Is your dog a difficult eater? 8 tips that will help!

Almost all dogs are very fond of their food and attack immediately when you put down the food bowl. These dogs are not picky at all and will eat almost anything they are presented with. However, this does not apply to all dogs. There is also a group that is less interested in food, maybe your four-legged friend too? Read here 8 tips that work.

Tip 1 - Give structure

Dogs, like us humans, are creatures of habit; structure is important. Provide fixed feeding times (to the extent possible) and stick to them as much as possible. In addition, make sure the food is not available all day, but put it down for a specific time. Has your dog still not eaten the kibble after this time? Then take the fodder away again.

You can do this as follows:

• You fill the food bowl with the food for your faithful four-legged friend and put it down. You leave the food bowl for 15 to 30 minutes. You give your dog quiet time to eat.
• After these 15 to 30 minutes, you check if your dog has eaten from the food. When your dog does not engage with the food, you remove the feeder again.
• Now you wait until the next feeding time. Only then do you put the food down again for 15 to 30 minutes. Your dog will realize that he is called a certain time access to his food and will start eating faster than if he has access to his food all day.

Tip 2 - Create a peaceful spot to eat

Take a good look at the area where your dog gets his food. It is important that this is a quiet place without too many stimuli. If a dog gets his food in a busy space, it can cause stress. Dogs that are stressed are less likely to eat than dogs that are feeling well. Look at yourself, too. When you are not feeling well you are less likely to eat.

Stress, of course, can also occur in another situation. For example, when there has been a big change in the house, your four-legged friend may suffer from stress. Here you can think of a new housemate or a new object. Let your four-legged friend get used to major changes in his living environment slowly; this will reduce the amount of stress.

Tip 3 - Do not give the dog attention whilst eating

Often we worry when our dog won't eat and give him extra attention to encourage him to eat. Some dogs will do anything to get (extra) attention. If your dog leaves his food, try not to give him extra attention. This may have the opposite effect. If your dog realizes that he will get extra attention if he does not eat, he may abandon his food bowl more often. Put the food bowl in front of your dog and let him eat it quietly.

Tip 4 - Make the food irresistible

Sometimes it is necessary to make your dog's food smell even stronger so that your dog becomes interested. You can do this, for example, by mixing warm water through the kibble. The warm water makes the kibble smell stronger. The stronger the food smells, the more a dog is encouraged to eat. When you give your dog canned food you can heat it a little bit. A stronger smell is released this way as well, making your dog more likely to eat.

Tip 5 - Do not give to many snacks nor human food

There is nothing more fun than spoiling your dog with snacks, bones or table scraps. However, we often fail to realize that by doing so, we can cause picky behavior in our dogs.

If your dog is given too many snacks or bones, he may lose interest in his food. In some cases, dogs get so many snacks that they are simply no longer hungry. In that case, try cutting down on the rewards you give your four-legged friend.

If you do sometimes give your dog table scraps, it is best to stop this. First of all, our food is not always suitable for dogs. Sometimes it is even toxic. If you regularly spoil your dog with table scraps, you can cause selective eating behavior. Your dog may abandon his own food because he knows he will get a "better offer" later. After all, if you had to choose between a pastry or a bowl of vegetables, the choice is easily made. It is no different for our faithful four-legged friends.

Tip 6 - Change in the right way to different dog food

When switching from one food to another, it is important that you do so gradually. By doing so, you can reduce the chances of gastrointestinal problems. If your dog has ever experienced gastrointestinal and/or intestinal problems during the switch, chances are that he will refuse to eat the food. This is because your dog associates the food with the stomach and/or intestinal problems. In our article Switching to other dog food, how do you do that? you can read how best to switch to other dog food. 

Tip 7 - Wet food as the ultimate solution

Some dogs really refuse to eat kibble. The only way to get these dogs to eat is to add wetfood. However, there is also a downside to this. Once your dog gets used to wet food, he may lose interest in kibble. Often he will no longer want to eat kibble at all without you adding canned food. So do this only when no other method works! In addition, we recommend that you do not mix fresh meat with extruded (crunchy) kibble. This can have unpleasant consequences and result in gastrointestinal problems.

Tip 8 - Get in contact with the vet

If your dog suddenly refuses to eat or has not eaten anything for more than two days, it is important to contact your veterinarian. It could be that your dog refuses to eat because the animal is in pain, sick or not feeling well. The veterinarian can then look at causes with you and rule out any medical conditions.

Note: With puppies, it is important to raise the alarm sooner if they stop eating at all. If your puppy has not eaten for 24 hours, contact your veterinarian.

Dog food for difficult eaters

Always choose dog food with a high content of high-quality meat. This will make the food a lot more appealing to your faithful four-legged friend. In addition, it is important that the meat is of good quality. Better meat means more animal protein that will also make the food more appealing.

If your dog is very picky, you can try the Riverwood Scottish Salmon variety. These kibble have a very strong smell, making them irresistible to many dogs.

If your dog really doesn't want to eat kibble, you can also take a look at Mono-Proteïne canned food. This food has a 70% meat content which provides a delicious taste.

Lots of dogs already enjoy Riverwood every day. Would you also like your dog to feast on our delicious foods and are you curious which variety would suit your dog best? Then answer a few questions here and order an inexpensive sample pack right away.