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I’ve been raising and training Golden Retrievers for years and while most are pretty good eaters just a few have been picky.
A number of years back Kevin from MyDogLikes put together a blog post covering recommendations on find out how to get a picky Golden Retriever to eat.
Today, I included just a few suggestions of my very own from my experience with picky Goldens.
UPDATE: This post was originally published on MyDogLikes on January twenty fifth, 2017. We recently updated and republished here on PuppyInTraining.com.
Not all Golden Retrievers fit the stereotype of being eating machines.
As a matter of fact, many Goldens are quite picky in terms of their food – even requiring encouragement to eat their every day meals.
So what do you do in case your Golden doesn’t wish to eat his/her food?
Below we’ve compiled our favourite suggestions and tricks that helped encourage our Golden Retriever to get the nutrition that they need.
This includes loads of homemade solutions in addition to just a few products designed only for the duty!
Getting a Picky Golden Retriever to Eat
Narrowing Down the Problem
First things first, you will wish to be sure that there are not any health reasons which could also be causing your dog to lose interest in his food.
Particularly, be careful for sudden changes in your dog’s behavior, weight reduction, or signs of pain.
You might even wish to schedule a visit together with your vet to seek the advice of them on them matter simply to make certain that your dog has a clean bill of health!
Once you are feeling confident that all the pieces is OK physically, chances are you’ll want to think about a distinct brand of food or protein source.
Even in the event you are already feeding a premium food, some dogs will simply have a taste preference.
We’ve got switched up brands of food several times through the years as our boys developed a scarcity of interest in it – even after eating it for years prior!
PRO TIP: Many pet food stores even have a policy that permits you to return open bags of food in case your dog is not going to eat them!
Easy Homemade Solutions
Add Water To Your Dog’s Food
Yes, you read that appropriately!
Simply mixing a little bit of hot water with their food will help to release aromas which may pique your dogs interest.
The puppy program at our guide dog school recently began requiring us so as to add water to our puppy’s kibble.
Dogs have as much as 300 million sensory receptors of their noses. As a comparison, humans have only about 6 million!
Though dogs have an excellent sense of smell not all dog breeds sense of smell is created equal resulting in quite a little bit of variation!
Consider it like this, in the event you’ve ever had a nasty cold and might’t smell, its hard to have a taste for anything!
So while dogs have a higher sense of smell than humans, a lot of kibble is significantly less fragrant than our human food. No wonder they need some encouragement!
When something like kibble mixes with water, tiny particles are dissolved into it.
Through evaporation, these small particles will begin to drift in regards to the air and should grab the eye of your furry friend!
One other good thing about mixing food with water is that it will soften up dry dog kibble. Some dogs don’t just like the crunch of kibble, and like a softer meal!
Heat Your Dog’s Food
Much like the water option, heating up your dogs food helps to extend the aromas it emits.
It’s because the molecules change into excited as heat is added and are in a position to “break away” and float into the air.
10-15 seconds within the microwave in a ceramic or glass bowl is all you’ll need to present this feature a try.
Just be sure that to the touch the food yourself to verify that it just isn’t too hot!
QUICK REMINDER: Don’t put your chrome steel bowls within the microwave. This may be disastrous!
Add Broth To Your Dog’s Food
Adding a little bit of chicken, beef, or vegetable broth to your dogs food is an excellent strategy to encourage your dog to eat.
Just be sure that to decide on one which is low sodium and onion free (onions are toxic to dogs)!
Higher yet, make your personal if you could have the time! A homemade bone stock provides tons of health advantages and you get to manage exactly what’s in it!
Add Some Healthy “Human Food” To Your Dog’s Bowl
- Eggs – These may be raw (in the event you are comfortable with that) or cooked. Just remember to regulate for the additional 70 or so calories that a big egg will add to their meal!
- Yogurt – Not only is it tasty, but yogurt is loaded with the probiotics to assist keep a dogs stomach in balance. Make sure that to keep on with plain – flavored yogurts are packed with sugar that your dog doesn’t need!
- Cottage Cheese-Depending on whether your dog tolerates dairy well, cottage cheese may be a reasonable and high protein addition to your dogs food. Once more, make sure you adjust for calories!
- Fruits and Veggies – Our boys love bananas, carrots, green beans, and apples but there are TONS of great options. Try this list of healthy vegatables and fruits for dogs from our friends at Puppy Leaks for more ideas.
Mixing in a Wet Dog Food
Perhaps your dog just isn’t a giant fan of the consistency or texture of their food.
Mixing in a little bit of wet pet food into their dinner is not going to only create a more enticing meal by increasing the aromas, but it is going to soften the kibble on account of the upper moisture content.
PRO TIP: Your current food likely also has a wet option in the very same flavor so that you simply don’t need to worry about causing stomach upset!
Use Psychology to Create DFOMO
DFOMO – Yeah, we made that up. As an alternative of your standard FOMO. It’s Dog Fear Of Missing Out! Haha!
Consider it or not, some good quaint jealousy can work wonders in grabbing your dogs attention. Everyone wants what they’ll’t (or shouldn’t) have, right?
Try these psychological tricks to see if they alter your dogs attitude in regards to the food they’re getting:
- Pretending to eat it yourself
- “Preparing” it on the stove-top or kitchen counter
- Remove the food after a set period of time if it has not been eaten. In case your dog learns that it just isn’t at all times available they can be more apt to eat up while they’ll.
- Make it a game! There are a lot of easy DIY or able to purchase options! Create a DIY puzzle by putting a few of your dogs food in an empty and clean 2 liter soda bottle with the cap off. It’s also possible to get fancy and buy a pre-made option like a snuffle mat or boredom busting game!
Hand Feeding
If nothing else appears to be working try hand feeding your dog.
It might sound extreme, but in the event you are really frightened that they should not getting the nutrition that they need, it is totally value a try.
Your dog has developed a robust reference to you and desires to please you.
For this reason, they might feel more comfortable taking food directly out of your hand vs. a dog bowl on the ground.
Work with them over time to transition them into eating from their bowl.
Dog Food Toppers and Mixers
Now that now we have taken a have a look at some options that you almost certainly already had at home, lets dive into just a few industrial products designed specifically for this type of thing.
Basics Brands FLAVORS Food Toppers
FLAVORS food toppers are an easy strategy to add some variety to your dogs next meal.
These all natural, grain-free, powdered mixes may be sprinkled directly onto their current food. Better of all?
They are available 5 different varieties including Ocean Fish, Sweet Potato, Chicken, Red Meat, and White Cheddar.
We recently had the prospect to check out these flavor mixers and each boys loved them!
Stella & Chewy’s Meal Mixers
Can you think that of anything that may grab your dog’s attention like raw meat?
Well, Stella & Chewy’s Meal Mixers permit you to give your dog a taste of raw – without the effort.
Meal Mixers consist of 95% nutrient-rich meat, organs and bone, all in a freeze dried form.
This may be added on to your dog’s current food and even served on it’s own.
PRO TIP: Mix it with a little bit of water to release an aroma that your dog won’t have the ability to withstand!
Primal Freeze Dried Raw
One other Raw option in a freeze dried form, Primal’s nuggets are available several different varieties including beef, chicken, pork, and turkey/sardine.
Primal’s freeze dried raw pet food is totally self stable so that you don’t must worry about finding space in your refrigerator.
These large chunks of meat may be crumbled and re-hydrated in a matter of minutes.
While the formulas make for an entire meal in and of themselves, they make for and amazing topper to your dogs current food.
Have you ever ever handled a picky eater?
What techniques have worked for you?
Tell us about your experiences within the comment section below.
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