that he sometimes eat but not always then evening is a small handful mixed with half a tray of Different Dog ( check out dog food quality on here https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/) usually topped with any fresh cooked meat or fish we are eating - so he’ll have the fish skin, leftovers from a roast etc but as a topper rather than whole meal.

for treats, we find the little sausages cut up small work well enough to use for training.

I bought a big freezer and now get half a lamb or belly pork in. It works out cheap. I eat it too.

Dont give her ham.Id recommend Aatu a complete dry high protein food that my dog thrives on.You can get it from pet shops and amazon.

Calm down, its a figure of speech in NI.... obviously doesnt actually mean tortured.

I will do, thank you for your reply.