Cavalier Puppy Finicky Eater

[Darcy&Zoe]

Hi everyone

Hoping you can help. I have a 5.5 month old pure bred cavalier king charles spaniel (she was the smallest in her litter). She is a gorgeous girl and we are besotted but her poor eating is driving me insane! She is so fussy. Since we got her at 8 weeks old, I have continued her on raw (which the breeder fed her) which she would only eat if handfed so I gradually introduced her to tucker time and royal canin biscuits which she would eat if I hand feed her or out of a kong toy (this is what my other dog eats), and then on tin food which she would finally eat out of her plate. She seemed settled on tin food but decided she would only eat duck flavour (so unfortunately wouldn't consistently eat premium tin food). She seems to go off her food when she is given treats for her obedience training classes (cooked sausages or chicken balls) ... she has a good appetite for each of these. She will eat Advance puppy biscuits out of my other dog's bowl (he often drops some food down for her as his bowl is up higher) and when he has finished she stands up and eats what is left (but if I put it in her bowl she wont touch it).

How do I break this habit of being so finicky with her food? I certainly dont see it as appropriate to handfeed her each meal nor feed her sausages or cooked chook each meal either. She currently weighs 5.2kg and had a vet check weeks ago, in which he confirmed she is a healthy girl with good coverage (but is petite). Oh, she also is funny about eating out of a bowl, it took ages to get her to do so ... she now eats out of a flat plastic bowl. I do give her nutrigel to increase her appetite.

(This is not my first dog (although first cavie) and I have never had a fussy dog before.)

Anyone got any advice?

[Sandra777]

She's a good weight, happy, active and healthy. There isn't a problem :)

Swap part of her normal food for her "junk food" training treats (for low-reward situations, keep something special for jackpot moments!)

Keep to a strict policy of ten-fifteen minutes to eat then all food in the house is removed until the next meal time. This means no training treats (except for normal food) no little tit-bits, no snacks, nothing.

Does she eat better if she's alone? If so, separate her. Sometimes dogs who aren't really very hungry in the first place are easily distracted.

[Darcy&Zoe]

Thanks Sandra777

If she is really hungry, the other dog being around makes no difference. If she is feeling indifferent to eating (which is common) she will hang around near the other dog waiting for biscuits to be dropped down and when Darcy is finished, Zoe will stand up to his bowl to eat his left over biscuits. After that she often asks to go outside. She often doesn't want her breakfast until 11-11.30am which I find odd. The 2 dogs' bowls are quite some distance apart and tbh she doesn't have a consistent spot her for food bowl other than somewhere I can see her (coz she often will look at it, walk away, and then if I ignore her but put the bowl in my line of vision, she will come back to it later).

I have tried swapping some training treats for normal food, but all she doe is eat the training treats and leave the rest

I haven't tried giving her only 15 minutes to eat and then taking the bowl away though. I will give that a shot.

Thanks again for your help.

[Sandra777]

I have tried swapping some training treats for normal food, but all she doe is eat the training treats and leave the rest

Then don't give her the training treats as a reward if she doesn't want the normal food as a reward. A pat, a game or a good old fashion "good girl" will be sufficient reward for a simple training situation.

She doesn't get a choice of what to eat - you control the situation.

I would prevent her scavenging from the other dogs bowl - she needs to learn that you control the food supply, not her or the other dog.

[Darcy&Zoe]

yep today I fed the other dog whilst she was outside so no opportunity for her to share his food. I always thought having the other dog around her would encourage her to eat, but I think I trained him to leave her bowl alone too well lol

At formal training lessons, they use food rewards so not sure how to get around that. Funnily she is very food orientated at training classes.

[Dogsfevr]

yep today I fed the other dog whilst she was outside so no opportunity for her to share his food. I always thought having the other dog around her would encourage her to eat, but I think I trained him to leave her bowl alone too well lol

At formal training lessons, they use food rewards so not sure how to get around that. Funnily she is very food orientated at training classes.

Not always ,depending how some pups are raised fitting for food can mean some pups just simply stand back & wait.Some free scavenger style so the dog have to go in & survive .

Some Cavs can be very fussy ,i had one of those who took 6 months to get into good eating regime & he hated an audience ,He was placed away ,10 no eat no food ,sink or swim (he was healthy & no issues ).

Don't feed at the same time & don't feed if she isn't looking for food .

I also never feed a fussy eater a full bowl ,i would sooner they eat the small amount & where rewarded than teaching them to turn away from there bowl .

Her size is actually more correct for a Cav to many are far to big & solid .

[Gretel]

Next time you're at the vet ask them to check her throat just to rule out tonsillitis.

