You feed your dog the most nutritious and tasty food you can buy, and he simply sniffs at it. If this sounds familiar you may have a finicky dog!

It’s important you don’t fall for some common mistakes and make things worse for yourself. Frequently, the problem of finicky eating in dogs isn’t caused by their behaviour, but ours.

Don’t offer too much variety

You may think your dog wants or needs variety in his diet. In truth, he will happily eat the same food every day for the rest of his life – provided, of course, it is a tasty nutritious meal. Remember, your dog is descended from opportunistic hunters that were accustomed to getting whatever they could get whenever they could get it. Dogs are not finicky eaters by nature.

If you’ve tried giving him several different foods to ‘see what he liked’ you may have given the impression that he can hold out for something better. If you’re opening multiple cans of food and trying to coax your dog into eating something every meal, then your dog has got you trained.

No table scraps! And no snacks between meals

Feeding your dog scraps from the table can worsen finicky behaviour. Your dog will learn to avoid eating in the hope of getting more exciting food than what’s in his bowl. Table scraps do not make up a balanced, nutritious meal and they are often high in salt, fat and protein. This can lead to obesity and other serious health conditions in the long term.

Avoid treating between mealtimes, at least until he goes back to his regular food. There are so many other ways to treat your pet. Choose to play a quick game of “fetch” or give your dog a nice cuddle or brush rather than reaching for a titbit.

Dogs are natural born beggars. Do not give in to his pleas no matter how adorable he looks.

Fixed mealtimes

Let your dog know what is expected of him during a mealtime. You may want to relocate his feeding place somewhere quiet where there are minimum distractions and no other pets.

It’s best to feed your dog at two fixed times in the day, preferably breakfast and dinner. Put out his food for half an hour and leave him in the area alone. If he doesn’t eat it, take it away. When it’s time for your dog’s next meal, put out his food and again take it away after half an hour. Do not feed anything until the next mealtime. It may sound cruel, but don’t worry, your dog won’t fall ill if he refuses to eat for a day or two. You may have to endure some complaining, but this technique is very effective in stopping finicky eating behaviour.

Create some hunger

Increase your dog’s activity level a little. This should help to generate a little more enthusiasm for mealtimes.

Gradual change

If you’re changing your dog’s diet you should always do it gradually. Start mixing in a bit of the new food with the old food, gradually increasing the amount of the new food as you reduce the amount of the old food. This will be very helpful in getting your dog used to the new food and avoid a hunger strike or tummy upset. If you’re switching from wet food to dry food, try mixing in a bit of warm water with the dry food.

If your dog just suddenly becomes finicky after not previously displaying this kind of behaviour, he may be suffering from something else. Watch out for vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy or loss of weight and don’t hesitate to take your dog to the vet if you think he’s ill.