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Permalink Reply by Dragster and Bailee on February 7, 2010 at 3:03am

I would chose a food and keep it for a few months to see if she likes it eventually because changing the food a lot will sometimes cause them to get sick. I would try a food with some yogurt in it. My corgi has stomach problems so he eats good in his kibble every day. He loves it and it is good for him! this might make her more inclined to eat. Dragster, my corgi loves peach yogurt. I feed him Activia because it helps with digestion. I also feed Dragster Eukanueba, they have some for puppies up till one year and then a certain kind for after. Dragster prefers the puppy sized bites. Good luck, i hope that helps!

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Permalink Reply by Dragster and Bailee on February 7, 2010 at 3:04am

"he eats yogurt in his kibble every day" is what i meant.

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on February 7, 2010 at 8:50am

Yes, I agree pick one food and feed it.I always gave my pups yogurt in their food 1 time per day. If she doesn't eat the 2nd meal she'll be hungry in the am. How much are you feeding her? Do you give treats? All of the brands you have sound fine!

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Permalink Reply by Cindi on February 7, 2010 at 8:57am

Pick one food and stay with it. Doggie's sensitive stomachs generally don't do well swapping foods. It can upset their stomachs, and this might be a reason your pup is not eating. And I know this is a no-no, but I've used just a touch of the Iams gravy when I absolutely have to get them to eat. Not much and a small enough amount I have no difficulty backing it off. Also, Pet Botanics has a good "soft" food. Comes in rolls. We call it puppy crack in our house. A couple of bits of it makes anything better. But remember to use small amounts. Leave your food down for 20-25 minutes. Give the pup a few minutes, alone, to eat. Remove what's left until next feeding.

The next thing to consider is, are you feeding too much? At 7 mos, our Harmony (20lbs) is eating around 1.25 cups a day, dividing into 2 feedings. Check how much you're feeding too.

Best of luck...

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Permalink Reply by Meredith and Paisley on February 7, 2010 at 1:14pm

If you are worried about teething being an issue, it often helps to add some warm water to their food and letting it sit for a minute. It makes it mushy and easier to eat, and the warm water brings out all the good smells in the food, making it more appealing.

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Permalink Reply by breanna bellefontaine on February 7, 2010 at 11:54am

maggie did the same thing all the time until about a month ago! (and she is 1.5 yrs old!) I definately recommend the leave it and take it away idea. It was recommended to me, and it seemed to work. We also tried 5-6 brands. We do not use two brands (Nutro Max and The Good Life Recipe). One brand is better, so she gets 1 cup of that and 1/4 cup of the brand she would prefer (but doesn't have the same health benefits.) She seems to be content with that, she eats it right away. I would keep up with the taking her food away if she doesnt eat it, she will learn eventually! But, just a warning, it does take some time. lol

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Permalink Reply by Carla on February 7, 2010 at 1:43pm

Maybe I'm a terrible dog owner, but when Casey was picky with her food when we first got her (at about 3 months), I didn't bother to change the food at all. I left it out for 15-20 minutes and if she didn't eat it, she didn't eat it and I took it away. The way I figured it, when she got hungry enough, she would eat what was put in front of her. And eventually she did.

I will say, however, that she gained an entirely new perspective on food once we started taking a puppy obedience class. After we started the class, I started feeding ALL of her daily kibble in training, so she had to work for every bit of food she got (not just sitting in front of a bowl, but multiple commands). I got a little treat bag (not a plastic baggy, but a cloth bag) and would put all of her food in there. Then we would spend about 15 or 20 minutes doing commands (sit-stay, down-stay, target training, tricks, crate training/games, recalls, leash walking, some basic agility stuff). Not only does she LOVE the training, but she actually has to think about and work for her food (and it was literally ALL of her daily food for weeks upon weeks). On top of having a very well behaved dog, she definitely has a newfound respect for food that she didn't have before. Whereas before she would wander away from her food bowl and pick at her food slowly leaving a lot of it untouched, now, on the odd day when I don't have time to do training, I put the bowl down and she polishes it off in 2-3 minutes.

Perhaps she might find the food more interesting, or have a greater appreciation for it, if she has to work a little for it (as you say, she's a bit more motivated for it when it's in the dispensing ball). She might also enjoy the training and, of course, training is an excellent bond for both you and her.

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