Feeding a Finicky Dog

Feeding time is stressful for finicky dog owners. It’s the same routine every time. Place the food bowl down, dog walks over and sniffs his food. And just like that, dog turns and walks away. Gah. It’s gut-wrenching and time-consuming all balled into one. As a dog trainer, I’ve been there with clients and my personal dogs, and I’d like to share a few finicky dog eating tips with you!

Do you love this brand?

Choose a healthy dog food that your dog loves and then switch it up. Change dog food brands, especially protein sources, every 3-4 months. This maximizes nutritional health and keeps pesky food allergies at bay. When switching dog food, do so slowly over a 7-day period. Most dogs eat the same food everyday and dietary changes will upset their tummies.

Think of it this way: If your diet consists of bland food and you eat a bowl of spicy gumbo, well you know that feeling, right?

20 minutes to eat

Dogs thrive on routine so set and follow daily feeding schedules. When it’s feeding time, place the filled food bowl down and leave it there for 20 minutes. For multiple dog homes, section off an area for your finicky eater. This provides him plenty of time to enjoy his meal and keeps pushy dogs at bay. You would be amazed how powerful a pushy dog’s glare can be for finicky eaters. After 20 minutes, pick up his bowl.

I know, I know, you’ve heard, “Pick up the food bowl after 20 minutes” song and dance before, but it’s been two days and your dog is still refusing to eat. Ah, allow me to explain why this happens! Basically, your dog is holding out for the good stuff. If he refuses to eat, you’ll hand feed him or better yet, add yogurt or yummy canned food so he waits patiently. Every time you reward food refusal by adding treats to his regular meal, you just increased his picky behavior. Allow me to explain a bit further.

• A dog barks in his crate, you open the crate door to stop his barking.  You just rewarded his request barking.
• Dog pulls on a leash, you follow behind him. You just rewarded pulling on the leash.

Healthy dogs won’t starve themselves

To fix this dog behavior, follow the 20-minute rule and hold firm. It may take a few meals for your dog to learn ignoring his food is not paying. Learning is about consequences, not punishment, so remember this while your finicky dog pitifully glances at his food bowl minus the yummy stuff. Resist the temptation to give in even after a day. If you do break down and give in, you’ve just taught your dog to ignore his food for an entire day and he’ll earn yummy stuff!

Maybe try this?

• Minimize extra treats during the day. Simply break reward treats into thirds when rewarding behavior.
• Before feeding time, have a training session. Click and treat sits, downs, spin, touch, body handling and other tricks with bits of his  dinner.

When to seek professional help

If your dog is vomiting, withdrawn, in pain, has diarrhea, seek veterinary care immediately. He is probably sick. Also,  a small percent of finicky dog eating behavior is anxiety. Usually anxious dogs will display other behaviors besides picky eating habits. However, it will not display physical illness symptoms.

• Inability to settle down
• Excessive barking, shaking, panting
• Frightened of objects, people or other dogs

To rule out anxiety, contact a professional animal behaviorist.

Picky dog eaters unite! Tell us about your finicky dog eater!

You may also like: Why Do Dogs Eat Grass?