# Do you feed a food if your dog doesn't like it?



## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

My dogs for the most part are not picky. They will eat their kibble dry or with a little water although I normally add something like can food, leftovers, canned mackeral, cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs, etc. They usually eat like they are starving to death! 

But I have tried two different formulas of a certain dog food and Ronon flat out refuses either one. I got the small bag today from Petflow and opened it and all the dogs came running. Most gobbled it up, Ronon grabbed a big mouthful and spit it back all over me. I offered him more, and he refused it. 

So do you make them eat it or give them something else?


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

I have only switched a few times in the last ten years but my approach is that they eat what I put in the bowl or they don't eat at all. No wetting the food, no canned, no baby talk, eat or wait for the next meal. Some dogs may not want to eat something unfamiliar at first but they will.

If the weather turns warm all of a sudden or it is very warm for an extended period of time dogs will pass on a meal, young intact males frequently pass on meals or eat just a bit. If an intact male is exposed to a bitch in season, even from a distance, that dog may not eat for days.

My motto is same time, same amount, same food.....


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

If one of my "eat everything" pups doesn't want to eat a food, then I just don't feed it. but if pickiness develops then (when possible) tough love comes into play. I feel if my pup is generally a good eater, turns his nose up at a specific food, then why force the issue. afterall, i don't eat liver and onions cause for me it's just ew.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

It is a fine line between creating a picky monster and keeping your dog healthy and happy.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

Well my dogs aren't generally picky but my oldest dog there's a few things she doesn't like/is picky about for raw and I indulge her on those. If it were something important, like a major protein or organ I might push the issue or find a way to trick her into eating it. If my dogs turned down a kibble I would assume there's something wrong with it, they have always eaten whatever dry or canned I put in front of them without issue, I used to give a lot of sample bags of different brands as treats actually.


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## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

Well it stays hot year round here! So my dogs eat even when it is over 100 degrees! They are all neutered, but Jack so females in heat mean nothing. I've had them in the house in heat (last foster went thru 3 heat cycles before she was spayed due to heavy heartworm load) and it bothered none of my dogs even the intact males I had at the time. They are used to eating a wide variety of kibble and this dog is a gluten and has never refused anything but this one brand of food. He will even eat what I consider garbage foods. He was eating something called Riverrun when he went over to my neighbors out of their feed bin. He is not picky, but he hates this food. Me personally I'm not going to feed it. I just wonder what is in it that he doesn't like. If he was a picky dog, it wouldn't bother me, but he has never refused anything. There are some foods he hasn't done well on it, but he still ate them. 

I did open the bag of Annamaet Extra I got and Ronon dove right in to it so I'm switching him over to it. Just wish I could get it at better pricing regularly if he does well on it. But Joey seems to do better on grain free and I would like to feed them the same food, but I'm going to try him on the Annamaet and see how he does. It may have been all the protein sources in the Victor that was bothering him.


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

Sometimes dogs are just being weirdos (intact males in their puberty are weird all the time) and will spit it out because it was new to them. The next day they might have another go and like it after all. Sometimes they flat out don't like the food, be it smell, taste, size, texture, density, what have you. I do know it's much easier to create a picky monster than it is to starve a dog to death.


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## Foodie (Apr 25, 2010)

I wouldn't. What food was it?


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

Do you notice any paint smell to the food?


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## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

No paint smell. I didn't care for the smell of the grain inclusive it didn't smell bad, but I guess bland, but the grain free smells ok to me. I tried to make Ronon eat the grain inclusive for almost a month- 2 weeks mixing with old food and then 2 weeks by itself, he never liked it. Joey also didn't like the grain inclusive, but he dug into the grain free. It is cheaper than the NOW so I figured I would try it and see how they do. Joey is doing fabulous on NOW, but my budget is not going to allow it b/c my other roommate is moving and I gotta make cut backs. I want Ronon and Joey on the same food so I only have to buy 2 bags a month, 1 for them and 1 for the others. 

It is Dr. Tims Grain free, I got a bag since it was on sale at Petflow with my order of cat food. None of my dogs would eat the Pursuit, but Ronon was the one who disliked it the most and he is the only one that refuses the grain free. He has been on Victor Hi Pro for about 3 months now and other than his stool is soft sometimes, he is doing well on it. But he really liked the Annamaet Extra. He ate it this morning and tonight mixed with the last bit of Victor I have. Joey couldn't eat the Victor. He got straight liquid diarreah on it. But first meal of NOW and poop was firm and he is doing really well on it since- growing well, firm poop, lots of energy, nice coat, clean ears/eyes and he is only eating 2 1/2 cups a day and is 5 1/2 months and 50lbs. That is why I was wanting to try the Dr. Tim grain free and see if that would agree with him.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

If this is the only food he won't eat, I'd indulge him and move on. Life's too short to worry about it. I once had a boxer that played the picky game (RIP Duke!); he'd go great guns on a new, premium food, then a week later, turn his nose up at it, looking for something different. That's when I applied tough love. After 3 days of starving himself, he decided that the kibble was pretty darned good!


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## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

I would not make your dog eat it if he has a good track record of eating most foods. There is no point. Just go back to one of the others he has done well on.


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## Goldens&Labs4Me (Sep 2, 2012)

I'm one of *those* owners that likes her dogs to enjoy their food.  But I have 3 dogs--2 are not picky (and while they may have preferences, they will not refuse food)--but my little dog refused to eat a salmon kibble for a long time, to the point where I took her in to have her checked out. Same brand, chicken flavor and she hasn't missed a meal since. I indulge them, but I can't help it....


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## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

Offered it again today and he snubbed it. Good thing it is only a 5lb bag. Joey will get rid of it in a few days! 

Ronon is liking the Annamaet though and so is Jack. Jack keeps licking the bowl after he is done to make sure he got every crumb.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I'm a big softie. Mollie likes most types of food, so if there is one that she absolutely refuses to eat, I don't fret over it. Unless it's super good for her and I really need her to eat it then I will wait her out, but generally she's not fussy. Oh, except liver or kidney in any way shape or form. I've been force feeding her a little bit of that every day for 5 years now.  It's a battle of wills that I will win. One day!


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## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

MollyWoppy said:


> I'm a big softie. Mollie likes most types of food, so if there is one that she absolutely refuses to eat, I don't fret over it. Unless it's super good for her and I really need her to eat it then I will wait her out, but generally she's not fussy. Oh, except liver or kidney in any way shape or form. I've been force feeding her a little bit of that every day for 5 years now.  It's a battle of wills that I will win. One day!


When I fed all raw- it was a big fight to get my Dobe to eat any organ meat. I had to blend them in with ground meat and be really sneaky and not let him see me do it! That dog was one reason I went back to kibble. He hated most all raw. Only thing he would eat willing was beef or lamb, but after he bloated and torsioned on a lamb neck- I gave in. He preferred kibble and he got kibble. 

Raw is what Ronon would prefer. That dogs goes after raw chicken like a gator at Gatorland! I have a picture somewhere to prove it. He goes freakin nuts over raw chicken. He loves anything raw, but chicken quarters are his favorite!


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## DDBsR4Me (Jan 23, 2012)

I would personally indulge my dog if he wouldn't eat the food, and find something else. My boy isn't a picky eater, per se, but he isn't really a voracious eater either. He's been on Orijen 6 Fish for several months now and seems to really like it, but he will only eat it from the 15lb bags, not the 30lb bags. I've bought 2 different 30lb bags and he refused to eat the kibble from both. Picked up another 15lb bag and no issues. I've contacted the company to see if they process the food for the bags differently, but haven't heard back yet. 

If for some reason he stopped eating it there's enough decent foods out there that I'd find something else. Plus I'm lucky that my pet food store will let me return opened bags of food if my dog doesn't like it - which I've done in the past. I myself am a pretty picky eater, so I don't see a point in making him eat something he doesn't like - unless it was medically necessary and there wasn't a similar product available that he did like. 


