Any ideas on what to do with a fussy Lab? Has been an issue since puppy. Tried changing diet several times. Will eat one thing for maybe 4-5 days, then just backs off. Does that every time I change his food. Just can't find something he will eat longer than a week, am constantly adding goodies after a week just to get him to eat and keep weight on....
Picky eaters are created by their owners. Stop changing the food and stop adding goodies. The dog WILL learn to eat what you give it. There are 2 approaches:
1. put the food down and leave it down ( assuming that you feed kibble and that there are no other dogs that will take the food)
2. Put the food down, leave it for 15 minutes. If the dog hasn't eaten it ,pick the bowl up. Serve the same food at the next feeding.
The dog will eat when it's hungry enough.
Thanks! Was just worried about him dropping weight and not being able to get it back on before his next show...if all else fails, after the next two weekends, we don't have any shows for some time, so will do that then.
I know the "tough love" approach works, but I have no problems with putting a table spoon of canned mixed in with kibble for each meal. My dogs give me alot of joy and it's no hardship for me to add a spoon of canned, or cottage cheese, or some left over meat from dinner, or a splash of low salt broth (if left over from cooking) on their dinner.
I have one that isn't a big eater and two that are. I give them all a couple of tablespoons of canned Mackerel mixed into their kibble with some warm water. They all LOVE it and the picky one doesn't pick his head up out of his bowl until all his food is gone as long as the mackerel is mixed in. Aside from the fact that I think it is smelly icky, they all love it and it is good for them so no big deal. I've also heard that canned green tripe will get any dog to eat but I guess I'm just not that devoted :D I buy the mackerel in the grocery store by the canned tuna.
I know that this works most of the time but not always. I have a boy that hates liver, bacon, prime rib, etc and will only eat one kind of kibble with chicken and rice - won't touch canned. We tried doing the eat it or lose it technique and he did not eat for 8 days..... Even now he will eat 3 or 4 days in a row and thennot eat for 2. Completely healthy but weird!
