Fussy Dogs - My Thought Ponder For The Day

[Guest donatella]

Are fussy dogs that way because they are brought up like that or do you think sometimes its breed related?

I think a little from column A and a little from column B.

My 2 are fussy. I feed VAN as the main diet but if I buy the same mince (ie kanga) 2 weeks in a row they wont eat it so I need to buy say lamb one week to mix it up. That is my fault I'm sure but when you have a 2kg dog not eating you run into other health problems so I'd rather them eat. They will literally starve and turn their nose up at it.

Are smaller dogs fussier? Toy breeds in general seem to be fussier but again that could be owner related :laugh:

Edited April 30, 2013 by donatella

[RiverStar-Aura]

This is a topic that has actually had me stumped for a long time and I don't know the answer either. I've always assumed that fussy dogs are a product of their upbringing -- ie being pandered and fussed over by their owners. To me, a dog should be such that they'll eat whatever they can whenever they get the chance; such is the nature of a scavenger.

None of my dogs, either current or past pets, have been fussy and will scoff their food with gusto regardless of what it is. Smaller dogs, particularly the toy breeds, might end up being more fussy due to the size of their mouths -- maybe they're more precious about food because their mouths and teeth are smaller?

I definitely believe that some fussy princess dogs are a product of their owners, however, this wouldn't be the case with all dogs. It could also be due to the size of a litter -- a smaller litter of say three pups wouldn't have to fight for a teat whereas a litter of 10 plus, would be a lot of first in best fed. Maybe that has something to do with a dog's need to scoff everything in sight or not.

There's definitely no definitive answer -- well that I can see anyway.

[JulesP]

My thoughts on this are - check there isn't a medical condition.

Amber was fussy from a pup. I used to whinge a bit about it and join in discussions on here. People would say to take her food away after 10 mins and that she wouldn't starve herself. When all the time the poor pup wasn't well. Had the same thing with a cat. Just thought he was just fussy, nope sick.

[Salukifan]

I think that owner behaviour and lack of hunger account for a fair bit of fussiness.

If the dog has not accustomed to eating a given amount of food in a given amount of time then it may not feel inclined to eat.

That doesn't apply to old or sick dogs. And of course, dogs do have particular likes and dislikes, regardless of how hungry they are.

I don't think its all that big a deal for the most part.

[FHRP]

Are fussy dogs that way because they are brought up like that or do you think sometimes its breed related?

I don't think it's necessarily either. I have had extremes in the one breed, my first Vizsla was the biggest food hound around, every meal was eaten with great gusto even if it was the same as he'd had for the past two years. My youngest Vizsla now is the worst eater I've had and alhtough she's improving with age, it's still not uncommon for her not to have a full meal each day. My dogs have been brought up the same way in regards to food and with my current three I have the full range again, a complete guts, one sensible one and the fuss pot. I try not to pander to my dogs in regards to food but will admit when they're looking skinny I do try a few things

However, I've certainly seen fussy dogs that are a result of their over indulging owners. Not uncommon for these dogs to be quite overweight either

[megan_]

Agree with JulesP. Some of the cats that were fed Orijen refused to eat it, but, given it was touted as a premium food, their owners just kept giving it to them so the cat eventually ate it out of hunger. They paid a big price for that.

[~Anne~]

Are fussy dogs that way because they are brought up like that or do you think sometimes its breed related?

I think a little from column A and a little from column B.

My 2 are fussy. I feed VAN as the main diet but if I buy the same mince (ie kanga) 2 weeks in a row they wont eat it so I need to buy say lamb one week to mix it up. That is my fault I'm sure but when you have a 2kg dog not eating you run into other health problems so I'd rather them eat. They will literally starve and turn their nose up at it.

Are smaller dogs fussier? Toy breeds in general seem to be fussier but again that could be owner related :laugh:

Pugs are not fussy by far. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that they were meant to be called pigs but someone made a typo.

[Guest donatella]

Haha! See Anne thats what I mean by breed specific. I wonder if there ever was a fussy pug, or lab?

