My poodle is a picky eater

Question
Hello,
  I have miniature poodle, about a year old and he is the pickiest eater! I will buy him a new dog food almost every week. At first he will eat for a day or two and then he won't have anything to do with it. We have tried just about every kind of food! Since he won't eat his dog food, sometimes we have to cook food just for him, like an egg or some ham in the mornings. I really want him to eat his dog food though and hate giving him scraps.. So my question is what can I do to get my dog to eat his dog food??
Thank you,
bethany

Answer
Hello Bethany,
Sorry it took so long getting back to you.  This is my Fair week for my County and I work out there for one of the participants.  I am crazy busy this week but will be back to answering questions on 8/2/1010

Your dog is just being typical of a dog that knows what it wants and will do what it needs to, to get it.  Your dog wants tasty human food and doesn't want to eat its dog food so it waits until you think that your poor baby isn't eating so you give him what he wants.  
What you need to do instead is to put his food down for him and if he decides not to eat it, then he goes hungry until he Will eat it.  You can try adding a little chicken broth to the food, but thats all.  If he doesn't eat for 3 days, keep putting it out there and eventually he will get hungry enough that he will eat.  Praise him when he eats his food and let him know that that is what you want him to do.  You can even give him a special dinner now and then, maybe where you cook something for him or put something really nice on his food, but make it no more than once a week.  That way he doesn't get dependant on eating the good stuff all the time.  

Give this a try and see who gives out first.  I just went through this with my dog.  He didn't want to eat his dry food because I had been giving him special food to make him eat more.  He got to where he didn't want to eat anything unless it was very special.  If I would have kept up, he would have had me feeding him shrimp and T-bone steak rather than his plain ole food.  I laid the bowl down with his food in it and said "All Right Cajun, Here is your food and if you eat it great and if you don't, you will get hungry soon enough".  It may sound mean, but they are the ones choosing not to eat.  When they are hungry and their food is sitting right there for them, they will come over and eat some.  

Give it a try and if you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask me.  I will be back to answering questions on the 2nd of August.    

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim