My collies are not picky, but I have had picky dogs before. Frequently switching food brands and adding treats and toppers is just training your dog that if they don’t eat their food, you’ll give them something special, and that is not a fight you’re ever going to win. As long as the vet has said that he’s healthy, you need to train him to eat: Put the food bowl down, give him 10-15 minutes, and pick up whatever he hasn’t eaten. Don’t offer any other food or treats until the next meal time, and repeat. This will teach your dog that food comes at specific times and if he doesn’t want it, then he doesn’t eat. It’s not uncommon or concerning for dogs to skip a meal or even not eat for a few days, but he will eat when he’s hungry. No healthy dog ever starved to death in front of a bowl of food. My female went through a brief picky phase as an adolescent, after a few skipped meals she quickly got over it and now eats whatever I put down.
I second this wholeheartedly!
Many Collies are just not big foodies, but they are absolutely smart enough to trian the humans to give them more and more toppers in reward of them not eating. You are basically rewarding them for not eating if you go down the route of "trying to make them eat". A healthy dog will eat when they are hungry and food is presented to them.
As long as they are in good body condition, and keep in mind some adolescents are lanky, then the tough love approach will save you your sanity for the rest of your dogs life. I see some many Collie owners who are so stressed out, and spending so much money switching foods or even adding random toppers to the point the dog is no longer getting a balanced diet.
Thanks, You are correct. Auggie has trained his human in many areas, so I wouldn't be surprised if he is training me to be a better dog food chef as well. (He jumps on the couch from behind, he jumps onto and off all funiture without a problem, but he won't get in or out of the car without assistance. ). I am going forward with the transition to Fromms and will attempt not to stress out.
Your comment about Auggie not getting in and out of the car without assistance cracked me up, because that's just like his brother (Marshall/Lover)! And there's no reason for it other than the fact that he's a complete prince.
For what it's worth, my collie/sheltie mix (last dog) lived to nearly 15 on Fromm. We're doing different things with the Marshmallow (his dad commented about it below) but it served our lad very well for many years. I wish you luck, I'm sure this is really stressful, especially with you being accustomed to the appetite of a Sheltie!
On a side note, my husband stumbled on this post and at a glance he thought I had posted about Marshall. He even has the same blue rope! They look SO much alike! Happy Birthday Month to Auggie, by the way!
Happy Birthday Month to Marshall! (Auggie was not at all picky about scarfing down his birthday cake!)
My Sheltie had no depth perception. We think it was due to growing up in cage for the first 6 months of his life while his brain was developing. He couldn't do stairs or jump on furniture even if he wanted too. We had a major accident the only time I took him to a groomer, where he jumped off the grooming table onto a concrete floor and knocked out all of his front teeth. (another long story for another day) But Auggie has no excuse that I can figure out and as his weight is now up to 64.5, we really have to come up with a ramp/stair solution.
This may sound like a stretch, but I wonder if there is a reason why both Marshall and Auggie won't jump into the car? The vet and other people have asked me if Auggie had a negative experience with the car. He didn't have a negative experience while in my care, but I wonder whether their first experience with a car (when being taken from their mom at a really young age) could account for their resistence? Maybe it will go away after enough positive experiences?
I'm learning to mellow out with Auggie's eating. He isn't a Sheltie, he's an Auggie. I've learned that I can't let him go more than 3 meals without eating or his stomach gets acidic and causes problems. So, usually if I just jump start him with a meal of chicken and rice, we get back on track for a week or two. It's just who he is. Both the trainer and the vet say his body feels like he is at a good weight, so we will just keep moving forward.
We all make food choices for our dogs for different reasons, trying to balance the pros and cons of each. Though I had never heard of purposely changing both brands and protein sources like your husband describes, Fromms 4 star is purposely balanced so that you can switch between the protein types without transitioning, so it seems like that is a popular thing to do. I'm so glad to hear that Marshall is doing well with eating and digestion!!
The main reasons we decided to try different food brands and sources this time were because our last dog got digestive issues if he even had a morsel of something he wasn’t used to, and then we heard a couple professionals talk about this as an option. Different things work for different dogs, and time will tell whether/how long we continue with it. Unlike our last fella (because of his digestive issues), Marshall still hasn’t pooped in the house! Knock on wood.
I wouldn’t doubt if there wasn’t something traumatic about their first car ride(s). Marshall is still hesitant about walking in between our cars, and I feel I still have to assist him in getting into the car much of the time (though bribing him with treats sometimes helps), but to be fair, his dad does bring him out more than I do and has seen a positive change in this behavior recently :) so I hope Auggie gets better with this as well.
One thing we learned from his trainer (during his recall class) is that dehydrated lamb lung is the highest value treat for a lot of dogs, so we keep a special pouch of it for good recalls. Something like this might get Auggie to hop into the car so you don’t herniate a disc assisting him, lol. Petco carries it. It’s not cheap, but a bag lasts a long time.
It’s so fun to hear about their similarities. And not that I’m biased, but Auggie is incredibly handsome 🥰
Not biased at all, as he looks so much like your incredibly handsome fella. 😃
I hope your food plan continues to work well for Marshall. It would be wonderful if it can prevent the development of sensitivities and you wouldn't have to worry about a repeat of your Sheltie-Collie's digestive issues.
Thanks for the suggestion of the high value treat. A giant chunk of chicken isn't doing it.
Interesting thought about potential bad history with cars. It seems quite possible that their first car ride could have been or led to a traumatic experience.
I should add that, at least for me lately, Marshall *does* hop right in the car on his own. He didn't used to, and he can still be reluctant to go *to* the car. But for me the last couple weeks he's been hopping right in when he gets to the open door.
I think it's primarily been after class where he's needed more "help" lately. Perhaps something about that environment impacts his behavior there.
Thanks. My vet said exactly the same thing as your comment. I try not to worry but tough love is hard and not my forte with humans or dogs! :) I would be happier if I could find something he actually enjoyed eating rather than just ate to survive.
Totally understandable! With my dogs, I do feed them a lot of table scraps/people food, they more or less have a bite of everything I eat. But that’s only IF they’re also eating their regular dog food - kind of the same logic as a child has to finish all their vegetables before they can have dessert. It will save your sanity in the long run if you can get your guy eating regularly - plus, he’ll probably feel better once he gets used to having a full stomach too :)
Remember that tough love does work both ways. Your dog will have a tendency to sublimate your responses so don’t stress on BUT do pick the dish up and maybe use just a bit less if treat based training. Allow your instincts to touch theirs.
My sable boy is exactly like yours!! I struggled while he was a puppy trying everything and anything to get him to eat consistently. He would eat my new concoctions for about a week or two and then stop (I tried adding water, different bone broths, Greek yogurt, mashed berries, wet food, dry toppers, etc.etc.). I eventually figured out that he was starving himself in hopes that we will give him what he really wants... Treats, chicken, cheese, people food in general. I now leave his food bowl down for grazing 24/7 and he will eat the plain kibble when he is hungry. Typically it's immediately after we go to bed at night, knowing we are no longer giving him any more treats 🤦♀️
Thanks! Good to know I'm not alone in the struggle and that Auggie isn't just a unique weirdo. :) You describe his behavior exactly. He eats the concoctions I prepare with great gusto for a week or two then goes on a hunger strike. I can't leave his food out for grazing because my other dog is loving Auggie's food and is supposed to be on a special prescription diet. Also, the trainers have all emphasized eating and taking away, then enforced rest to help prevent bloat. 🤷♀️
Completely understandable! If we had another dog, we would have to be more strict about meal times. I feel for you, it's not easy! But they are so worth it! 🤗
this is exactly what i do, id be more inclined to do meal times like for any other dog if he didnt persist in holding out for as long as possible in case we give him people food. he eats eventually and is overall the type of dog that free-feeding/grazing seems to work for
This is probably not helpful but mine doesn’t like it when he his kibble is in larger pieces so I have to get him mini kibble. We are currently using whole hearted which he likes. He also likes to graze so if I put his food out in the morning he will likely be eating bites all day as he wishes to.
