LACK OF APPETITE

Question
I GOT A 4 MONTH BASSET HOUND FOR XMAS ...HE SEEMED SCRAWNY BUT FIGURING HE SHARED A CAGE WITH OTHER PUPS I THOUGHT THAT MAY BE WHY. HE IS NOW 6 MONTHS OLD AND IS STILL VERY PICKY AND DOESNT SEEM TO WANT TO EAT MUCH...
C'MON ...HOUNDS..THEY LOVE TO EAT...
HE HAS ONLY GAINED 3 POUNDS SINCE I HAVE HAD HIM AND STILL LOOKS SCRAWNY...
HE IS HAPPY..PLAYFUL AND LOVING...
I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL HOUNDS OVER THE YEARS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH A SCRAWNY ..PICKY EATER OF A HOUND...
HE HAS HAD ALL SHOTS AND BEEN DE-WORMED..
I HATE TO FORCE FEED...I EVEN AM BRIBING WITH HUMAN FOOD...
ANY ADVICE??

Answer
Hello, Have you tryed a high end food such as Purina pro plan/Technical, Authority/Nutro/Seicence diet anything without by products? some dogs like lamb some like chicken some like turkey or beef its a bit of trial and error thing when getting a dog to eat a single food on a daily basis. He should still be on puppy foods so do try pupy foods in the above mentioned brands...you can change him to adult food at 10/12 months. Try soaking the dry food or adding some dog gravy to it and stirring so he doesnt only lick the gravy off and leave it, Also I have noticed when teh dish is elft down all teh time the dog will ignore it mostly, so I'd came up with a shedual I use for my three dogs, I crate them for 30 minutes in the mornings with half there daily portion of dry kibble, after 30 minutes I coem back let them outsdie and collect there dishes and any left over food goes back in there food bins, at 3.40/4.00 pm they get crated again for 30 mintues and I rept the same proceder with the food whats left gets picked up adn they dont get another emal until morning...it took them only 5/7 days to learn that tehy will need to eat when its offered if they want to have a full stomach....try this with a high quaility puppy food two or three times daily....you cant be in the room when hes penned or he will ignore the food adn cry to get to yuo lol, best of luck.