I have done the tough love thing in the past with a previous dog, but only because I had to (elimination diet because we thought he had allergies). After that incident, he would eat anything I put in front of him.


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## 46and2 (Jan 1, 2013)

I don't think I would ever give in to my dog. She can eat it or go hungry. 
If she didn't for a few days I would take her to the vet to be checked out.
That being said- my dog will eat ANYTHING!


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## _unoriginal (Apr 8, 2012)

After having a bout with bad chicken, and my dog NEVER turning down food before that day.. No, I will not force something when the dog turns his nose up..

In the same light, my kibble dog is picky at times and has been known to not eat something just because, and with him, I'll always force the issue and not let him off.

I think it heavily depends on the dog and their past eating preferences.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

I wouldn't compromise *quality* to play into a picky eater, but if there's a different food of just as good quality they like, I'd just stop offering the one they don't like. 

I think it's a matter of balancing giving them food they enjoy (it's one of those simple pleasures...) and not creating a picky monster. My "middle ground" is that if I offer something and they turn their nose up to it, I WILL tough love them on it... just that once. I apologize my example is not with kibble, but it's completely applicable. 

Zailey will eat anything.... except gizzards. I don't buy them ever but they are occasionally in other things I buy, like whole birds. 
I offered it to her, she spit it out. 
I offered the same exact gizzard to her for 3 days in a row, and nothing else. She finally ate it. 
I probably won't ever offer her one again. 

If I really DON'T want my dogs to skip a meal for whatever reason, I do set them up for success by avoiding foods they might have not been too thrilled with in the past. Luckily my dogs are pretty good eaters, so that isn't an issue at all. Each has maybe one thing they just don't like to eat. I'm OK with that, as it doesn't impact the quality of their diet with so many other proteins.


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

i have labs and they're generally food hounds, but the only time vangie, my female didnt want to eat (i used tough love and that;s all she was offered) was two times. the first, was the tainted diamond food. she circled the bowl, sniffed, took some out and put it on the floor and didnt eat. i chalked it up to her not feeling great. she knew, i didnt.

another time, a different food, and she ended up eating and barfing-we're just getting over a serious bout of gastritis.
while i agree on a level, that you can create a monster (wrong choice of words , perhaps) in terms of making a fussy dog, when vangie balks, i pay attention.and dont ask the guilt i have about not paying attention the first time.


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## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

Found my picture.

I was giving the quarter to the Great Dane- but Ronon saw chicken and came flying up (would have won that race!) and somehow I captured this picture:










Some others of Ronon and his chicken



















Overall, he is not a picky dog, but he does love some chicken!  There has to be something in the food he doesn't like. Maybe it is the fish like Dr. Tim suggested before. He is not fond of fish, but the food doesn't smell fishy to me, but Ronon's nose works much better than mine.


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## lindseycampbell358 (Jun 17, 2012)

Lol! The top picture is hilarious! Reminds me of my Shih Tzu at feeding time, just bigger teeth


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## Jacksons Mom (Jun 13, 2010)

I agree with some of the other posts in that, if he acts like he loves it one day, and then puts his nose up at it the next day, I won't play that game and go out and buy a whole new bag of food or anything. But if he truly despises a food from the get-go and never likes it, I don't like to force him to eat it. I prefer to have a food that he enjoys taste-wise AND does well on.

Like, we're still on our sample bags of Petcurean's Go! foods, and he's doing well so far from what I can see, but he NEVER voluntarily chooses to go eat it dry. He loved his Fromm SO much, which is one of the reasons I was so hesitant to switch him off it (he was getting eye goop bad, and always acting hungry) but maybe we'll try the grain-frees again. I just don't know when to draw the line on 'well if you don't like it, too bad!' LOL.... it was really nice to see him be excited to eat dry food right after I poured it in his bowl.

But that's why I've been doing samples right now so I can get a feel for his favorites AND what he does well on. He won't voluntarily eat the Go! Duck or the Go! Chicken without wet food mixed in. He did occasionally eat the Go! grain-free Senior, so I guess that's his 'favorite' but he definitely wasn't very enthused about it.


