Eating habits

[Guest]

My Cairn, Tiger, is 14 mo. We've tried different foods and he is very fussy, When he stands at he food , he head bobs from side to side and circles his dish. He then sticks his snout in his water bowl to push water into his food bowl. And he still doesn't eat. He only eats when he is hand fed. He probably is 5 lbs. overweight as well. What should we do?

[Posey]

Les, we have a Cairn 10 months old. Nicky is picky. How much is my responsiblity, I guess all of it. He was so little when we bought him home. That I cooked eggs, turkey bacon, chicken, turkey, home made soup etc. for him. Now he is smart enough to get "tired" with what I cook

for him-and looks at me as if to say-"what else can you cook for me?" O yes, and the hand-feeding I've that situation too! See, if you hand feed them; its kind of like you are making them feel like you are giving them special alpha treatment in your "pack". Nicky goes over and looks at his daddy, (my husband) and whines just when he starts to eat-Nicky is a

great believer in PUPPY POWER. I have three different kinds of dry puppy food in the cabinet right now, the best I can buy in htis area. He

just sniffs it and walks away from it. Tried every kind of canned dog food that I can find. Same thing. I would like to get myself out of this situation

I have created but how?

Posey

[Guest]

At first we had that problem too. But then the puppy misbehaved. Instead of mixing oatmeal with his breakfast, I told him that he's going to eat just dogfood (kibbles) because he's a dog.

Suppertime, he gets chicken and sweet potatoes along with his kibbles. But he has to wait for the extras. Now he will wait patiently for me to fix his dinner (I leave the room for 10 minutes while I fill his kong ball with chicken bits.

In order for him to get the chicken out, he has to roll the ball with his nose. Every so often a bit of food will fall out. Afterwards, he has to wait until I finish my own dinner to get the rest of his. I mix extra chicken in his kibble bowl. and I also add sweet potatoe slivers. Eventually he not only finishes the good food, he polishes off all the kibble in his bowl.

His absolutely favorite food is either american or cottage cheese. And when I want him to "come" in an emergency, I don't say come, I say "Cheese!"

[Melanie]

Wow, Max (10mnths) eats science diet small puppy bites. I started out by treating him and he started to do the same mopey attitude towards his food. I now only treat him while we obedience train, and he eats every bit of his "dog" food up every day. I am a firm believer, if they get hungry enough, they will eat what is put in front of them. They don't like us to know that though. :wink:

[Guest]

Rebel eats purina one puppy but I mix a teaspoon of non fat cottage cheese in with it and he eats it up He doesn't get any table food only dog food and when he is really good or when he goes in his crate he gets biscuits!

The vet suggested the cottage cheese for a friend who had a picky eater and I tried it and it works wonderful.

[Guest]

Yesterday at the pet store, I was concerned that Wes wanted to eat whatever he found on the street-

She suggested that I mix people food in with his dogfood, so he would better discriminate what was good.

also, I read where "doggy smell" comes from an inadequate diet. Wes smelled like that before I added people food to his dinner.

Who knows!