How To Get a Dog To Eat

So you're dog isn't eating or eats selectively? I bet that's why you're reading this... Getting a dog to eat can be difficult at times but with the proper training and tools, they will be on their way to good health.

First off, the reasons why a dog won't eat are important to understand before trying to get them to eat again. As a puppy, they are usually put on one of a kind food and stay on it until transferred to a new owner. If you tried switching foods when you purchased or adopted the puppy or dog, they might not like the feeling it gives them to eat the new food. You should stay on the food that the puppy was fed in the beginning for at least a year. By switching foods, you are changing the nutrients the puppy is used to receiving which gives them horrible stomach aches and diarrhea. Another thing is that when puppies are eating, they are usually really nervous and don't like to eat when they feel endangered. If you just brought the puppy into a new home then it might be stressed out about the move and be scared to eat.

So let's try and get your puppy or dog to eat. These steps are for you to try either separately or in conjunction with each other. Do one at a time though!

1. I have answered the question as to why a dog won't eat, but I am now going to answer how to get a dog to eat. Move the bowl into a more secluded area and purchase a gate to lock the dog into the eating are. Do this every single time you feed the puppy, making the area a bit bigger than the day before until you have the whole house opened up during feeding time.

2. Never feed table scraps to the dog. Feeding table scraps with tons of flavor can cause a dog to not want his or her bland dog food any more. This can really affect me telling you how to get a dog to eat because if you already do this, it may take a while to break the dogs habit. Something you can do is feed the dog their food during your dinner time. This also requires you to eat on a schedule because dogs enjoy doing all their daily tasks on a schedule.

3. Mix water in the food. This is a definite long shot but dog foods, when mixed with water, tend to create a gravy like topping for the food and this sometimes tricks the dog into thinking it is human food. The negative side of this is that a dog could get addicted.

Now that I have told you how to get a dog to eat, you should start implementing these steps immediately...