His Majesty, Mr Picky (very long vent)

[SarahZ]

Ok, so this is kind of a vent.
His Majesty has me hand feeding him again and his dinner is not good enough. Honesty, I don't mind hand feeding him as long as he eats it all.
We go through these cycles with Moe where he decides his dinner is not to his liking, presumably because it includes kibble and is not made up entirely of fish.
We end up throwing away bowls and bowls of food, food that has sardines or salmon in it, among other things. It gets the point that he'll eat the fish out and thats it, or if the fish is too mixed in and in small pieces he won't eat any of it.
I stopped buying the canned salmon (wild Alaskan Sockeye) about 2 months ago, and just started back up the other day.
Yesterday he had 1 1/2 cups of kibble and a small sized can of salmon for lunch, then yesterdays dinner was 2cups and a tin of sardines. Well, he wasn't very happy about dinner (although that was fine before) and ate most of it.
I made the mistake of sharing my lunch with him today. We had crackers with cream cheese and lox, and then just the lox. So, when dinner comes around, His Majesty sniffs and well, there aren't any lox in it. Hummph!
He won't even pick the sardines and mackerel out himself. I have to help him, and if the handful doesn't contain some kind of fish in large chunk form, forget it.
I want to feed him lots of fish, but why, oh why, Moe! Why can't you just eat it all mixed together with your kibble?? Now I will have to coax him to eat and throw away his food for the next 2 weeks until he forgets about fish again.
Please tell me someone else has a dog as nutty as mine....

 

[R Taft]

Does he like Raw? Annabelle hated kibble, which she was on when we got her at 13months

 

[SunnyD]

I had these problems with Sunshine for 8 years. It wasn't until I put her on Orijen 6 fish that she gobbled down every meal. When Rosie came along in May, well she won't turn down anything now. She actually barks at mealtime & does a little happy dance. Perhaps Moe needs a friend :lol:

 

[noblenewf]

Sounds like someone has you wrapped around his Newfie paw. ;-) Gabe was extremely finicky when he was young. I made myself crazy over him eating or not eating... Trying everything... Including hand feeding him. Then a very wise person here on NN told me to STOP. Put his food in his dish- give him 15 minutes to eat- then pick it up. Do not give it back to him until next feeding time. He did "hold out" and missed a few meals but trust me after a day or so he ate. A dog will not starve himself- when they are hungry enough they will eat. It's our nature to worry about them- and I tried EVERYTHING to get him to eat- he had ME trained! ;-) He quickly learned to eat when his bowl was placed down or he would go hungry. It worked. He still never had a strong food motivation though until we got Murphy. Now they both eat with gusto- there's some healthy competition. Gabe knows Murphy will eat his food if he doesn't so he gobbles it up before that can happen. You could always get another dog ;-)

 

[Thule's Mom]

I had these problems with Sunshine for 8 years. It wasn't until I put her on Orijen 6 fish that she gobbled down every meal. When Rosie came along in May, well she won't turn down anything now. She actually barks at mealtime & does a little happy dance. Perhaps Moe needs a friend :lol:

Same story here... for three years I went through the same sort of stuff you're going thru, I tried EVERY premium kibble available to me (and even some not so premium ones) since putting her on Orijen 6Fish I haven't had a bit of trouble... I was flabbergasted when I put down a bowl of dry Orijen 6Fish and my girl wrapped her paws around the bowl and gobbled it down....(I took a picture)! she'd NEVER eaten kibble that wasn't dressed up before. Now, I can feed her little bits of my food and she will still go back to her Orijen. Believe me - I FEEL your pain!!!! :sunflower::sunflower:

 

[newfy]

Mickey was the same until we got Merlin,
then I guess he figured if he did not eat his food,
Merlin would help himself to it & he would wind up with nothing!!
If they are hungry, they will eat; no babying around here!
Around here if they don't eat means they are sick, then it is
possibly a trip to the vet.

 

[suzsmile]

I was used to Labs, who eat anything as quick as possible and will stuff themselves, so Maddie's eating habits made us nervous. Some days she eats one meal per day, but is fine with it and is keeping her weight up. We put her food (Verus kibble mixed with 1/2 can of Instinct chicken) down and if she has not eaten in 15 minutes, we pick it up and put it in the refrigerator. She usually will finish it at the next meal. For obedience classes, Maddie was not food motivated, unless I had cut up turkey, chicken or ham and that only worked for half a class and then she just quit and laid down.