[Darcy&Zoe]

Her size is actually more correct for a Cav to many are far to big & solid .

thank you, I am glad to hear she is the correct size. Most places I go with her I get told she is tiny which made me worry even more. But she is putting on weight steadily.

Ok I will try less on her plate and wait for her to ask for food. 10 minutes to eat her dinner.

Thanks also Gretel, she was checked recently by her vet and was told she is in good health. but if she continues to refuse her normal food, I will get her throat re-checked and her teeth too (she seems to take a while to chew crunchy things ... not sure if that is a small dog thing).

[Sandra777]

At formal training lessons, they use food rewards so not sure how to get around that. Funnily she is very food orientated at training classes.

Two issues here. If she's food motivated in class then no big deal there - use her normal food for most rewards and the junk food for a big event :-) If she refuses her normal food as a reward at class well the trainers should be clued up enough to "allow" you to do the best thing for your dog and use an alternate reward when it's for her long term benefit.

If she isn't food motivated at home to take her normal food as a reward then also no big deal because you use something else that does motivate her - not the treats though.

Edited June 24, 2014 by Sandra777

[VizslaMomma]

Her size is actually more correct for a Cav to many are far to big & solid .

thank you, I am glad to hear she is the correct size. Most places I go with her I get told she is tiny which made me worry even more. But she is putting on weight steadily.

That's encouraging for you. dont be put off by 'outsiders' ever saying your dog is too thin/small.

We had the reverse with the Aunty's CKCS. She was allowed to graze all day ( and most of the night). One very fat dog, sadly. Aunty used say but she does not eat much, and trip over the plate of goodies left out.

[persephone]

if she will eat while training ... then do lots of short training at home - and forget the food bowl/mealtime thing ! ;)

[Leah82]

maybe try feeding your dogs on either side of a baby gate? I found this helped with our poodle x (although she was rescue). This will stop her stealing from the other dogs bowl and if she want to eat she can clearly see that she has to eat out of her own bowl and like you said there is an aspect of encouragement but not because there is a fear their food will be taken by the other dog. And as others have suggested leave the food down for 15 mins and pick it up.

Also I think consistency helps, I would be feeding them in the same place each time so they become familiar with their eating spot.

[Dogsfevr]

We won't feed in the same spot if the dog can be a food refusal problem,setting up feed time is all about success not consistent failure.

Many people feed the same spot,the same time & its like a routine & in turn the dogs routine becomes no & no .

I am not one to pander to fussy eaters BUT i will feed within reason a way that fosters success,I will not hand feed under any circumstances (we will if recovering from serious illness or its a life or death scenario) because it makes life hard if anything happens for people to help .

I have a dog here that wouldn't eat would go days ,no biggie if he wants his food he had 5 mins.

We have no feed time here ,dogs get feed when ever it works in BUT he was a dog that ate like a horse late evening,not my preferred time but he would eat everything in 5 mins so i adapted to this time to get a successful eating habit established,4 months later he will eat anytime in any place ,if decides to have a day without then tough luck .

Our dogs get feed all over the place ,feed time is rather exciting its about the unknown but our dogs are five minute hoovers 99% of the time.

Ideal weight for Cavs is between 5.4 to 8 kg as per the breed standard ,

Maybe because you feel she is tiny you are making more out of it & feed time is stressful for her as well .

Funnily enough some dogs do hate there bowls ,some metal ones can zap the dogs or there tags hit the bowl making a strange noise .

Although if she is food driven at training she isn't a finicky eater ,a true fussy eater is a total nightmare & doesn't eat full stop but yours does .

You could try adding warm water to her food & see if that makes any difference.

Is the raw the same food the breeder used & what has the breeder said about her finicky ways or suggestions have they given ?

[Darcy&Zoe]

We won't feed in the same spot if the dog can be a food refusal problem,setting up feed time is all about success not consistent failure.

Many people feed the same spot,the same time & its like a routine & in turn the dogs routine becomes no & no .

I am not one to pander to fussy eaters BUT i will feed within reason a way that fosters success,I will not hand feed under any circumstances (we will if recovering from serious illness or its a life or death scenario) because it makes life hard if anything happens for people to help .

I have a dog here that wouldn't eat would go days ,no biggie if he wants his food he had 5 mins.

We have no feed time here ,dogs get feed when ever it works in BUT he was a dog that ate like a horse late evening,not my preferred time but he would eat everything in 5 mins so i adapted to this time to get a successful eating habit established,4 months later he will eat anytime in any place ,if decides to have a day without then tough luck .

Our dogs get feed all over the place ,feed time is rather exciting its about the unknown but our dogs are five minute hoovers 99% of the time.

Ideal weight for Cavs is between 5.4 to 8 kg as per the breed standard ,

Maybe because you feel she is tiny you are making more out of it & feed time is stressful for her as well .

