How To Get Your Small Dog To Eat Grown Up Dog Food

Let’s face it: as lovable as our dogs generally are, it can be frustrating when they occasionally become finicky and hard to please when it comes to their food.

What will be quickly gobbled up one day may well be met with a disapproving sniff the next, and oftentimes there is no way to determine what makes a particular food well received and one rejected outright.

While all types of dogs can exhibit this particular behavior, this article will focus on how to get smaller dogs to eat their food. Some of these tips may work for other types of dogs as well though, so feel free to try them out for yourself.

The first thing that you can do is to try out a few different dog foods. This can be expensive but it is a one-time thing and hopefully out of a few choices, you will find one that your dog will like.

Canned food in general is better received than dry dog food. This is probably because canned food has some moisture content in it, making it easier for smaller dogs to swallow and digest.

Try mixing in some of the newer food that you are trying to get your dog to eat with some of the food that he has previously been accustomed to. A good balance is 20% new food with 80% old food, gradually increasing the ratio to include more new food over the course of a few weeks. If your dog starts to reject the combination, back off and go back to the ratio that he previously tolerated.

Try incorporating the new dry dog food into your dog’s daily activities. Maybe you can carry some in your pocket as treats–or rewards for a job well done. This will have the effect of getting your dog familiar with its taste, smell and texture.

Finally, unless your dog has a serious health issue, it is highly unlikely that they would refuse to eat any available food to the point of starving to death. That being the case, be prepared to wait it out for as long as possible, no matter how hard it is for you to see your precious pet hungry.

Of course you should make sure that there is nothing physically wrong with your dog, but once you have gotten the possibility of any health concerns out of the way, the best thing for you to do is wait.

Just keep reminding yourself that it is for your dog’s own good in the long run.