My Dog Refuses to Eat His Own Food
by Amyq on Feb 23, 2008 with 10 Comments
Do you have a dog that refuses to eat his own food? Well this might help.
When the festive season was around the corner, I bake quite a lot of cookies. As we all know cookies are sweet and delectable. Even for a normal human being like us, we’ll eat these cookies without thinking. All we all know and want at that time is to taste the sweet stuff in our mouth right?
Well, I did something even more stupid! I feed my 4 years old golden retriever these cookies. Being a dog who takes food as his number one priority he will just gulp down whatever consumable stuff he can find. Once, he even gulps down pieces of bread that I have left on rat glue. Thank god he didn’t fell sick after that.
What’s the aftermath of feeding your dog human cookies? He refuses to eat his own dog food kibbles. My god it was hell man! I have to coax him plenty of time. Sometimes he’ll just refuse to eat at all. I bet some of you have undergone the same situation like I had. What’s your solution?
Here’s the continuation: How I Make My Dog Love His Own Food Again.
Liked it
Published in: Pets
Shev | May 21, 2009 | Reply
My family spoils my 1yr old Maltese poodle, i try not to feed her human food so that she will eat her dog food, but when I am not home they feed her whatever she wants, n when I am home they sneak it to her, now she refuses to eat her dog food at all, I even tried mixing it with human food but she just picks what she likes out and leave the dog food behind (creating a big mess for me). Its been almost a week now (the longest she has ever gone) since she last ate dog food, and I am worried that she is going to get sick, what can I do??
Erika | May 29, 2009 | Reply
Shev, I I hear ya. I don’t feed my dog human food but he is a shelter dog so I have no idea what his life was like before. I know he’s perfectly healthy but he’s just being really finicky about his food. He used to eat it fine, but now he only eat half his breakfast and half of his dinner. I feed him Puppy Blue Buffalo, but I was going to switch him to an adult food.However, I still have lot’s left from the nearly thirty pound bag of food. I don’t know what to do. Should I just wait him out or what? I did what you did except I didn’t use human food I used some bil-jac and mixed with his Blue Buffalo. He, like your Maltese, would only eat the bil-jac pieces.
I don’t want to feed him Bil-Jac though because I know it’s a low quality dog food. I’m going to soon be out of ideas.
Shev | Jun 23, 2009 | Reply
I’m not sure what to do, I’ve been mixing cheese with her food n she seems to be eating it and gaining a little weight, but m not sure how healthy that is though.
SB | Jul 12, 2009 | Reply
I have this 7months chow, that has a skin problem, and I think she is just too choosy with her food. and this is already a month, I gave her canned food, very good quality canned food and mixed it with the kibbles. and he refuse to eat the same thing after 2 time. and I change the canned food to other taste. after 2 time eat, she refuse to eat the same thing again.
CAN YOU IMAGINE IT?? i just want to slap her. I even mixed her food with chicken broth, she just smell it and leave it.
I used to cry before, and I scared she will get sick. I live in a country where a vet is just a title. none of them know what happen with the dog..
Megan | Aug 2, 2009 | Reply
Dogs won’t starve themselves unless they are sick, in which case you should take them to the vet. Instead, stop feeding them human food/treats and only put out dry dog food (give them 2 opportunities to eat each day. Only leave the bowl out 30 min. each time). After about 3 days they will start to eat. However, you can’t feel sorry for them and feed them treats during those 3 days or they won’t start eating their own food. Dogs are smart. They learn from their owners that if they reject their own food, a few minutes later they will get something better, a “treat,” from their owner. You have to break that cycle and train them that if they reject their own food, they get nothing and will only get a treat AFTER they eat their own food.
Megan | Aug 2, 2009 | Reply
Sounds like your dog is just getting older. Puppies should eat 2-3x per day. However, around 7-8 months dogs stop wanting a 2nd meal and eat less (my puppy went from eating 4 cups/per day to eating 2 1/2/per day around this time). Since he is only eating 1/2 at breakfast and 1/2 at dinner, why not just give him one meal? That way there is longer between meals and he may be more inclined to eat since he is hungry.
Megan | Aug 2, 2009 | Reply
Sorry, forgot to post that the above message is in response to Shev.
Donnie | Aug 22, 2009 | Reply
Stuff it down her throat!
Linda | Sep 1, 2009 | Reply
Try a new food. Check out the info on line to choose a high quality dog food. Keep trying new foods until you find one that your dog will eat. If his health declines, get him to a vet right away.
Kim | Sep 11, 2009 | Reply
I have a yellow lab puppy and she is just about 8months. For the past two or so weeks, she isn’t interested in her food. I started to get worried so put some parm. cheese, (very little) I did it really for the smell, hoping it would spark her interest. She still only eats half or so. I keep thinking it’s to soon to switch her to once a day. Suggestions? I really don’t want to switch her food. It’s what the breeder had her on and it’s what she’s always ate. It is so frustrating!!!