What to Do When a Dog Is Picky Eater
Dog
What to Do When a Dog Is Picky Eater?
Besides not eating well or being selective, some dogs show picky eating behavior: that is, dogs eat furiously when they encounter food they like but refuse to eat anything they dislike. This is dog picky eating.
1. Causes of Dog Picky Eating
1. Smell: A dog's sense of smell is 6 to 60 times more sensitive than a human's. Dogs judge food based on its smell – if it smells single, stale, or strange, they dislike it and of course won't eat it; when they meet fresh meat they like, they eat it ravenously.
2. Taste: Dogs have a strong ability to distinguish meat flavors and can remember many types of meat tastes; after comparison, they won't eat food they think is unpleasant.
3. Texture: Dogs have preferences for the food texture while chewing, such as sour, spicy, or bitter tastes being unpalatable, so of course they won't eat those.
4. Frequent diet changes: When a dog's diet is unstable and keeps changing, dogs easily eat only "meat" and refuse "vegetables."
2. Correction of Picky Eating
1. Change indulgence towards the dog: Do not always allow the dog to choose foods it loves or even feed by hand.
2. Appropriate hunger: Reduce the feeding frequency to create some hunger. Under the condition of ensuring water intake, fasting for 1 to 2 days will encourage the dog to eat normally.
3. Add foods the dog likes: Mix a very small amount of foods the dog likes into the disliked food. But this should be occasional, not every time.
4. Fixed time and quantity: Establish a fixed feeding schedule and quantity for the dog. If the dog is picky or does not eat well, remove the food after half an hour.
5. Feed fewer snacks: Try not to give any snacks during the correction period. Also, normally, snacks should be given in controlled amounts.
6. Regular feeding: During correction, do not easily change feeding food or switch food types.
To correct dog picky eating, owners should rally all family members to unify thoughts, wording, and actions. Persist for more than a week, never "surrender" because of the dog's pitiful eyes!
