problem finicky eater - Page 3

As long as there is no health problems don't give in our you will have a picky eater for life. GSDs are very smart and therefore can be manipulative. If healthy, they will not starve. Provide plenty of water and keep with the leaving the bowl for 15-20 min. Don't act stressed or agitated. I knew a dog that waited out the owner for 5 days-then devoured the food and never had another "picky eater" problem again.

The hard part is for us, "waiting the dog" out.

I've always had a hard time only feeding my dog on the track!  I could be more vigilant with it, if I were to track more often. 

    .i've had finicky eaters...put food down  ..wait five seconds...if not eating...pick up and feed next day..same thing..repeat daily until the message is clear.. you don't eat quickly it's gone..the last dog i had to do this to ..now  is eating the food as it is being placed on the floor....be firm..it is for their good...now pups ..you do the same but not as severe..

Some just won't be forced to eat food they don't like.

I got my girl GSD as a 6-month old pup. She was fed raw by the breeder until then. She was about 63 pounds at six months.

Now at 3 years old she is 68 pounds, still a small bit thin. She would look her best at 70 even I think. She has medium-heavy frame for a female, 24 inches even at the shoulders. 

I now know that:

She prefer high meat protein high fat food.

she like her food fresh so I put her food in the freezer until the day before.

I slightly poach whole chicken, chop up to small pieces and add to the best high animal protein high fat kibble, no corn soy wheat or other grain, only rice.

after two days or so i did same thing like removing food away.

one time she stayed for 24hrs and keep nagging behind me whole evening maybe asking me to give her varieties or something but i didn't provide nothing. once she smell and didn't eat i took it after 5mins or so.

after 24hrs. she ate like crazy and now been few days if she see me coming from inside if she ate only half she runs to her bowl and finishes all. now she thinks once the bowl is gone it wouldn't come back.

but one or two time she is still doing like eating 80% of food and leaving that's fine now i'm just taking away. i'll do this and seems its working for me.

thanks all.

In my experience a finicky eater is most often that way because they are being overfed unless the dog is sick.  I am assuming your dog is not sick.  So how does she look?  65 pounds is a normal weight for and adult female German Shepherd.  I have several dogs and have always had success keeping my dogs at a normal weight.  I do feed raw and have fed raw for 9 years.  I never go by directions as they are just a starting point.  I know a lot of people get hung up wanting a set portion....X cups per day or whatever.   Some dogs just like some people naturally require more or less calories even when they weigh the same.  When I determine what to feed my dogs, I look at the dog first and if they look good I feed them the same amount I fed yesterday.  If they look a little tubby, then I reduce the amount of food and likewise if they are looking skinny I up it a bit.  If a dog didn't finish what I gave it the day before then I reduce the amount in half the next time.  My dogs' appetite fluctuates with seasons and their activity level.  I really feel like I am constantly tweaking the portions I feed my dogs but it still goes back to what I originally said....how does your dog look?  I don't know how long you have fed raw but I promise you that with raw the amount you will feed will fluctuate over time.  Your girl may have just peeked after all the growth she being a puppy.  If she looks good and has normal energy she is just telling you to cut back.

In my experience a finicky eater is most often that way because they are being overfed unless the dog is sick.  I am assuming your dog is not sick.  So how does she look?  65 pounds is a normal weight for and adult female German Shepherd.  I have several dogs and have always had success keeping my dogs at a normal weight.  I do feed raw and have fed raw for 9 years.  I never go by directions as they are just a starting point.  I know a lot of people get hung up wanting a set portion....X cups per day or whatever.   Some dogs just like some people naturally require more or less calories even when they weigh the same.  When I determine what to feed my dogs, I look at the dog first and if they look good I feed them the same amount I fed yesterday.  If they look a little tubby, then I reduce the amount of food and likewise if they are looking skinny I up it a bit.  If a dog didn't finish what I gave it the day before then I reduce the amount in half the next time.  My dogs' appetite fluctuates with seasons and their activity level.  I really feel like I am constantly tweaking the portions I feed my dogs but it still goes back to what I originally said....how does your dog look?  I don't know how long you have fed raw but I promise you that with raw the amount you will feed will fluctuate over time.  Your girl may have just peeked after all the growth she being a puppy.  If she looks good and has normal energy she is just telling you to cut back.