my dog will not eat his dog food at all...?

Question

my dog use to eat his dog food all the time when he was a younger until my family snuck human food to him when i wasnt around. He completely stopped eating his dry food, so i attempted wet food. That didnt work either. I have asked my family to stop feeding him any kind of table food so that maybe he will be so hungry he will have to eat his own food, but my dog will go all day without eating. We eventually feel bad and make him a piece of bonless chicken. i dont want my dog to starve everyday, he is a yorkie and is only 12lbs anyway. So before anyone suggests ideas.. let me tell you all what i have already tried...
i bought those benefial dinners that look like real human wod, with the rice n vegetables... didnt want it
ive shoved it in his mouth so he would at least try it ... he ran away
i have mixed his dog food with some chicken or sauce so he would think its al human food, but he is so smart he licks the sauce up and eats only the chicken.

Answer 1

Well after looking on the Internet awhile i found this site and others by typing in recipes for dogs on google. The site is below an i hope it works for you.

Answer 2

Have you asked with the vet? Honestly it sounds like your dog has become a picky eater. You and your family always cave so...



I have a cat that has become fussy with her food. She was hiding under the bed more so than usual. It was on a weekend day. I just watched her. She was playful. She had been to the groomer recently and was weighed. She's been to the vet in the past year. I will sit with her for a few moments and pet her. She'll eat a little. She wants the other cat's food but can't eat it because she just throws it up. I am much more digilent in taking that cat's food away when she's done. I pick her up everyday to see how she feels. She feels like she's gaining weight so I know that she is eating.



Keep watch on your dog. He is eating so that's good. It just sounds like you just need to stop catering to him and he will adjust but it's going to be tough. I would consult with the vet though to see what you can expect and what is best. My mom is a vet tech and has been for years. I usually ask her questions. But if I were you then I would call the vet and tell them what's going on and just ask what is the best approach for my little sweet dog?



edit: The only problem that I have been able to find regarding feeding your pet human food is that it may not be balanced enough to meet the dog or cat's needs. However, there is a such thing as a raw diet. It may only apply to cats though since they are strictly carnivorous and dogs are omnivorous.

Answer 3

If he's a 12 lbs Yorkie, he needs to go on a doggie-diet anyways. I've never seen one that was over 8lbs.



Your dog has your family trained nicely. Don't worry, mine tried to do this tatic as well. We'd give him some scraps here and there like some popcorn, a french fry, etc. Eventually he'd hold out until he was sure all chances of people food were done, then he'd eat his dry food after we all ate dinner every night.



Don't cater to your dog, keep his dry food available and he'll eat it when he gets hungry enough, he's just counting on you and your family to give in first.

Answer 4

how old is your dog? maybe he is sick my dog is going through the same thing right now but that is because he has kidney failure...dogs often stop eating when they are sick so I don't know the dog but these are my thoughts of the situation. If I was a dog and I got people food I would never eat my dry food again He is just waiting for something better...

Answer 5

My dog did this same thing. I just had to try different things before he would eat his food. How long do you guys let him starve before you give him human food? Perhaps he just hasn't reached the point of being so hungry he would eat his own food. One thing I tried is adding about a half a cap of canola oil in his food. He liked it, but then he got tired of it. Maybe you could try that. Another thing I did was go to a pet store and get that gravy stuff to pour into dogs' food. He liked it at first but then as soon as we had food in front of us he went back to begging and wouldn't go eat his own. Perhaps this would work for you? I also put a little bit of shredded cheese in his food then microwaved it so the cheese melted all over his food. Maybe this would work for you? If it does you need to eventually start to wean him off of it so he doesn't expect cheese to be on his food forever.

You could also just go to a vet and maybe they could recommend something. But the one sure fire way I get my dog to eat his food is to take him for an hour long walk so he gets so worn out and hungry/thirsty that as soon as he gets home he goes right over to his food and water and goes to town on it!! I hope I helped you. I know it's really frustrating trying to get picky eating dogs to eat their own food after they have had human food. Good luck!! :)

Answer 6

One trick I've seen work: put the dog food on the table with the humans, look like you're eating it. Then when you have the dog's attention, give it to him. He may eat it, he may still not. It's easy to do and worth a try.

Answer 7

I used to have the same problem getting my dog to eat. She was an abused dog who would only eat when her owner would throw away scraps and she would go in the garbage and eat it. It took months of training, but she's back on a normal diet. This sounds really weird but here's what I did:

--I would sit at my table and "pretend" to be eating it so she would sit there and beg for the food that I was "eating." I would then give her one pebble and she would eat it being fooled. Then once she got used to the taste, I would put it on a plate or bowl that I used and give it to her outside of her normal eating place so again she would be fooled. Then I slowly got it closer and closer to her normal eating place in which she started eating normally again.

--Eating human food for an everyday diet is very high in fats and will cause obesity eventually. Talk to your vet and they'll explain it.

--NutroMax is a good dog food that most dogs love. I give my dog a low residue diet (lamb meat--dry food though) as eating human foods have weaken her stomach and she can no longer digest regular dry foods. Talk to your vet for the best food for your dog.

