Mistake 1: Beg and Plead
Think about it. Your dog turns her nose up at kibble, so you cajole her – coax and plead and beg until she eats.
In some cases, this actually backfires because you’re so annoying that mealtime becomes a dreaded event!
In other cases, the pleading works – but now you’ve taught your dog to wait until you beg and give her attention so she can eat.
Try letting your dog eat alone, in peace. Perhaps feed her while you’re reading a book nearby. If she doesn’t eat after 10-15 minutes, put the food away without fuss. Try again in an hour or so but use the same food – don’t make it tastier. If she still doesn’t eat, try again the next mealtime.
Mistake 2: Sweeten the Pot (too much)
The other tactic people often try is to make the meals a bit tastier. Sure, this makes sense – if your dog hates the boring, crunchy kibble, it makes sense to make their food better. I support this! But only to a point.
However, be careful not to change flavor-enhancements every few days. If your dog stops eating after you’ve added some bacon dust or chicken broth, don’t just add more tastiness!
Constantly improving your dog’s food teaches your pup that waiting and refusing food will make better food appear.
But be sure to pick a meal improvement (I like the Stella and Chewy’s Dinner Dust) that’s sustainable for you. Make it easy and quick so you can keep it up long-term.
And again, if your pup stops eating or turns her nose up at the food, simply put it away after 10-15 minuets and try again once more in an hour.
Keep an eye on your dog’s health and weight; if she’s truly losing weight and starving herself, talk to your vet right away!
Is Hand Feeding a Dog Bad?
But hand feeding a dog all the time might simply not be practical. So anytime your dog stops eating voluntarily from their bowl, its important to schedule a veterinary exam to rule out any medical problems.