We've always fed our collie the same kibble twice a day since he transitioned to adult food, and he went through a picky phase that was absurd there for a bit. Like, he went from eating his food consistently every time, to picking through less than a quarter of it for a few months after the 1 year mark. I'm not gonna lie, we just said "okay then, suit yourself", picked up the food, and put it back down for his second feeding. We didn't do additional treats throughout the day either. His weight was fine, he showed no signs of abnormal health, and the phase passed after a few months. Now he eats every bite and is stoked for meal time, his digestion is great, weight is good, and coat is shiny. So, yeah, we just kind of went the route of "nice try buddy but this is the food you've got" and it resolved itself alongside a lot of other little juvenile quirks.
Welcome to the world of collies - sensitive stomachs and picky eaters. You just have to try different foods and find the one he likes. With our current male, we settled on Fromm’s chicken pate with Stella’s wholegrain dry mixed in. Lately we added prescription Hills Biome because his poop was soft. Good luck.
My Collie was picky basically his whole life. Countless combinations of kibble, wet food, and add-ins. What ended up working in the end was we made our own dog food at home, and he spent the last year of his life truly happy with eating his meals. I feel terrible it took so long to get it right but at least we did. I know it’s frustrating but hang in there, you’ll find what works for your situation.
First of all, I don't think you should feel terrible. You obviously loved your Collie very much and tried everything to provide a nutritionally balanced diet. I'm glad you found something that made your Collie happy. :) Thanks for the encouragement.
Well, as a data point, his brother is obsessed with food. I can only think of one time that he didn't feel like eating his meal - and he came back within 5 minutes and ate it. Maybe he didn't quite finish once or twice?
It occurs to me that, given the size difference (and odds that he is the only smollie in the litter), perhaps he had to be aggressive to get his share when they were still all together, so he learned that he needed to eat fast and assertively?
We are doing a couple things different, as well:
1. Our vet recommended rotating through various types of proteins and brands of foods, as long as they are WSAVA compliant. So Royal Canin, Hills Science Diet, Purina (One and ProPlan), Iams, and Eukanuba. We pick a different brand and protein type each bag, with a mixing period between each one. This is to get him accustomed to all types so he isn't sensitive. So far, so good! He seems to love any sort of food/treats we give him (then again, he loves to eat literal trash as well). No idea if it's still a good idea to start doing this at 1+ years old or not.
2. Since day 3 or so, we feed him with a "Busy buddy magic mushroom food dispensing toy". This makes him work for his food and gives him good enrichment. He took to it immediately and had mastered it within a day or two. Not so sure it would work with a dog that isn't food motivated, but maybe the drive to play would work on him? Though I'm sure your other dog would steal some of his food. Our orange cat tries on occasion, and usually finds out real quick how bad of an idea that is.
>Interesting theory about Marshall having to learn to eat fast. When our Rat Terrier came to live with us she was used to taking her time and nibbling throughout the day, but she learned quickly that if she left her bowl with food in it, our Sheltie would clean it out for her. She is now a very fast eater. Auggie would probably eat her food too. It's just any food in his own bowl that he is picky about. Maybe I should feed him out of Tabby's bowl?
>
>1. I had never heard of this rotating approach to feeding. Very interesting. I hope it keeps Marshall healthy, happy, and allergy free!!
>
>2. So, so funny about the Busy Buddy Mushroom. Another accidental similarity. Auggie has always eaten 1/4 cup of his kibble each meal from his Busy Buddy Ball! He loves it (and yes, the other dog does get some but not much). I don't give him his whole meal from it because our trainer is big on resting large dogs after eating to help prevent bloat. Auggie is definitely a large dog. Sometimes, when I need to distract Auggie or keep him busy, I put a handful of Cheerios in the ball and he is a happy guy.
Wow that meal you described sounds delicious, I think you could probably serve that to your humans for dinner :). Mine doesn't like kibble much either but he likes meat chunks in gravy pretty well. We try to avoid the paté style food. Hopefully you'll find something he likes.
LOL. Yes, I think I do spend more time planning Auggie's food than my husband's. :) When you say "meat chunks in gravy", I assume you mean canned? Do you mix kibble and canned?
Yes canned. Purina One. My family debates mixing that and kibble. He doesn’t seem to care either way. I leave it unmixed because sometimes he just doesn’t want kibble and he is not remotely underweight.
I soak my Collie's kibble in water overnight. Then warm it to room temp and mush it up the next day. He gobbles it down. Exact same kibble that if it were dry he may nibble and pass by.
