My GSD is a fussy eater! Any advice? - Page 1

Hi all my GSD is a very bad eater. She's is on Arden Grange dry complete at the moment. I'm just wondering if there's any advice on this situation?

Many Thanks

if her weight is ok give a starve day once a week 

works for me:)

Dogs don't eat from two reasons. They are either not hungry (so many people over feed their dog) or they do not feel well. Assuming your dog is well, put down her food for five minutes. If she has not eaten it, take it away and do not give it to her again until the next time for feeding. No treats or snacks in between. Also, watch how much you are feeding. Try cutting it back by at least one 4th when she does eat.

I don't know this food, but a slight possibility is that the dog does not really like the food you feed. Put down a small sample of two or three foods when she has not eaten in some time and see which food she eats first.

I have many GSDs here. If I put a bowl down, it is gone in a minute. If not, I know the dog is ill. Too many people spoil their dogs and over feed, and/or feed too many other things.

Yep, as someone who has been there done it and got the T-shirt.

GSD's are manipulative little so and so's.  Put the meal down, give her 5 minutes and take away all that has not been eaten.  DO NOT attempt to tamper with, bribe or anything else.  At the next scheduled feeding time do the same again, and again and again.  She is perfectly able to got for 7 days or possibly more without food, just make sure she has 24/7 access to water.

I will say that mine do better on Royal Canin than Arden Grange, and the food appears to have a slightly different consistency.  I've also been told that you can microwave it for 30 seconds to moisten it and this makes it more appetising.

Just remember you are not alone, so many people have been through this.  Also make sure you feed her after yourself, make sure she see's you eat, then put down her bowl.  Even if you get yourself a mug of coffee and a biscuit - it helps promote her place in your pack.  Many dogs see their place and as its normal for a pack leader to eat first.

What age of a dog? If over a year, don't give any food once a week, don't make feeding a rutine, change times around don't let her anticipate when her next meal is. (stop changing food around, I don't know if this is your problem but I noticed that people that have picky eaters usually change food around a lot). Drop a plate on the floor for 15 minuts, than take it away she will not eat it that's it for that day. Most dogs will not starve themself :) good luck.

oh and i meant to add NO titbits lol

All of mine are good eaters as well.  I used to do the once a week fast and now the only time that happens is when we get home really late or something.   They practically want to linch me if I try it now!  LOL

The girls will eat anything....anywhere basically.  The boy can be a bit more "picky" but that's only when my one girl is in season.

"Dogs don't eat from two reasons."

The third reason is that she just hates the food. Either it is not tasty enough or she associates eating it with indigestion.

You can try being firm and let her starve a bit, but please do not believe that this will work. Some dogs will be too thin to be healthy if they do not get the food they find tasty enough, or good enough for digestive comfort.

If an AFFCO feed trial fails, it is more likely that the dogs do not eat enough of the food, than because of the absolute low nutritional value of the food if it is consumed enough.

Never saw or heard of a healthy dog starve itself to death. GSD's are notoriously picky eaters compared to other breeds. There is no way I would ever keep switching foods or adding gravies,etc to tempt their appetites.  I can almost guarantee you that a change in food will not be permanent as the dog will eventually tire of the new stuff and you are back to square one wringing your hands and looking for something new and different. When a dog is hungry, it will eat sawdust unless there is an underlying physical issue. Or feed 2 dogs from the same dish.

I love my dogs, do almost anything I can to keep them happy but I  refuse to coddle a picky eater.

I agree skipping a meal might not hurt once in a while.

I disagree with not wanting to add a little variety to the food once in a while.   I get bored with what I eat sometime's.

It's not like  your adding sugar or chocolate syrup, something harmful.   Add an egg, a little left over bacon grease, just a little.  

I add canned salmon or the liquid drained out of a can of tuna fish, sometime's a piece of cheese.   There are so many thing's some people throw away that might spice up a dog's life.     Heaven forbid table scrap's from time to time, if it's something the dog will benifit from, like veggie's, meat, a touch of gravy.

Sometime's picky eater's are getting more than they want or need, hot weather will throw them off their feed sometime's.

Lack of excersice.

And sometime's it's our fault ......................... bad feeding habit's early on.

Good luck, the dog wont starve.