Mine would never turn down certain foods (chicken wings, ham, scrambled eggs, anything im putting into my mouth at the time) so I'm not sure it's sickness. They are just very particular, don't like the same food week in and out.

[minimax]

Haha! See Anne thats what I mean by breed specific. I wonder if there ever was a fussy pug, or lab?

Mine would never turn down certain foods (chicken wings, ham, scrambled eggs, anything im putting into my mouth at the time) so I'm not sure it's sickness. They are just very particular, don't like the same food week in and out.

Once or twice my pug has refused to eat until his dinner had been put in the "correct spot", but he's big on routine and it wasn't so much about being fussy but that I changed his routine :laugh:

[puglvr]

I have had fussy pug. She is much better now though and since she has been speyed she has actually put on weight.

[dotdashdot]

Most of my customers with fussy dogs who refuse to eat kibble often cook meat/pander to their every need. And in a lot of these cases, they're just giving meat/pasta/veggies and the dog may be missing out on vital nutrients. One thing I've learnt from here is that if you're going to do the RAW diet, you need to be mindful of the dog's needs - especially puppies.

Little dogs do tend to be a bit fussier (just anecdotally) but then again they are more likely to have owners who will cater to their needs (not in all cases, but a fair amount).

[Guest donatella]

My mum has 3 small crosses (2 terriers and a malt/shitzu) and they eat like big dogs. Never turned their nose up at anything, eat whatever's put down, their kibble is supermarket brand.

She wouldn't pander to them though and I wonder if being 3 of them all fed from the same bowl/plate has meant they dont muck around.

[~Anne~]

I have had fussy pug. She is much better now though and since she has been speyed she has actually put on weight.

I also came across a fussy eater in rescue but they were largely few and far between. I love that I can medicate a sick pug with ease. Many times I haven't even tried to hide a tablet and just offered it like a treat and it's been swallowed without a thought. :laugh:

[flame ryder]

I've had my fair share of dogs over my lifetime so far. I have had both large and small breeds. Never had a fussy dog. All of my dogs eat everything off their bowls, then look around for more. And just for the record...I have never had a dog with a weight problem either. But my parents animals are always super fussy. They used to go to extremes like buying chicken fillets and cooking them because according to them that's all their pets would eat. I think it was their fault as they used to be so paranoid about it. They really have no idea when it comes to animals.

[goldenluv]

I have 2 goldens and one will eat what ever is put in his plate

the other is fussy, but the little cocker would eat until she burst :-)

[W Sibs]

Charlie will eat everything but he did not like mixing his food together, eg; he was happy to eat sardine on it's own and the dry on it's own though, but he would have gotten upset if you mixed it together, and that goes with everything. He was such a quirky fella.

Emmy loves her food and never had problem with her.

[Rascalmyshadow]

I have only had two fussy dogs, both poodles, one mini and one standard. Both of them were extremely skinny as young dogs and would only eat the bare minimum.

They are a breed that is known to be selective with their eating habits but I have noticed it seems to be more common in nervous dogs regardless of their breed.

Both of these dogs were quite nervy and clinged to me unlike the rest of the poodles we've owned or rescued.

[julesluvscavs]

I've never owned a dog thats ever been fussy about what ever food i have given them, from my med size heeler x type dogs to our current 3 Cavaliers. Our cats on the other hand do get fussy which I find annoying and frustrating !

[halfthewords]

2 of ours will eat anything that comes in their direction (and I mean anything, even cat poop ). I used to have huge problems with Carl and Mischa both being exceedingly fussy, to the point where they would sometimes not eat for a day or two (I just took the food away if uneaten). Carl would only eat kangaroo mince and even then it wasn't ever certain! Mischa was eating something different each meal and it was driving me up the wall... Until I cut their food intake drastically. They were eating way too much. Instant cure for fussiness! :D They're both happily eating Nature's gift, BARF patties, Royal Canin and Pro Plan at present, as well as Greenies for treats, which they wouldn't touch before.

[Guest donatella]

Mine love those natures gift tins too. But I only buy that kanga and chicken ones.

They won't eat anything that contains rice! Fussy buggers. They lobe pasta though.