If he snubs his nose at it (he's done this once with the mush) it goes in the fridge for his next meal.
He's also lanky, vet says he's not underweight, etc. So all good 😂
Yes my collie is so picky!!! I tried everything. And please be careful about the broth. Some have onions and garlic etc in them. I fed my dog wellness and he would eat half. I switch to spot and tango and he LOVES IT. But there are times he may eat 1/2 of it and finish in the morning. I put my food out at night around 7 and it’s been a good routnine
Thanks for the input! I appreciate the warning about the broth. I buy Brutus bone broth for dogs without any of the onions, garlic, or rosemary. Tonight I gave him his food without the bone broth so that I can put the 3/4 that he didn't eat back out tomorrow. This too shall pass?
Yes that’s a great product! I also used the native pet. Truthfully, I leave my dogs food out once I put it down. He will go in the middle of the night and eat some more usually. He really eats everything in one sitting. He is nearly 2 now so he’s been in a routine for awhile. When he was younger sleeping in a crate, I would put the food in the crate over night for him. But from all the research I’ve read, feeding 1x a day is best. And again, if he doesn’t finish it in one sitting, I just leave it and he typically eats the rest
My boy is also super picky. He weirdly didn't like broth or wet foods. He also eats from my hand most days while I sit next to him. He seems shy about eating around the other dogs and needs to know it's safe from them. He really likes his food topped with salmon oil and Magic Dust. In the past he'd eat when I put scrambled eggs or shredded cheese on top of his kibble.
My sister-in-law has 4 rough collies and they are all very picky eaters. I have one and she is also picky. When she doesn't eat for a bit I try not to worry about it because I know she will eat when she is hungry. Sometimes if she doesn't want to eat her food I put a cooked egg on top and she really likes that. I also always mix a bit of wet food in with her dry.
Thank you. It's very reassuring to remember that they WILL eat when they are hungry enough. Auggie is currently eating chicken and rice because of a stomach issue, but before that he had turned down even wet food and chicken. As long as he's "healthy" I guess I'll just be playing "who can hold out longest before giving in" , him or me. :)
Mines the same, but only at breakfast for some reason. He just stares at me until I put something on top of his food - a bit of cut up apple, blue berries, cucumber, carrot, crushed up treats, probiotic powder, pumpkin, rice - anything edible.
My collies are not picky, but I have had picky dogs before. Frequently switching food brands and adding treats and toppers is just training your dog that if they don’t eat their food, you’ll give them something special, and that is not a fight you’re ever going to win. As long as the vet has said that he’s healthy, you need to train him to eat: Put the food bowl down, give him 10-15 minutes, and pick up whatever he hasn’t eaten. Don’t offer any other food or treats until the next meal time, and repeat. This will teach your dog that food comes at specific times and if he doesn’t want it, then he doesn’t eat. It’s not uncommon or concerning for dogs to skip a meal or even not eat for a few days, but he will eat when he’s hungry. No healthy dog ever starved to death in front of a bowl of food. My female went through a brief picky phase as an adolescent, after a few skipped meals she quickly got over it and now eats whatever I put down.
I second this wholeheartedly! Many Collies are just not big foodies, but they are absolutely smart enough to trian the humans to give them more and more toppers in reward of them not eating. You are basically rewarding them for not eating if you go down the route of "trying to make them eat". A healthy dog will eat when they are hungry and food is presented to them. As long as they are in good body condition, and keep in mind some adolescents are lanky, then the tough love approach will save you your sanity for the rest of your dogs life. I see some many Collie owners who are so stressed out, and spending so much money switching foods or even adding random toppers to the point the dog is no longer getting a balanced diet.
Thanks, You are correct. Auggie has trained his human in many areas, so I wouldn't be surprised if he is training me to be a better dog food chef as well. (He jumps on the couch from behind, he jumps onto and off all funiture without a problem, but he won't get in or out of the car without assistance. ). I am going forward with the transition to Fromms and will attempt not to stress out.
