Is your dog not eating? How and what to feed a fussy dog

Your fussy dog’s eating habits 

The most important thing you need to know is that your dog needs to feel safe when eating, with no prying eyes, in a relaxed mealtime environment.

When we react with worry to the first meal they refuse, your dog, depending on their character, will either then present with anxiety around mealtimes or learn to manipulate you, especially when we start to offer alternatives or extra treats to compensate.

The natural feeding method 

This method is simple. It works for all healthy dogs, young and old. It takes into account your dog’s natural canine language and allows them to eat as nature intended. 

Say goodbye to fussy dogs forever with this natural feeding method. 

 How it works 

1. Close all doors in the room you normally feed your dog, as you don’t want any distractions
2. Take a moment to breathe and get into a calm mental state as your dog can easily pick up on your anxiety 
3. Take your dog’s food from the fridge
4. Prepare the food in their bowl. Some dogs may prefer eating from a flat board, as it provides clear vision, which helps them to relax and enjoy their food in safety with 360 vision
5. Place the food down
6. There is no need to ask your dog to sit as this can stress your dog and make them fussy
7. If your dog moves their food to another location, consider popping their food there next time, as they are telling you they feel safer eating there
8. Step away and sit down with your back towards your dog. Occupy yourself by reading a book
9. Remove the food when your dog appears in front of you

Why it works 

When it comes to mealtimes, your dog is wired to quietly survey the area. They want to make sure that they are safe whilst devouring their prized meal.

If another dog makes eye contact, they’re sending out a challenge for that resource. Watching a dog eat could result in them gulping their food as fast as possible, becoming aggressive/possessive, or it could make them back off and not eat.

To ensure your dog is happy and relaxed whilst eating, give them personal space and turn your back. By doing this, you’re showing behaviour that neither challenges or intimidates whilst eating a meal or chewing on a treat.

Learn more about how to feed a dog.  

Temporary feeding methods and tips 

These temporary methods are tailored to different personalities and may help you phase in the natural feeding method.

Only start with these if you have been trying the natural feeding method for 2 weeks.

The methods below should be used temporarily (no longer than 1 week) and phased out until your dog follows the natural feeding method every time.

1. The enhanced natural feeding method

Drizzle some warm bone broth onto your dog’s food –  it’s irresistible to your four-legged friend.

If you don’t have bone broth, you can drizzle a little warm water over the meal, to bring out the aromas, while also benefiting dogs who like food a little warmer than room temperature.

2. The nosework method

Dogs see the world through their noses and this approach requires fabulous nose and brain work. Find out more about enrichment for dogs.

• Take your dog’s food out of the fridge
• Place it in their bowl or feeding board
• Place on a higher surface where your dog can’t reach it. Your dog will be able to smell its aroma, which will hopefully get the salivary glands working
• After a minute or 2 place the food in their feeding spot
• Walk away so they can eat without being watched 

3. The enrichment method 

This is another method for dogs who love to work for their food. Ensure your dog finds this enriching as opposed to frustrating, by avoiding making it too difficult.

1. Hide a toy e.g., a hoof or a kong stuffed with their food and encourage your dog to hunt for it. Once they’ve found the toy, leave your dog to eat
2. Stuff a hollow buffalo horn with some of their meal. (For a longer, special mealtime in hotter weather, freeze the stuffed horn for a few hours)

4. The reduced portion method 

Placing a full meal down for a dog who has lost their appetite can be overwhelming for them, and could lead them to walking away from it. Instead, consider: 

1. Halfing their normal portion e.g, if they have 300g a day, half would be 150g a day
2. Split this reduced amount by the number of meals they have a day e.g. 75g for breakfast and 75g for dinner
3. Place down your dog’s bowl in their normal feeding spot
4. Walk away so they can eat without prying eyes
5. Give them more food if they seem like they want more
6. Or, if they walk away without touching it, calmly pick up their food, cover it and pop it back in the fridge, and try again later

When your dog is eating everything you put down for them, start increasing their food amount, doing it slowly so they don’t be overwhelmed. 

5. The calm and relaxed method 

Dogs can pick up your anxiety and if you feel stressed around mealtimes, this could fuel their own anxiety around eating. To control your own anxiety, consider: 

1. Taking a few minutes to yourself before your dog’s mealtime
2. Practice some deep breathing or positive thinking
3. Prepare your dog’s meal and place it in their feeding spot
4. Walk away
5. If they don’t touch it, pick it up, cover it, and replace it in the fridge for later
6. Remind yourself that it’s OK they didn’t eat it, you can try again later

6. The introducing raw food method 

New food can be a stress for some dogs. To reduce the anxiety, use this 5 day method to make the move over to raw, adding in raw and reducing their original food as each day goes by.

Each day, the proportion of raw food will increase and their previous food will decrease. For example:

• Mix ⅛ daily ration of raw into usual food on day one meals
• Increase to ¼ meal to raw on day 2
• Increase to ½ of meal to raw on day 3
• Increase to ¾ of meal to raw on day 4
• Feed a full raw meal on day 5

Remember to use the natural feeding method for a dog not eating their food to ensure your dog feels confident to eat, as well as being relaxed and happy.

Other tips to help fussy dogs eat their meals 

As well as trying these methods, you can also consider: 

1. If you’re giving too many treats:  Treats should make up no more than 10% of your dog’s daily food intake. As feeding too many, reduces your dog’s appetite so they aren’t hungry for their meals. Another issue of overfeeding treats is your dog could lack the important nutrients that comes from their food
2. If you’re overfeeding them for their lifestage: When puppies are young and growing fast they need between 4% to 10% of their body weight as raw food. As they approach adulthood, this reduces to 2% to 3% of their body weight. Check the amount you’re feeding is in the correct range for your dog’s life stage.. Our dog feeding calculator, gives an estimate on the daily food amount, if you’re not sure. Likewise, as dogs get older their appetite can change as they’re not exercising as much. Environmental temperatures also impact appetite i.e., when it’s hot, dogs tend to be less active so they aren’t as hungry 

Why raw is the best food for fussy dogs 

Raw dog food is designed to match what your dog has evolved to eat; high quality meat, calcium rich bone, select veg, and berries for their antioxidant benefits and healthy fats.

The best food for fussy dogs will be free from fillers and unnecessary ingredients which your best friend cannot digest.

A wide variety of protein options will keep your fussy dog interested and the tantalising smell of meat will be too much for your dog to resist! Like grass-fed beef, grass-fed lamb, duck, higher welfare turkey, chicken, sustainable salmon, and sustainable fish.