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## Jacksons Mom (Jun 13, 2010)

LOL, omg, I went out and bought a 6lb bag of the Go! grain-free senior today and mixed it with wet food. Little brat picked all around it and left half the kibble in the bowl... he NEVER does that... always eats his food when there is wet mixed in. This was after agility class too, so he shoulda been hungry.... ugh, dumb dog. He really misses his Fromm, I suppose.


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## Sapphire-Light (Aug 8, 2010)

Jacksons Mom said:


> LOL, omg, I went out and bought a 6lb bag of the Go! grain-free senior today and mixed it with wet food. Little brat picked all around it and left half the kibble in the bowl... he NEVER does that... always eats his food when there is wet mixed in. This was after agility class too, so he shoulda been hungry.... ugh, dumb dog. He really misses his Fromm, I suppose.


Maybe is the shape of the kibble, are they different?


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

Mine have been eating the same for food for well over 2 year now, and no plans to change or experiment. Hadn't my supplier of the old food retired, I would still be using it with no plans to change. 

If I got samples of something else and tried to feed it tonight, I guaranty it wouldn't get eaten. 

Same food, same time, same amount.....no issues and no complaints.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

I don't know if I've been lucky or not but as far as kibble goes, I have never had a dog refuse a food. Ever. Years back, I tried a trial size of Nature's Variety frozen nd one wouldn't eat it. My current two have eaten a variety of kibble, dehydrated and raw and they eat. If one were to refuse a new bag of their usual food, I'd wonder if there was something wrong with the food.


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

Mine have been knon to "suck" the canned off of the kibble, just so they could leave the kibble behind. Of course they've also picked teeny tiny slivers of liver out of ground beef too. Little dogs are a hoot.


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## xdunlapx (Feb 9, 2013)

Celt said:


> Mine have been knon to "suck" the canned off of the kibble, just so they could leave the kibble behind. Of course they've also picked teeny tiny slivers of liver out of ground beef too. Little dogs are a hoot.


Mine does that, too! We have been trying to get Bentley to eat quality dry food for 5 years (he'll be 5 April 1). He never really was interested in dog food, even before we started giving him human food (which we stopped last year due to pancreatitis). I finally got sick of spending so much money on his pickiness regarding dog food. We had been feeding him canned food (Weruva, Wellness, grain free Merrick, etc) but since he's only 8 pounds he doesn't eat much per day. Well after a day or two he would quit eating that one variety of canned food and we would be forced to open yet another can of dog food to get him to eat. That happened every few days for years! Mom will be retiring soon and since dad is already retired we have limited income. Me - being the dog owner (even though my parents pay the bills) I was just frustrated and sick of him wasting so much money on food. SO I know kibble is cheaper than canned so I decided to find a quality pet food store that had samples of dog foods. We brought home 8 samples (two were paid for small bags since apparently Orijen doesn't offer free samples) and I put some of each on plates and laid them down in a row on the floor. My dog immedieately chose and ate the Orijen 6 Fish formula, without hastle!! He's never done that!! So that is what we are feeding him. Though I wonder if it's too rich for him since he's now puked twice after eating it. Happened 2 days ago and then earlier today. His poops are firm and well formed though. Maybe it'll just take a while to get him adjusted to it fully. We didn't transition him since it's impossible to do with him. If I put canned food on it he would lick off the canned food and leave the kibble (but I hadn't tried that with this kibble, who knows...) I do not force my dog to eat something he doesn't like. We never have. I want him to enjoy his food just like I usually enjoy my food. I want my dog to be happy. I want him to look forward to feeding time. 

My dog always does pick out certain kibbles and drops them on the floor, I guess they don't meet his strict standards LOL But sometimes he'll eat a few of those he dropped. He's weird.


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## RawPitbulls (Feb 7, 2013)

In my mind, it goes like this: If my dog LOVED pedigree, and HATED Orijen, I would still feed Orijen. Personally, I like McDonalds better than a stalk of celery, but that doesn't mean McDonalds is better.


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