 

[Alicia]

I agree with Jess...he has you trained and although it is hard you will probably have to let him skip a few meals to realize if he doesn't eat what's there he will go hungry. It really does work unless there is something medically wrong. Believe me, having a picky Newf here as well Rocky lost out on many a meal for a week or two BUT he finally understands that if he doesn't eat it when served we will take the bowl away till the next mealtime. I repeated over and over during this frustrating time, "a dog WILL NOT starve himself, a dog WILL NOT starve himself...." Good luck!

 

[Honey Bear]

I had the very same problem with Bindi. (I was hand feeding her my dinner at times) LOL!
So I finally just got tough. I would put her bowl down and if she didn't eat her meal in 30 minutes, she just had to skip it until the next feeding time.
She got the message loud and clear and started to eat every meal.
I also don't think she was too crazy about the sockeye salmon, so I mix in roasted chicken (just a little bit) she enjoys the flavor.
Good Luck

 

[SarahZ]

Part of the problem too is that I'm trying to feed him twice a day. Since he didn't eat dinner last night, he ate 1 cup of food with a tin of sardines for lunch today. If he has too much for lunch then I think he gets really much pickier about his dinner.
Ronnie, he does like raw, alot. Every other night he gets either a ham shank bone or a lamb shank bone for dessert (he always has room for dessert) and he eats them right up, sometimes he leaves a little nub otherwise he eats it entirely. I used to buy him Stella and Chewies raw freeze dried patties, but then the same thing happens where I have to keep adding more and more of the patties to get him too eat, and the pickyness escalates.
A while back I brought home a small (sample-sized?) bag of Orijen from Seattle and he loved it. There is no one close to us here who carries it. It would be a 2hr drive to get it, at the closest. I have thought about Orijen alot, and I would really like to feed him that. I am concerned about the availability, if places run out. It might be easier now that I'm not working because I have more time to travel to get it. I talked to a lady who owns a store right over the line in PA and she was looking into carrying Orijen, and that would be great. I haven't seen it there as of yet.
Heeheehee, yes, if Moe-Moe had a friend, he might be a better eater!
I've been discussing that with Andy. I should tell Andy that then I wouldn't have to hand feed Moe, that's a good angle to go with! :LMAO:

 

[lacey9875]

Sarah,

Maggie refuses to believe that her brother (well, half brother!) is the problem. Obviously, he is deserving of such special treatment. Or wants a friend. :bear:

And really, it's just like kids. After they figure out you won't let them eat chicken nuggets every night, they'll eat something.

And we need to see pictures of Moe to determine if you should hand feed him both meals, or just one.

 

[victoria1140]

Jessie my gsd is a picky eater, she's not even bothered if I put Orijen down in front of her. I found that adding some tripe to her food helped tremendously. We have started giving her a raw meal every other day now and I know she would love to go raw but for now she gets what she gets

 

[BluwaterNewfs]

Sarah -
I hate to say this but you have created this problem but letting Moe get away with the picky eating. You don't say how old he is or whether he is neutered or in tack. Unless there is medical issue, I would not hand feed or cater to this behavior.

In tack males many times not eat if there is a bitch in season somewhere in the area. It may be a bitch you don't know about. A healthy male will not let himself starve to point of getting sick. They usually will pine away in lust also or some other behavior. That being said, I don't think this is your problem from what you describe.

When I feed my dogs, their food gets put down for them. They then have 15 - 20 minutes to eat. If they are still eating at after the time has elapse, I let them continue to eat. If the time has elapsed and if they have not eaten, the bowl gets picked up and put in the fridge for the next meal. They get no treats of any kind. At the next meal they are given the bowl again. Many times they eat because they are hungry. Sometimes it takes a few more times. They learn to eat what is given and when it is given. I don't add goodies to get them to eat. I have done with 12 or 13 dogs over the years. I do not have finicky eaters.

While another dog will bring in competition for food it may or may not solve the problem. Moe could decide let the one have it. Several of my dogs will back away and let one of the others eat their food while one will not and will start to growl at the invader. A new dog in the house always gets fed separately, as do puppies.

 

[Angela]

There is only ONE reason I will hand feed a dog, that is when they are very sick, probably on their last legs.

Nicholas was the only one out of 10 dogs I've owned that could be fussy at times and I reckon that is because he is intact and maybe there is a bitch in season somewhere within 5 miles of us!!

