It is natural for dogs to love food and to scarf anything down in a matter of minutes. Recently, my dog Ace began showing less and less interest in his food. If your dog is the same way, don’t switch her food or add extra goodies to her meals. If your daughter doesn’t eat her vegetables, you don’t give her ice cream, do you? These simple ideas work:
1. Make sure your dog is not sick.
If a dog won’t eat, there’s a good chance she is not feeling well. But a lot of dogs won’t eat if they aren’t hungry. This is a good thing because they won’t overeat like humans tend to do. If you think your dog might be sick, take her to the vet just to be sure. Obviously if your dog is throwing up, she is not going to feel like eating. But watch for less noticeable signs such as more sleeping than normal, less interest in toys or a refusal to drink water.
2. Feed your dog on a regular schedule.
Dogs like a routine. I feed my dog two cups of dry food twice a day. I put his bowl of food out in the morning and in the evening, and he knows that’s when it’s time to eat. I decide when his meals will be, and he almost always finishes his food. This enforces my leadership because I control when he eats. Some trainers recommend feeding your dog after a walk, treating the meal as a reward. This is a good idea because then the dog has to work to get her food like a wolf would do in the wild. If your dog is especially picky, I recommend you give this a try.
3. If she doesn’t eat within five minutes, throw the food away.
If Ace doesn’t finish his food within a certain amount of time, I put the bowl away. If he doesn’t eat his breakfast, I put the bowl in the cupboard and he gets a chance to eat it for dinner later. If he doesn’t eat it then either, I throw it in the trash. I don’t keep the food in the bowl for more than 12 hours because bacteria can start to grow on the food, especially if the dog has taken a few bites and drooled all over it like my mutt does. Ace knows he has to eat during specified times or he doesn’t get to eat. This is why I don’t keep food available to Ace at all times.
4. Make your dog sit for a few minutes before she eats.
I always make Ace do something before he gets fed, even if it’s just a simple sit. That way, the food is a reward. This is a perfect time to practice obedience. Sometimes I have Ace sit for five minutes while I prepare my own breakfast. Then I release him, and he can eat his food while I eat mine. For a real challenge, I make Ace sit and stay while I eat my entire meal. This is another way to enforce my role as the pack leader.
5. Know how much food your dog is getting and decrease it.
I said earlier that I feed my mutt two cups of food twice a day. If your dog is not eating her food or not finishing it, then she is likely getting more than enough to eat. So, for the next meal, decrease the amount a little. For my 65-pound dog, I decrease his daily intake by half a cup at a time. He eats when he’s hungry, so if he doesn’t finish his food, I know he’s getting plenty. If he starts to act hungry again in a few weeks, then I just increase the amount.
6. Give your dog more exercise.
Just like with people, a dog that doesn’t get enough exercise doesn’t need a lot of food. If your dog won’t eat, try increasing her exercise. Take her for a longer walk the next day, or throw the ball around the yard on top of a walk.
7. Make sure she is not distracted while she eats.
My mutt would rather play ball than eat. And he would rather go for a walk than eat. So if I am anywhere near the front door after I feed him, he is following me around instead of eating. If his tennis ball is out, I have to put it away or he won’t eat. After I feed Ace, I usually sit down at the kitchen table or at my desk and eat as well. Since he knows I’m not going anywhere, he eats.
8. Cut back on treats throughout the day.
Except during training, my mutt doesn’t get extra treats during the day. He might get a rawhide once a month if he’s lucky, but that’s about it. Think about it, if you snack all day, you won’t be hungry for dinner. It’s the same for a dog.
9. Don’t add canned food, treats or people food.
I never add extra goodies to my dog’s food. He gets his dry dog food and that’s it. Dogs are not like humans. If you are feeding your dog a quality food, then she should be getting all she needs in that diet. A little something extra is fine every now and then. But don’t use treats to bribe your dog to eat unless you want to do this for every meal for the rest of your dog’s life. You are just teaching her to be a picky eater if you do this.
10. Don’t switch foods.
Don’t switch your dog’s food unless you plan to use the new food permanently. I recently began switching my dog’s food because I want to feed him a different brand. I am still making the switch slowly, by mixing the two kinds together for a few weeks. If you switch your dog’s food cold turkey, you are almost guaranteed to have a dog with an upset stomach. The worst thing you can do is change your dog’s food over and over. Just stick to one kind of food.
(Photo by www.thriftyfun.com)
