dillon is picky.

Question
My dog Dillon is 4 years old. He sniffs dry dog food and walks away. Should I add anything extra to it? My parents and I feed him Wegmans Bruiser complete nutrition. What do you suggest I do?

Answer

Hi Nicole,

Many times during the warmer months dogs just don't feel like eating as much, which is okay. Many people eat less when it's hot too. If your dog's problem is that he always is picky, or if you or other family members have gotten into the habit of giving him food options when he refuses his dog food, then you need to stop giving him food options.

There's a popular saying amongst dog trainers: "finicky eaters aren't born, they're made". That's because a dog is a natural scavenger, and not a naturally picky eater. Most finicky eaters have learned that if they wait long enough, their owner (who may act anxious about the dog not eating) will "give in" and add something tasty to the meal, or even give the dog something "better". Many owners of finicky eaters become fixated on their dogs' eating habits which has the effect of making these habits get worse and worse.

Be sure not to hover over your dog, or try to cajoling him to eat by adding special treats. A finicky eater's owner, in the majority of cases, uses unintentional negative training to cement poor eating habits with their dogs. Unintentional, obviously because they did not set out to train their pup to become a finicky eater. Negative, in the reinforcements that the dog perceives (hovering, whining, adding treats) increases the problem.

Here's how to fix this problem. At meal times, place your dog's regular food down without fanfare or added treats. Ignore your  dog, and let him eat. This means no hovering over the dog to encourage him to eat. It might be helpful if you left the room to allow your dog eat in peace. Your dog might well just sniff at it and walk away, since he knows he can hold out for something better. Give him 15 minutes to eat, and then pick up the bowl, and meal time is over... even if he didn't eat, or only ate some of the food. Repeat this process at the next scheduled mealtime, with no in between meal snacks.
During this time period when your dog is being re-trained to eat his dog food, it would be helpful to increase his daily exercise. This will help to give him a better appetite at mealtime, though it's almost guaranteed that he'll turn up his food for a day or two. Don't back down! It's not uncommon for a dog who's used to holding out for something better to refuse to eat for a few days. It's truly a battle of wills, but if you stick to your guns, your dog will learn just to eat what's served - when it's served! Healthy and emotionally stable dogs do not intentionally starve themselves, so don't worry about a missed meal or two.

When a dog has learned to become a finicky eater then a "tough love" program with food only at mealtimes will quickly teach the dog that there is no benefit in finicky eating.

Wegmans Bruiser complete nutrition diet has corn as the primary ingredient listed on the package. A dog's food should have a named meat source (such as Chicken, Beef, Lamb, etc) and not simply "meat" listed on the package as the first, or primary ingredient. So, there are better dog foods you could choose, though you many of these better quality dog foods can't be found at a supermarket. You'd need to look for them at larger pet stores or feed stores.

You can read about what to look for in a quality dog food here:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=betterproducts

You can compare dog foods by the ingredients they contain here:
http://www.naturapet.com/tools/comparison.asp

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti