If you’re new to the world of dog parenting, you may had never thought that dogs could be picky eaters as well. Turns out, just like humans, some dogs tend to be naturally selective in their food choices while others can get picky due to health issues, negative associations, and various external factors, like a change in environment, or bad food. [Refer to our post 4 Reasons Why Your Dog is a Picky Eater to learn more about it].
Whatever the reason may be, dealing with a fussy dog isn’t often easy for pet parents. But, don’t fret, here are some simple, but useful tips to get a picky dog eat the food that you give:
· Hold Back on Food – Let Your Dog Get Hungry
This may seem obvious, but a surprisingly large number of pet owners tend to overfeed their dogs. As a doting parent, you may find it hard to ignore those adorable puppy eyes and think an extra treat (or two) wouldn’t hurt. But, you may be unintentionally overfeeding your dog by doing this. Not to mention that it will also ruin his habits.
Hold back on extra food and don’t over treat your dog. Make sure he is getting enough time and play/exercise to digest the food properly. Let your dog get hungry – a hungry dog would eat anything that you give him.
· Don’t Spoil Him with Table Scraps
Stop feeding your pooch with table scraps. It’s hard, but it’s for your own good. By feeding your dog with human food, you’re creating a picky eater yourself. Why would your dog want to eat his food once he develops a taste for delicious human food? So, stop feeding him anything off the table or use human food only as a reward.
· Give Your Dog 15 Minutes to Eat
This technique involves taking away dog’s food after 15 minutes, even if he has not eaten it. Let your dog wait for the next meal. Continue this until the dog eats what you give him; he wouldn’t skip more than two meals at maximum, unless there’s some serious health issue.
This may sound cruel, but you have to get strict sometimes to correct wrong behaviors (just like our parents used to do when we were younger). Also, many dog parents with fussy eaters swear by the effectiveness of this technique.
Make sure to offer fresh food every time; do not use the same old food from previous meal.
The Final Word
Quite often, owners themselves inculcate picky eating behaviors in dogs. We know it can be hard to hold back the urge of pampering your pooch, but you have to be a little strict, especially when it comes to food, or you’ll end up spoiling your pup. If you have already done it, start rectifying them now. Use these simple tips to make a picky dog eat.
