My dog is picky and hardly eats
Question:
I have a 11 month old, fixed male white boxer. He hardly eats his kibble. It is the same kibble that he eaten since a pup. He has always been a picky eater. His brother who is a golden retriever pup has no problem inhaling his food! My boxer has amazing energy even thought he hardly eats! Any suggestions.
ANSWER:
Sounds like you have your hands full! Boxers are wonderful dogs and yes, definitely high energy!
My suggestion would be to watch his weight and as long as he doesn’t become too skinny, don’t worry too much. What is too skinny for a young Boxer? Normal would be when he is standing still, you are able to see his last three ribs easily with a hint of the remaining rib cage. If you can see all of his rib cage easily, then he is too thin and you have a right to worry a bit.
How best to encourage him to eat is largely dependent on the dog. For many dogs, the simple act of adding hot water to make a gravy and bring out the scent is enough. Some dogs like a little canned food mixed in with the kibble to add a more palatable aroma. Some like veggies. The important thing is to not change it around all the time as variety can make a dog a picky eater – they just hold out from eating until they get what they want in their dish.
Another thing to avoid is leaving his dish down for more then 10 to 20 minutes – if he hasn’t eaten in that time, pick it up until the next meal time. He will either eat then or again, give it the pass. If he passes it up, after 20 minutes, pick it up and do not offer him the dish until the next mealtime. He will learn that he is not going to get another chance to eat or any snacks for a long time and that if he wants to eat, he better do it while the dish is still on the floor.
Too often owners learn to cater to their dog’s eccentricities and that only tends to cause more issues.
Keep it simple and he will quickly figure it out!
Go ahead and ask us! Click the button below.
hi all i was reading about the feeding habit of dogs and was wondering if i should take upt he water try after the dog has eaten or leave the water out all day for her to get some when ever she wants
These are great tips!
I have a really picky French Bulldog and I’ve done the whole pick up the bowl thing, which works like a gem. BUT, always having to worry about if he was eating enough and having to pick up and put down the bowls a few times a day wasn’t something I wanted to always do.
I switched Cash (my dog) to Halo’s dry food and Halo’s Spot’s Stew as a bit of a topper and it is a miracle worker! He not only wants to eat, but it is so much better for him than all those foods with fillers, preservatives, and added chemicals.
It is a bit more of an expensive food, but it is holistic so it has tons of great ingredients (all which you can actually see in the wet!!) in there that will seriously add years to their life. It also covers dogs with sensitive stomachs and allergies. I know I’ve found my easy fix, I hope it works for you!
I would highly recommend not worrying about it if he’s medium weight. If he is very skinny, then yes, worry, I never had a dog not eating before, but switch the food, or if his teeth are in bad condition, give him some wet food mixed with the dry.
Sheila, always leave clean water available for your dog to enjoy as needed. I recommend changing the water twice a day (throw the old water on your indoor or outdoor plants so as not to waste it!) and thoroughly washing the dish once a day so you know that it is as clean as possible!
Ann
Hi there! I have a three year old neutered male boxer (Archie). He’s picky with his food from time to time and sometimes will not eat his kibble. Mixing some sardines or raw egg into the kibble works well. Sometimes he just refuses to eat and his poor belly gurgles all night! Usually he’s so hungry by the morning that he eats his meal. He’s always been on the skinny side because he’s so active. I think this is just how some boxers are.