Funnily enough some dogs do hate there bowls ,some metal ones can zap the dogs or there tags hit the bowl making a strange noise .

Although if she is food driven at training she isn't a finicky eater ,a true fussy eater is a total nightmare & doesn't eat full stop but yours does .

You could try adding warm water to her food & see if that makes any difference.

Is the raw the same food the breeder used & what has the breeder said about her finicky ways or suggestions have they given ?

I think you may be right that I am making too much of it, she is gaining weight steadily and the vet has confirmed she is healthy. I think I am just used to bigger dogs and dogs that eat whatever is put down LOL I have just thrown her a raw chicken wing (she refused breakfast) which she is really getting into, so perhaps this is her preferred food .... who knows. I have added water to her biscuits and even microwaved them which she liked the first day but not the second. I think her eating schedule is quite different to most too; she seems to like breakfast at 11.30 and then dinner somewhere around 4.30pm (I dont tend to have a tight schedule for meals but this seems to be when she is hungry). I was feeding her what the breeder had her on but she was reluctant to eat it. Breeder has been very helpful but just thought others might be able to offer a different perspective.

[JessicaM]

If she isn't eating her food when you give it to her let her starve... sounds cruel but a dog wont let its self starve. By making a big deal about this and buying all sorts of food which she gets to 'pick' what she eats you have made her even more fussy and selective.

Offer her food if she doesn't eat it (try her in a separate room or whatever) take it away and feed her 12 hours later with NO treats and LET HER GO HUNGRY. If she weighs a good amount and has a considerable amount of weight on her, you have nothing to loose but her not being so fussy.

Ive had 2 papillons be fussy and decided not to eat, I tried buying them expensive kibble, raw meat, cooked meat what ever they wanted... only made them worse.

My girl didn't eat for 3 days, then she decided whatever I gave her was going to be her last meal haha. I only fed her once a day.

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[DobieMum]

Try swapping food, to another high quality brand. My dogs were on Royal Canin and were really Meh on eating it, they could take it or leave it. Yet for treats they would do anything. I finally swapped them over to a different brand and they're now wolfing it down.

[Darcy&Zoe]

Zoe is a petite girl and was the runt of her litter ... I guess that made me more aware of her eating habits than I would of been normally.

I am doing as much reading as I can on raw feeding as she eats raw chicken necks really enthusiastically. She seems to enjoy raw chicken wings too, although not as much as the necks. Cant help wonder if this is her preferred diet ... really I dont mind what she wants to eat, just as long as she does eat!

[Jed]

There are 2 kinds of Cavaliers. The greedy, and the picky. Yours is probably a picky one. She may have tonsilitis. Get her checked. Her weight etc looks fine to me.

If she checks out ok, get her onto something regular - raw, as the breeder fed her, is fine. Try to ensure she has some variety over a week or so. And most cavaliers love chicken necks.

She may have a preference, and you will discover that in time. Put the food down, leave it for 15 minutes, and then remove it. Keep the other dog away. If she doesn't eat it, nothing else. She should be having 2 or 3 small meals a day at 5.5 months, in my opinion.

Don't keep swapping the food. You have more chance of her eating raw on a regular basis (the voice of experience). Sometimes they love a little liver or heart - but not every day. If she is gaining weight and is healthy, all is well. Remember their stomachs are about the size of a mandarin.

Many cavs are too large. She sounds about right

[VizslaMomma]

Totally gorgeous, Jed

[Darcy&Zoe]

There are 2 kinds of Cavaliers. The greedy, and the picky. Yours is probably a picky one. She may have tonsilitis. Get her checked. Her weight etc looks fine to me.

If she checks out ok, get her onto something regular - raw, as the breeder fed her, is fine. Try to ensure she has some variety over a week or so. And most cavaliers love chicken necks.

She may have a preference, and you will discover that in time. Put the food down, leave it for 15 minutes, and then remove it. Keep the other dog away. If she doesn't eat it, nothing else. She should be having 2 or 3 small meals a day at 5.5 months, in my opinion.

Don't keep swapping the food. You have more chance of her eating raw on a regular basis (the voice of experience). Sometimes they love a little liver or heart - but not every day. If she is gaining weight and is healthy, all is well. Remember their stomachs are about the size of a mandarin.

Many cavs are too large. She sounds about right

Thank you so much for your feedback Jed. You can probably tell she is my first cav

She was vet checked recently in regard to her finicky eating and the vet gave her a clean bill of health.

I think I am worrying unnecessarily tbh as she is gaining weight and vet confirmed she is healthy :D

Jed, what age do cavs reach their adult size?

And your cav is beautiful :D

Edited June 28, 2014 by Darcy&Zoe