Fussy puppy, don’t know what to do

[Todayisanewday75]

We have a five month old cavapoo, he was on harringtons dry food and gobbled it up but then all of a sudden he stopped eating it unless I mashed a bit of sardine or cottage cheese into it but then he stopped eating that. So we moved him onto raw food which he seemed to love but after two weeks he has stopped eating that. He is definitely hungry because he’ll gobble up any bits he is given, especially cheese. I’ve never had a dog before but don’t think it would be good to keep changing his food, plus I got a raw delivery yesterday so have loads in the freezer, but I don’t want him going hungry. Any advice?

csn you add some kibble into the raw for some texture? I'd keep offering the food you have if you want to change just add it to the food that you have until there is a change over. mine has dry complte dog food with some puppy food on top just to so he eats it

I'd also stop giving him cheese and nice treats until he has eaten his meal. keep treats for training until he's a bit older.

Never known a dog to starve next to a bowl of food. Put his food down if he doesn't eat it lift in 10 mins and wait until the next meal time. Stop giving treats/snacks until eating meals.

I would keep offering the raw food, with nothing else. (although, if he carries on not eating for more than a couple of means you would obvs need yo check with the vet in case there was a health problem).

My dog has raw and just occasionally there is a carton of it that he won't eat. Not really sure whether there is anything wrong with it or whether he is just not hungry enough for anything other than treats. Obvs, treats are much more palatable and dogs will eat them even when they aren't hungry, just like us

I do think that raw food, which is lower in carbs, does tend to keep the appetite in check. My guess is that dogs feel fuller for longer on a lower carb diet, just like we do.

NoTouch’s advice is exactly what I’d do. I also raised a fussy pup, worried she’d starve I changed food and fed all sorts just to make sure she’d eat. At my wits end I started lifting the food and it didn’t take her long for her to realise she had a limited time to eat it or she’d have to wait until the next meal. It probably took two days and I almost gave in numerous times. Your pup is waiting to see if you’ll give him something tastier, don’t do it. Mine still tries it sometimes but I just stay firm and she’ll eat when she’s hungry.

Is he bored?
Try giving him a variety throughout the week and see how he gets on. It won't cost more you'll just have different meals for him.

In my experience the dogs that have upset tummies when their food is changed are dogs that have the same thing every day (like humans).

we change flavour of the wet food every day just so he's getting a different taste

J aydog went through a fussy period at 4/5 months his teeth were falling out/coming in so I thought it might have been something to do with that.

One of my dogs would genuinely just not eat (and will) if he doesn't like the food, so it isn't the case that they will eat if you take a hard line.
He would never eat straight kibble, and has wet mixed in with it, but we vary the wet food at each meal (so 3-4 different brands on the go, and different flavours within that. We change the kibble each bag.

I would knock treats on the head apart from in actual training though - its easy for a puppy to get all their hunger met from bits and pieces but without the nutrition.

we also change kibble flavours with each new bag . it's just trial and error really.

Went through the exact same thing last year when my CKCS was the same age. She was fussy as hell for 2 whole months. At 7 months her eating started to improve and now she's a greedy little beast.

I started adding a bit of wet food to it but again she'd wolf two bowls down and then her third time eating the same stuff she'd refuse.

Eventually I started giving her a bit of salmon oil and she enjoyed it a bit more. As her eating started to improve I gradually removed the amount of meat but kept the salmon oil and eventually she'd just eat biscuits and salmon oil straight down. Now she has biscuits in a morning and biscuits and meat in the evening and never refuses food. 🙄

Hang in there, it's frustrating when they don't eat.

One of mine is a fussy eater, and we'd never had a problem feeding our previous dogs.

Does yours have sloppy poos? If so that might be the issue and some probiotic powder might help.

With ours, though, I have ended up rewarding an empty bowl with a high value treat ('you won't get ice cream unless you eat your veg'). She's not very bright, but she cottoned onto that remarkably quickly. It doesn't work every time, so for the next meal she gets topped up leftovers, which she guzzles down.

My rescue was fussy, I sent off for a selection of kibble samples and found she loves Fish4Dogs small salmon kibble. She has this mixed with Nature’s Menu raw minced beef or chicken. No problem at all. I thaw the frozen raw mince in the microwave or add a drop of boiling water.

Try heating the food up. I think, like us, many dogs prefer to eat warm food plus it smells more appetizing to them.
You could add some bone broth to his raw food. Make sure you cool it after cooking it so the fat collects at the top and you can remove it. Then re-heat before serving.
A squirt of salmon oil on top might help too.

Stop adding human food - it's not surprising he won't eat if he knows there are sardines on offer!

Make the meals smaller to start with and pick up the food if they do not eat it.

No treats during the day

The dog needs to understand when meal times are.

When the dog is eating regularly at each meal then gradually increase the quantity of food.

What weight is your dog?

He's training you beautifully! 😂
Put it down for a short time, lift it after a few mins. He'll soon pick it up.

I have a Cockapoo like this. She is quite fussy and will miss meals if she doesnt 'fancy it' (she was a nightmare to train as she isnt interested in treats really either).

We went through a stage of putting cheese / ham in her food as she has medication that is put in her food and she needed to eat it. She then wouldn't eat the food without the cheese.

We had to go through a 'backward' stage of putting her food down without the added extras, leaving it for 15 mins and then picking it up if she didn't eat it. She missed 3 meals and ate the 4th and has been eating fine ever since. She won't starve herself and will eventually eat what she is given.

They know how to play the game these doggies!!

Thanks for all the advice. I will cut out the treats and persevere with the raw food.

This ☝

I think i have worked it out. Tried a new flavour and he loved it, am guessing he just needs variety.

Owners make fussy dogs, generally. He's messing you about. Choose his food yourself, put his meal down. Give him a quarter of an hour to eat it, then take it away until the next meal time.

I've always bought my dog (and cats) variety packs so they get different flavours at each meal. I know someone will come along and say they're "just dogs" but it must be quite boring to eat the same thing day in, day out for your entire life.