--If my solution doesn't work, again talk to your vet and they can give you ideas on how to fix it.

--And the people before me are right, if a dog gets hungry enough it will eat! It will not starve!





GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

Answer 8

If food (meaning Dog Food) is available, a dog will not starve itself. He obviously has learned that by not eating his dog food you will provide something else.

Answer 9

First off.. he will not allow himself to starve. He is acting like a spoiled child when he isnt given what he wants, by not eating. You can set his food out and wait. He will eat. Or.. if you want there are tons of books on how to make your own dog food at home as well as sites on the net with recipes such as Http://www.ehow.com/how_12697_make-homemade-dog.html or http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/dogfoodrecipes.htm



Just remember he is a little dog and only needs a very small portion of food every day. Being overweight is far more dangerous for him and eating table scraps is potentially deadly. Chocolate, the number one human treat is deadly to dogs, but everyone says " I fed it to my dog and he is okay" is it worth the risk? Your family is well meaning in giving him treats and scraps, but you need to set some limits and provide some healthy alternatives for them. Frozen veggies are a favorite ( california blend works well) Dogs love the cold sensation and the taste of them. you can make your own liver treats by drying thin cut liver, sprinkled with garlic in the oven. put it on a cookie sheet and pop it in the oven at 200 for 3-4 hours till it drys hard and breaks easy. Store it in a air tight container in the fridge or freezer.

Answer 10

Since you have a small Yorkie, he would be better off with a human grade homemade diet. It wouldn't cost much and you could feed him fresh food every day. Just take a portion of the meat you would eat- say chicken, and steam it- boneless and skinless, no seasonings. Add in a few steamed veggies bits, mushed up and mixed in so your dog gets them (like carrots, broccoli tops, zucchini squash, peas, green beans - you can vary.) Then add a bit of steamed sweet potato or rice. You can put a Vet approved fish oil capsule with Omega 3 fatty acids and DHA and sprinkle a bit of Brewer's yeast on top.

Feed twice a day. One meal, you can add a bit of plain Activia. It's great for their digestion.

Your dog will be healthier and happier.

Check the diet suggestions with a Vet skilled in animal nutrition for small dogs.

Answer 11

i would just give him dog food to eat. when he gets hungry enough, he will eat it. human food is not particularly good for dogs, so he will be better off this way, even if he goes a day or so without eating.

Answer 12

Okay. Dogs go through fazes where they want, and don't want to eat their meals. Go to the vets and ask what type of foods your dog should eat. Unless your dog is bulimic, lol, then take them to get hypnotized. :)



Well, in all seriousness, some dogs just hate the taste of their food. Get a different kind.

Answer 13

well , you know there is this diet called the home cooked diet , it's one of the healthiest diets and you can make them for your dog out of oragnic food you can also mix it with the hard food the semi-moist has to much sugar and i see that your dog loves table scraps and takes them as rewards maybe a good idea is too put a ncie table scrap on his food on his dish , or whenever your family wants to give him a scrap give him his hard food instead , he is confused because now he thinks hes going to be fed of the table , don't shove it in his mouth for that won't do any good slowly give one piece to him if he atleast licks or eats it say good boy , then he will see that his food is the way to go , you'll see he'll catch on good luck !! hope i helped !

Answer 14

maybe try cooking the dog food, because the smells are more intense and he might eat it then. there's this show on Animal Planet called "it's me or the dog" and there was this girl with a similar problem.

Answer 15

Starve your dog for a couple of days no food what so ever and then put the food down for your dog he/she will eat it as they won't starve to death if they have food available if he/she still isn't eating then take your dog to the vets

Answer 16

ask a vet. a dog will eat if its hungry. i would say definitly stop people food, and leave a bowl of dog food out. It will eat if its hungry enough

dont feel guilty either, ur the boss. the dog isnt.

Answer 17

To answer your question, yes, you can put him on a diet of "human quality" food - meals made especially for dogs.



Research BARF diet or raw prey model. By the way, beneful's wet food only appears to look like human food, but if you read the ingredients, it really only appears that way. It's loaded with things that she doesn't want or need, and I wouldn't be surprised if she refused to eat it, especially when she can get quality food like boneless boiled chicken (real meat, for once.)



We feed our dogs a diet with human grade ingredients with meats, organs, meaty bones, some veggies, fruits, kelp, etc etc. They wouldn't dream of touching most kibble or most wet dog food. If you read over the ingredients of the dog food you're feeding her, you'll see that it's probably not mostly meat, and followed with a bunch of fillers like wheat, corn, soy, etc that she doesn't need.

Answer 18

Feeding home cooked human food for your dog is good for him. Dogs require proper proportions of meat, starch and vegetables every day, for optimum health. Following the guidelines for health will increase their lifespan, and they will much prefer the good food over yuckky kibble. - Wouldn't you?

Answer 19

a twelve pound yorkie will not be harmed by missing a few meals....no dog will starve to death that has food available.