Teal Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Hi, my 6 month old boxer puppy is really fussy! It's driving me nuts. he seems perfectly happy but looking a bit skinny and just not eating enough, I can't find anything he likes! When we first got him he was on eukanuba puppy kibble with raw egg and Tucker time meat as recommended by his breeder. He didn't like this at all, would sniff it and walk off , may just pick out the meat and leave the kibble unless he was really starving. I persevered with this for About 3 months. Switched to royal canin, mixed with either Tucker time or raw pet mince from the butcher, sometimes with a raw egg sometimes not. He seemed to like this at first then slowly stopped eating it. He will eventually eat it of starving. Then tried home made food of raw pet mince from the butcher, mixed with raw carrots, cooked peas and rice and soemtimes a raw egg. This was similar to the royal canin, liked it for the first couple of days then lost interest. All these things he will eventually eat when there is nothing else but he looks at me like I'm trying to poison him. I want him to enjoy his food! Shamefully, a few times I have bought tins of pedigree when I've run out of decent food and thT's all I've been able to get In an evening and he LOVES it, eats it all instAntly, licks the bowl clean!! I know I can't feed him this rubbish all the time but he seems so stoked after he eats it, does anyone have any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabrador Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Put into his bowl the food that he should be eating. Put the food down and walk away. Return in five minutes and remove the bowl regardless of what is or isn't left. Don't hover or watch him. Dogs do not pick and choose their food in the wild - they have to eat what they can get and this is what dogs are essentially programmed for. Fussy dogs are created by humans. Once he learns that the food goes if he doesn't eat it his behaviour will change. Don't feed him between meals and don't leave food out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teal Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 I've been advised this before however I am out at work all day (puppy goes to my sister in law's to play with her dogs 3 days a week, but is home by himself for 2 days) so if I take his breakfast away in the morning I won't be able to put it down again to try again for the rest of the day till dinner time. Is this ok? I feel horrible, even though most of the time he wouldn't eat it anyway. Would I give him double st dinner time if he has had no breakfast? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serket Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Food goes until the next meal, so not being home isn't a problem. I'd probably start with taking dinner away - that way he might be more likely to learn fast and eat breakfast, otherwise you're leaving a hungry bored puppy home all day and he might be a bit destructive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 What does your sister in law feed him?? I feel horrible, even though most of the time he wouldn't eat it anyway. Just think of fthe other option,going through this for the next 12 yrs. Which variety of Tuckertime do you use?? Has all his puppy teeth come out?? I will work from the other point of view,will he eat his normal meal with tin added?? Personally i wouldnt worry if he will eat his normal meal with tin added.if this gets him in a good food routine you can wean him latter on. I would drop the egg,many dogs dont like them & wont eat a meal with it.For fussy eaters we always suggest sticking to simple basics & teaching them to eat than adding to much & going back to square one What is the pet mince you use??Beef,mixture??? Does he like chicken necks,frames?? Also maybe try the raw mutton from better pets or city farmers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabrador Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I've been advised this before however I am out at work all day (puppy goes to my sister in law's to play with her dogs 3 days a week, but is home by himself for 2 days) so if I take his breakfast away in the morning I won't be able to put it down again to try again for the rest of the day till dinner time. Is this ok? I feel horrible, even though most of the time he wouldn't eat it anyway. Would I give him double st dinner time if he has had no breakfast? It's your concern about his hunger that is causing the problem. It's fine for a dog to go a day or two without eating. You'll find his eating habits change quickly once your behaviour around food changes and his access to food diminishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I've been advised this before however I am out at work all day (puppy goes to my sister in law's to play with her dogs 3 days a week, but is home by himself for 2 days) so if I take his breakfast away in the morning I won't be able to put it down again to try again for the rest of the day till dinner time. Is this ok? I feel horrible, even though most of the time he wouldn't eat it anyway. Would I give him double st dinner time if he has had no breakfast? Dont feel horrible. He's playing you like a fiddle and getting what HE wants when he wants. I would stick to the royal canin, dont keep mixing the foods. Put it down, give him 5 minutes then nothing until dinner. No extra! Just a normal meal size, or miss out. Dogs can go quite a few days without food, but they do need water so keep it up. Also leave the room when he eats dont hover and create anxiety. Be happy, stop worrying he will eat when he's hungry enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 At 6 months he also should be fine on 2 meals a day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I agree- pick a good food, and stick with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravyk Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I've been advised this before however I am out at work all day (puppy goes to my sister in law's to play with her dogs 3 days a week, but is home by himself for 2 days) so if I take his breakfast away in the morning I won't be able to put it down again to try again for the rest of the day till dinner time. Is this ok? I feel horrible, even though most of the time he wouldn't eat it anyway. Would I give him double st dinner time if he has had no breakfast? That is perfectly fine. A healthy dog will not starve itself. I have had a fussy dog who missed out on three meals [breakfast, dinner, breakfast] before she decided she'd eat what I gave her. I felt horrible doing it, but I needed a non-fussy dog as she was costing me quite a lot of money in uneaten dog food. No double dinner, just his normal dinner. I would put the food down for a little longer than 5 minutes, say about 10-15, but thats just how I'd do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TillyandCC Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 We had the same problem with Tilly she would turn her ose up at most dog foods, it was as if I has an extra person as I was making her a meal for dinner with us so she would eat. This got way out of hand so we hunted and asked a few friends what they feed their fussy dogs and most came up with the same answer. Natures Gift tinned and dry food, so we slowly introduced it as it does not have any fillers and the sudden change of food can be disasterous. she is now eating at every meal and the bowl is clean in a matter of minutes. It can't hurt to give it a try they make small trays and the large cans. I get mine in Woolworths, but I have seen it in Coles and our local IGA. Sophie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teal Posted November 19, 2009 Author Share Posted November 19, 2009 Thanks so much for all the feedback. I did consider mixing his royal canon with natures gift, just enough to coat the biscuits so he likes it more, however I've heard such bad things about canned food, i don't wantto be feeding him any crap and risk health problems, particularly as he is a boxer prone to heart disease. Is it bad to feed just a little bit of tinned, say 1/2 can per meal (he is eating twice a day) along with royal canin, and that's it? Should I add rice and vegies too? Any other supplements? I don't think my sister in law is feeding him anything, I guess maybe some treats but I have told her he won't need a meal. Regarding leaving the room when he is eating, I have found if he can't see me he comes after me, he is just not that interested in eating and would rather do something else more fun! So I generally stay in the same room but turn my back to him and not watch him eat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serket Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 royal canin is a balanced diet by itself, I wouldn't add bits and pieces of other things (you're still catering to his fussiness). Maybe once he'll eat the dry food by itself you could introduce some 'special occasion" foods in, but as others have said - he won't starve himself, he's just being fussy and it's working! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra777 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 i don't wantto be feeding him any crap and risk health problems, particularly as he is a boxer prone to heart disease. The heart problems with Boxer's aren't the same as the heart problems in humans AFAIK - dogs don't have cholesterol issues so put that thought out of your head! Is it bad to feed just a little bit of tinned, say 1/2 can per meal (he is eating twice a day) along with royal canin, and that's it? Should I add rice and vegies too? Any other supplements? No it's not bad to add some tinned to his dry food if that's what you want to do. According to the advertising dry food is a complete diet so feeding supplements like extra vitamins and minerals is a very bad idea as it "unbalances" the whole diet. Personally I feed raw, but this is my understanding of the dry food philospy! Dogs don't need carbs so rice is worthless to him. Dogs can't digest vege unless the cell wall has been broken down, so vege unless it's pureed is useless to him. Regarding leaving the room when he is eating, I have found if he can't see me he comes after me, he is just not that interested in eating and would rather do something else more fun! So I generally stay in the same room but turn my back to him and not watch him eat. Put him somewhere he can't follow you - laundry for example. He's only so willing to follow you because he knows that the food will be there when he gets back. If you put him somewhere he has to stay and leave him alone with his food for whatever length of time (I would start with 10 minutes myself, but it's up to you), then you know he has had every chance to eat. He will quickly figure out that he's there to do that job. Healthy dogs don't starve themselves, but I do understand Boxers can be a bit odd with food especially when they're puppies, so you have to be strict and make sure he doesn't train you to feed him on demand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TillyandCC Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Totally agree about the canned foods being full of rubbish, but we have been totally changed with Natures Gift, it is all totally natural with no preservatives or fillers. What it says on the can is in the can. with Tilly we have noticed a big change in her weight and also coat condition. They have dry food and treats as well and it is the same as the tinned all natural. My fav thing about this company is that it is also all Australian. We all need to make sure our babies are getting a well balanced diet that is suitable for them. Sophie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serket Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Totally agree about the canned foods being full of rubbish, but we have been totally changed with Natures Gift, it is all totally natural with no preservatives or fillers. What it says on the can is in the can. with Tilly we have noticed a big change in her weight and also coat condition. They have dry food and treats as well and it is the same as the tinned all natural. My fav thing about this company is that it is also all Australian. We all need to make sure our babies are getting a well balanced diet that is suitable for them. Sophie Not meaning to be rude, but 4 out of your 6 posts are about how fantastic Nature's Gift food is, and you've already posted in this thread recommending it.....sounds like you work for the company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TillyandCC Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 No not at all - just like it as our girl was so very fussy about her food and it is the only thing she will eat apart from the occasional roast chicken. I am new to the list and will only speak about things I have experienced - sorry if it came across like that. Sophie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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