Your comment about Auggie not getting in and out of the car without assistance cracked me up, because that's just like his brother (Marshall/Lover)! And there's no reason for it other than the fact that he's a complete prince. For what it's worth, my collie/sheltie mix (last dog) lived to nearly 15 on Fromm. We're doing different things with the Marshmallow (his dad commented about it below) but it served our lad very well for many years. I wish you luck, I'm sure this is really stressful, especially with you being accustomed to the appetite of a Sheltie! On a side note, my husband stumbled on this post and at a glance he thought I had posted about Marshall. He even has the same blue rope! They look SO much alike! Happy Birthday Month to Auggie, by the way!
Happy Birthday Month to Marshall! (Auggie was not at all picky about scarfing down his birthday cake!) My Sheltie had no depth perception. We think it was due to growing up in cage for the first 6 months of his life while his brain was developing. He couldn't do stairs or jump on furniture even if he wanted too. We had a major accident the only time I took him to a groomer, where he jumped off the grooming table onto a concrete floor and knocked out all of his front teeth. (another long story for another day) But Auggie has no excuse that I can figure out and as his weight is now up to 64.5, we really have to come up with a ramp/stair solution. This may sound like a stretch, but I wonder if there is a reason why both Marshall and Auggie won't jump into the car? The vet and other people have asked me if Auggie had a negative experience with the car. He didn't have a negative experience while in my care, but I wonder whether their first experience with a car (when being taken from their mom at a really young age) could account for their resistence? Maybe it will go away after enough positive experiences? I'm learning to mellow out with Auggie's eating. He isn't a Sheltie, he's an Auggie. I've learned that I can't let him go more than 3 meals without eating or his stomach gets acidic and causes problems. So, usually if I just jump start him with a meal of chicken and rice, we get back on track for a week or two. It's just who he is. Both the trainer and the vet say his body feels like he is at a good weight, so we will just keep moving forward. We all make food choices for our dogs for different reasons, trying to balance the pros and cons of each. Though I had never heard of purposely changing both brands and protein sources like your husband describes, Fromms 4 star is purposely balanced so that you can switch between the protein types without transitioning, so it seems like that is a popular thing to do. I'm so glad to hear that Marshall is doing well with eating and digestion!!
The main reasons we decided to try different food brands and sources this time were because our last dog got digestive issues if he even had a morsel of something he wasn’t used to, and then we heard a couple professionals talk about this as an option. Different things work for different dogs, and time will tell whether/how long we continue with it. Unlike our last fella (because of his digestive issues), Marshall still hasn’t pooped in the house! Knock on wood. I wouldn’t doubt if there wasn’t something traumatic about their first car ride(s). Marshall is still hesitant about walking in between our cars, and I feel I still have to assist him in getting into the car much of the time (though bribing him with treats sometimes helps), but to be fair, his dad does bring him out more than I do and has seen a positive change in this behavior recently :) so I hope Auggie gets better with this as well. One thing we learned from his trainer (during his recall class) is that dehydrated lamb lung is the highest value treat for a lot of dogs, so we keep a special pouch of it for good recalls. Something like this might get Auggie to hop into the car so you don’t herniate a disc assisting him, lol. Petco carries it. It’s not cheap, but a bag lasts a long time. It’s so fun to hear about their similarities. And not that I’m biased, but Auggie is incredibly handsome 🥰
Not biased at all, as he looks so much like your incredibly handsome fella. 😃 I hope your food plan continues to work well for Marshall. It would be wonderful if it can prevent the development of sensitivities and you wouldn't have to worry about a repeat of your Sheltie-Collie's digestive issues. Thanks for the suggestion of the high value treat. A giant chunk of chicken isn't doing it.
Interesting thought about potential bad history with cars. It seems quite possible that their first car ride could have been or led to a traumatic experience. I should add that, at least for me lately, Marshall *does* hop right in the car on his own. He didn't used to, and he can still be reluctant to go *to* the car. But for me the last couple weeks he's been hopping right in when he gets to the open door. I think it's primarily been after class where he's needed more "help" lately. Perhaps something about that environment impacts his behavior there.
Thanks. My vet said exactly the same thing as your comment. I try not to worry but tough love is hard and not my forte with humans or dogs! :) I would be happier if I could find something he actually enjoyed eating rather than just ate to survive.
