You should be making meal decisions for the best nutritional balance, not them.

Variety in a dog's diet is a good thing, but variety should not be seen by them as a way to guide your behaviour. If they do start eating, give them heaps of praise and compliments like, 'Now THAT'S a good dog!' They will associate eating with something that pleases you and a loyal dog will gain encouragement from that. Ignoring your dog will be hard, but your silence will tell them they haven't quite achieved anything yet. Just ignore them quietly and get ready to try again. Just quietly put their food back in the fridge for 10 minutes and try again. Their reward will come when they eat their food, not while they stall.

If they hesitate and you engage with them, they'll believe you're already rewarding them. Give them their meal, then give a signal to eat. When you're ready to feed them, praise them as you prepare your food to encourage a good vibe surrounding meal times. Set them up to please you. You can encourage them to do so with thoughtful positive reinforcement at key moments. 3. Validate Good Behavioursĭogs should want to connect with and please their pack leaders (that's you). You don't need military precision, but structure and consistency will give them comfort. They will quickly adapt to your routine, instead of you working all day to please them. Always wait until after a specific event, so they know to look forward to their meal time. If they normally eat after a morning walk, avoid feeding them before the walk. They'll also be more likely to understand that if they don't eat their meal, there won't be anything else until the next scheduled time. If their body clock knows when to expect their food, they'll be much less likely to beg for treats outside of those times. Follow A Strict Feeding Routineįeeding your dog at the same time or times every day will create a regimen they understand. In short, if you use food as a way to spoil your dog, you're opening the door for a lifetime of manipulation and frustration.ĭogs should see meal times as a happy, but normal part of their routine. Domestication has thankfully created a bond between us that dogs see as mutually beneficial, so good dogs won't fight us for food. Dogs are hard-wired to expect to work for their food. Being predators and scavengers by nature, dogs are instinctively greedy and protective when it comes to eating. Look For Behavioural Issues FirstĪssuming you're already feeding a healthy, balanced diet, the vast majority of fussy eating problems are caused by lack of perceived scarcity. NOTE: Are you looking for tips on how to feed a new puppy? Feel free to read our puppy feeding guide before you continue. The downside is, you'll find yourself having to admit you're the problem, not your dog 😅 The upside is, the answers are easier than you might think. Why won't they eat what I give them? From our experience, it's a common issue faced by many dog owners but not one that's impossible to overcome. Reading time: 5 minutes What To Feed A Fussy Dog?įussy dogs can drive us up the wall with their seemingly random and often obnoxious determination to challenge our sanity.

Dog food for finicky dogs