German Shepard eating problem

Question
We have a eight month old male neutered shepard who since birth has been a
real problem getting him to eat "except" when we briefly took in a foster dog.
When we had a foster dog KIRBY our shepard would eat the foster dogs food
and would also eat his food so the foster dog would not have anything to eat.
However when we found a home for the foster dog the eating problem started
again. We have had a small fortune spent on blood tests and xrays and
everything is fine. Kirby is a working dog for search and rescue and gets no
less then five miles of walking/running everyday rain or shine. We have tried
every-type of commercial dog food canned and dry. We tried raw diet, fish
etc. the only thing he will nibble a little on is cooked chicken. Kirby is one of
the smartest dogs we have ever had and we must find help to get him to eat.
any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. We will be getting another dog
after i recover from a pending cervical fusion surgery and Kirby needs to eat
now.

Answer
You know I have a  young shepherd about the same age who is a problem eater too. One of the things you need to remember IS how smart they are. The more attention you give them about eating the more they will continue to try you. Have you tried just putting his food down for thirty minutes every morning and evening? At the end of thirty minutes pick it up and say nothing, just put it away. No treats no nothing until the next meal time in the evening. No goodies in the food, just plain food. Don't spend time babying him or trying to get him to eat (if you are doing that now). Within a week that should work and he should eat. You can also try some b complex vitamins. Usually that will spark their appetite. Try mixing some unsalted chicken broth in with his food if you MUST add something to it, but nothing else. He WILL not starve himself to death unless there is something your vet is missing. And I would think not under the circumstances. Sometimes witholding food and treats for a whole day before beginning feeding again will also help.
Let me know how he does
Cindi