Picky Eaters
Some dogs seem to inhale their food so fast they can’t possibly be tasting it. But others, can drive you crazy with their picky eating. You may have a dozen different dog foods in your house while trying to please your dog’s palate. Here are some tips that can help you overcome your dog’s picky eating and make life easier at dinner.
- Make a trip to the veterinarian. If the dog has always eaten well before and has suddenly become picky, you should take the dog for a physical at the veterinarian’s office. Many illnesses cause a dog to stop eating. In addition, the veterinarian can check the dog’s mouth and make sure there are no bad teeth, growths, or other problems that make eating painful for the dog. If such things are found and corrected, the dog should soon be eating again.
- Trained pickiness. Many dogs get table scraps and lots of really tasty dog treats. To them, dog food is definitely a come down. They have learned that if they just hold out, you will feed them something better. You have to retrain them by feeding only dog food, no table scraps or treats, for a while. Put the proper amount of food in your dog’s dish each morning and evening. Wait twenty minutes and if the dog has not started eating, pick up the dish. Do not feed the dog anything until the next scheduled feeding time. Repeat until the dog eats his food. If your dog is diabetic or very young, you need to talk to your veterinarian before taking this approach to breaking the picky eating habit.
- What you feed. Check to see that the dog food you are feeding is not old or out of date. Dog foods spoil just like people foods do. Dogs don’t like rancid food any more than people do. It can also make them sick.
- Do not change dog foods every time you buy a bag for your dog. It keeps your dog’s digestive system upset. Choose a good food and stick with it. Bargain foods are made with inferior ingredients and do not offer all the nutrition your dog needs in a form that his body can use well. Don’t use them.
- Be patient. Change takes time. Your dog will resist the new order of things when you first stop the people food and treats and feed him only dog food. However, if you are persistent and give the dog positive attention while he eats, he will start to see a new way to get the attention he was receiving for his bad habit. Take your dog for a walk after he eats or schedule some play time then. He will learn that he gets attention after he eats, not because he was able to beg some food away from you.
If these methods do not help, you should consult your veterinarian for more help. Some dogs really do need special diets to accommodate food allergies or sensitivities. Your veterinarian can tell you if your dog is one of these.
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