Like others have said, put it down, if he doesn't eat it within 15 mins take it up again. They won't starve themselves. Also, maybe you are supplementing with too many snacks.

Mine are fed at 8am and then any time after 4pm depending on what we are doing. Twice a week they only have one meal a day.

Hate to tell you this but I think he is spoilt:lol::lol:

 

[Tricia2]

My dog would like to make a reservation for dinner at your fine establishment...she'd like a hand tatted 100% ring spun egyptian cotton tablecloth. Oh...and she thinks she looks better in candlelight, so if you REALLY need to see your way to her chaise, please no more than 15 watt bulbs in the chandelier.

Dogs have very few taste buds (that's how they can eat roadkill and other gross stuff that makes us gaack.) They have an amazing sense of smell, so if HRM prefers eau du ocean, give his kibble a couple of squirts of cold pressed salmon oil and a cup or so of hot water...let it sit at room temperature for a bit to cool and serve.

If he turns his nose up at it after 15 minutes....pick it up...cover it and stick it in the fridge. That's it....no snackies...no bones...no hand peeled grape tomatoes...DONE! Next meal....take it from the fridge...let it come to room temp...serve...repeat until he eats it.....you'll be surprised how quickly his appetite will improve.

We have a bones only day once or twice a week, too. No one starves.

 

[noblenewf]

My dog would like to make a reservation for dinner at your fine establishment...she'd like a hand tatted 100% ring spun egyptian cotton tablecloth. Oh...and she thinks she looks better in candlelight, so if you REALLY need to see your way to her chaise, please no more than 15 watt bulbs in the chandelier.

Dogs have very few taste buds (that's how they can eat roadkill and other gross stuff that makes us gaack.) They have an amazing sense of smell, so if HRM prefers eau du ocean, give his kibble a couple of squirts of cold pressed salmon oil and a cup or so of hot water...let it sit at room temperature for a bit to cool and serve.

If he turns his nose up at it after 15 minutes....pick it up...cover it and stick it in the fridge. That's it....no snackies...no bones...no hand peeled grape tomatoes...DONE! Next meal....take it from the fridge...let it come to room temp...serve...repeat until he eats it.....you'll be surprised how quickly his appetite will improve.

We have a bones only day once or twice a week, too. No one starves.

:!rolling::!rolling::!rolling:Tricia you crack me up girl!!

 

[SarahZ]

My dog would like to make a reservation for dinner at your fine establishment...she'd like a hand tatted 100% ring spun egyptian cotton tablecloth. Oh...and she thinks she looks better in candlelight, so if you REALLY need to see your way to her chaise, please no more than 15 watt bulbs in the chandelier.

Dogs have very few taste buds (that's how they can eat roadkill and other gross stuff that makes us gaack.) They have an amazing sense of smell, so if HRM prefers eau du ocean, give his kibble a couple of squirts of cold pressed salmon oil and a cup or so of hot water...let it sit at room temperature for a bit to cool and serve.

If he turns his nose up at it after 15 minutes....pick it up...cover it and stick it in the fridge. That's it....no snackies...no bones...no hand peeled grape tomatoes...DONE! Next meal....take it from the fridge...let it come to room temp...serve...repeat until he eats it.....you'll be surprised how quickly his appetite will improve.

We have a bones only day once or twice a week, too. No one starves.

:goofy: :lol:

Ok, I realize this is my doing. LOL!
Tricia, Moe will only eat certain brands of salmon oil (the ones I have to buy online), most of them he sniffs and runs away to hide under the dining room table! Same with the wheat germ oil if it isn't super fresh.

 

[Tricia2]

Sarah, just poking fun at Moe's super discriminating palate. I guess growing up one of six children in the age of "eat what's on your plate or go to bed hungry" gives me a different perspective.

But then again, having given LuLu her favorite turkey pepperoni and sting cheese roll-ups to get her to work on opening the fridge by pulling on a dish towel today, I can hardly fault you for your culinary concoctions. I'm trying to improve her service dog skills...but I too may be creating a monster.

 

[Wayne A]

I agree when he gets hungry enough he will be glad to eat.
I just hope it's not your couch.LOL

 

[SarahZ]

My mom's motto was "eat it anyway!"

But that face...its' just too sweet and those innocent eyes, they plead for something tasty.