How do you make your dog eat his food?

Question

well i just got my dog a week ago he is 1 year old and since we didnt have any dog food to give him yet my mom usually fed him chicken and beef so then we decided to buy him dog food i bought him iams(yes i know it sucks) but just wondering how do you make your dog eat a new kind of food when he been eating something else

Answer 1

Make sure he is not eating to much p**p. I knw that sounds gross but I had the eating prob with my new pup & I also have 2 large dogs came to find out she was eating so much p**p she wasnt hungry.Prob is she preferred the p**p.I sprayed it to make it taste like "@#$%" but come on lets think about that.I just have to keep ontop of pickup.

Answer 2

Only offer him the food you want him to eat.  That's it.  No treats.  If he doesn't eat it within 30 minutes, pick it up, and offer it to him again at the next meal time.  Pick it up again if he doesn't eat.  Don't worry, he won't let himself starve.

As a side note, yeah, that food really does suck.  

Answer 3

Well now that you've gotten him used to human food, putting him on straight dry food is tough.  Before you put him on Iams (they do animal testing you know, you'd be better off with a different brand if you are going for cheap try Science Diet) anyway before putting him on Iams clean his system out first, with three days of nothing but white rice that way when you start him on the Iams he won't get diarrhea.

In order to get him to "like" or eat the dry try mixing in some wet dog food with his dry, it makes it tastier.

If he does get diarrhea, feed him a couple of scoops of 100% pure canned pumpkin (not pie filling) pumpkin stops diarrhea in dogs very quickly.

Answer 4

T0 avoid digestive upset, mix the new with the old, about a quarter of the new at first, then moving up after a day or two to fifty per cent, and so on.  I, personally, would not have gone with Iams--I never found it all that wonderful, myself.  Let me suggest Purina's One or something of the like.  I've been feeding my animals Purina forever, and never had a less than healthy animal.

If the problem is 'people food' versus dog food, just mix in a little of his preferred human food to a regular dosage of dog food.  He may resist at first, but hunger is a wonderful motivator.

Answer 5

try giving him a better quality food or switch the food because it is bad and he might not like it. You can also mix in gravy or little pieces of beef with the food. Then gradually give him less and less, until he is just eating the food. I also mix warm water with my dogs dry food, so you can do that also.

Answer 6

Um, first of all beef is very bad for dogs; it messes with the liver and stuff.

Well this may not work but go buy some beneful wet dog food, and mix that with the dry food.  That way he will be used to the wet food already and since its mixed he can get some of the dry food and gradually start to get used to it.  Start giving him less and less wet food with the dry food overtime.

Answer 7

Try soaking it in hot water to bring out the flavour, let it cool and then sprinkle some of his hard kibble on top.  He may have got used to the chicken and the beef and I don't blame him for turning up his nose at dry kibble after a week of that.

To start him eating his meals you could perhaps add just a forkful of canned dog food to make it a little more palatable for him.

Answer 8

Feed him by hand. Like take your hand and pick up the food and give it to him and let him eat out of your hand.  

Answer 9

My dog wouldn't eat either until my mom came up with this:

Mix 1 tablespoon of Cesar (the wet dog food, variety of flavors) per 1 cup of dog food. Add 1 tablespoon of water. Mix all together, then microwave it for 10 seconds & mix it again. Works like a charm...

If he's being really stubborn get the Iam's topper (its like gravy) its only $2 lasts forever and you just mix a few drops in the food also for some flavor.

The microwave thing works wonders though, I swear!

Answer 10

A food change, in an ideal situation, should be gradual to avoid any digestive upset.

Otherwise, put the food down for 20 minutes, twice a day.  Whatever isn't eaten gets picked up and no more food until next feeding time.

He'll eat what you give him if you don't give him any other options.

Answer 11

Ok does your dog like to eat a certain treat mash it up and show it to him and show him you put it in his or her food

Or put chicken or beef in his food and do the same technic by showing him.

If that doesnt work put a small amount of water in the food if that doesnt work microwave it with the water for 15 seconds.GOOD LUCK  

Answer 12

Why did your Mom go out and get a dog without being prepared with food and other necessities?  Irresponsible!  Also, why would you buy him Iams if you know it sucks??????

The only way to get him to eat the new food would be to mix the chicken and/or beef you've been feeding him with it.  

Answer 13

Well maybe you should mix a little chicken or beef in with the iams until he eats it on his own.

Answer 14

Feed him by hand. Don't force him to eat it either. Our dog just eats when she wants to.

Answer 15

Try mixing it with plain yogurt.  They love it and it's good for their stomachs so he shouldn't get sick from the switch.

Answer 16

get him the mushy food!