# Picky eater?



## quinnandleah (Sep 28, 2011)

Quinn is driving me insane. He won't eat most of the food I've tried. He won't even drink water. I'm pretty sure that this comes from the fact that he was 100% weened when I got him from my friend, he gave the whole litter away at the same time. My mom feel sorry for him and will have feed him a few bits of kibble but he will only eat a few. When I feed Leah he will just sit and watch her eat.  I try to give him the same as her and he will just look at it.  With the drinking, he won't drink water. He will sometimes lick on ice cubes but other than that he won't drink. I didn't realize how picky he was until I got Leah that eats anything I give her and drinks water.


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## LostLakeLua (Sep 6, 2009)

There's a really good article online explaining how picky eaters are created... of course now I can't find it. =/ 

To sum it up, the dog learns that if he wants something "better" all he has to do is not eat; and the owner eventually gives in and keeps trying to bait the dog to eat with something better.

What you have to do, is pick ONE good that you are comfortable with; and offer it to your dog twice a day. If he doesn't eat in 15 minutes; pick it up and don't offer it again until dinner. The important thing to remember is that NO HEALTHY DOG WILL STARVE ITSELF!! It is OKAY if he goes a day or two without eating. Eventually he will realize that it's an all-or-nothing case; and will eat. It's about giving tough love and not giving in to treating (or rewarding) the pickiness by offering him more different things.

I really wish I could find the article cuz I stink at explaining this kinda stuff. =/


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## Rocky (Jan 25, 2010)

I have the same kind of problem with Rocky at the moment. He used to be such a great eater (so that I could never understand all the eating problems many other chi owners have with their dogs), however after staying at my parents and grandparents for several weeks he just wont eat normally no more. They proper spoilt him even though I told them no to, so of course now he won't like eating his dog food no more. I am quite annoyed as I feed wet food and had to chuck more than he is actually eating........ He will not eat before 3 and only then maybe take 3 bites or maybe just lick it. Next time I am going home for vaccation I will make sure NO ONE besides me is feeding him!!!!! Thats for sure!


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

I agree with Kat.  When I got Lulu she was quite picky. I think it came from the fact she was free fed. There was no real high value in any food & she was sooo not food motivated! Drove me nuts!! I tried her on THK at first & she hated it!! That was in June. I tried again a few weeks ago & she gulped it right down & could have eaten more...because in that time she's learned food is higher value as we don't leave it down for her all the time. 

So yeah...I'd pick ONE food & offer it for 15 minutes twice a day. No table scraps, no treats, nothing! Just his food. And he will come around...


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## 20887 (Mar 16, 2011)

I have to agree with Kat & Heather.. One of my chis, Lion, is pretty picky. Since he is an adult now and weighs 6 lbs, I don't worry about him becoming hypoglycemic. I offer him his food 3 times a day and if he walks away from the bowl and acts disinterested, I pick it up. He used to nibble on a few pieces of his food and walk away. I stopped trying to coax him to eat, and after skipping a few meals, he became pretty good about finishing his food. I would also suggest no treats while you are trying fix the problem, that way they can't fill up on something else.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

The above advice is excellent. Zarita (long coat black and tan) came to me weighing about 1.2oz at 12 weeks. Tiny. Wouldn't eat!!! Vet says to me "hypoglycemia is a real worry". We gave the puppy some stuff in a tube (can't remember name!). She was so bad that she would vomit bile. Well, eventually, she grew up and is now on Pepcid per the vet. I think she has reflux. But that is not a healthy puppy. They will eat when they get hungry enough.


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## CHITheresa (Apr 30, 2011)

Amberleah is the same wont eat. So I am going to try your ideas. really I think she gets too many treats, I go to bathroom she gets a treat, we do it with cat and Amberleah caught on and now she wants treats. (little treats) She gets a treat with training, she gets treat after potty, she gets treats when husband get home, he plays a funny game. he will go in bedroom and says who pooped, and she goes running, he gives her a treat, he then says beat it and she runs sits in her bed waiting waging her tail and he says who pooped and they do it over and over. My pom used to poop in house once in a while and my husband would say to her who pooped and he started as just a joke saying who pooped. I think Amberleah thinks who pooped is her name with him. lol


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## quinnandleah (Sep 28, 2011)

Thanks for the info. I might have to start taking him around with me like I do Leah so that my family doesn't give him food and treats when I'm not at home. My stepdad told me that if I don't want him to feed him then he shouldn't be there. Grrr....


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