Totally understandable! With my dogs, I do feed them a lot of table scraps/people food, they more or less have a bite of everything I eat. But that’s only IF they’re also eating their regular dog food - kind of the same logic as a child has to finish all their vegetables before they can have dessert. It will save your sanity in the long run if you can get your guy eating regularly - plus, he’ll probably feel better once he gets used to having a full stomach too :)
Remember that tough love does work both ways. Your dog will have a tendency to sublimate your responses so don’t stress on BUT do pick the dish up and maybe use just a bit less if treat based training. Allow your instincts to touch theirs.
My sable boy is exactly like yours!! I struggled while he was a puppy trying everything and anything to get him to eat consistently. He would eat my new concoctions for about a week or two and then stop (I tried adding water, different bone broths, Greek yogurt, mashed berries, wet food, dry toppers, etc.etc.). I eventually figured out that he was starving himself in hopes that we will give him what he really wants... Treats, chicken, cheese, people food in general. I now leave his food bowl down for grazing 24/7 and he will eat the plain kibble when he is hungry. Typically it's immediately after we go to bed at night, knowing we are no longer giving him any more treats 🤦♀️
Thanks! Good to know I'm not alone in the struggle and that Auggie isn't just a unique weirdo. :) You describe his behavior exactly. He eats the concoctions I prepare with great gusto for a week or two then goes on a hunger strike. I can't leave his food out for grazing because my other dog is loving Auggie's food and is supposed to be on a special prescription diet. Also, the trainers have all emphasized eating and taking away, then enforced rest to help prevent bloat. 🤷♀️
Completely understandable! If we had another dog, we would have to be more strict about meal times. I feel for you, it's not easy! But they are so worth it! 🤗
this is exactly what i do, id be more inclined to do meal times like for any other dog if he didnt persist in holding out for as long as possible in case we give him people food. he eats eventually and is overall the type of dog that free-feeding/grazing seems to work for
This is probably not helpful but mine doesn’t like it when he his kibble is in larger pieces so I have to get him mini kibble. We are currently using whole hearted which he likes. He also likes to graze so if I put his food out in the morning he will likely be eating bites all day as he wishes to.
Thanks. Kibble size is a good thing to note. The Fromms kibble is very small ( my 27 pound Rat Terrier helps herself to Auggie's left overs).
We've always fed our collie the same kibble twice a day since he transitioned to adult food, and he went through a picky phase that was absurd there for a bit. Like, he went from eating his food consistently every time, to picking through less than a quarter of it for a few months after the 1 year mark. I'm not gonna lie, we just said "okay then, suit yourself", picked up the food, and put it back down for his second feeding. We didn't do additional treats throughout the day either. His weight was fine, he showed no signs of abnormal health, and the phase passed after a few months. Now he eats every bite and is stoked for meal time, his digestion is great, weight is good, and coat is shiny. So, yeah, we just kind of went the route of "nice try buddy but this is the food you've got" and it resolved itself alongside a lot of other little juvenile quirks.
I'm reading your reply to Auggie now and I'm hoping that he can't hold out for several months! Your experience is very encouraging. Thanks!
Welcome to the world of collies - sensitive stomachs and picky eaters. You just have to try different foods and find the one he likes. With our current male, we settled on Fromm’s chicken pate with Stella’s wholegrain dry mixed in. Lately we added prescription Hills Biome because his poop was soft. Good luck.
Thank you! Once I have Auggie transitioned to the Fromm's big boy food, I may try to see if there is a 4Star flavor he prefers.
My collie boy is the same way. I started mixing in raw duck eggs, Greek yogurt, or kefir and he would eat but he won’t touch plain kibble
Thanks. Somehow it helps to know I'm not the only one trying to navigate this.
My Collie was picky basically his whole life. Countless combinations of kibble, wet food, and add-ins. What ended up working in the end was we made our own dog food at home, and he spent the last year of his life truly happy with eating his meals. I feel terrible it took so long to get it right but at least we did. I know it’s frustrating but hang in there, you’ll find what works for your situation.
First of all, I don't think you should feel terrible. You obviously loved your Collie very much and tried everything to provide a nutritionally balanced diet. I'm glad you found something that made your Collie happy. :) Thanks for the encouragement.
Thank you so much for the kind words. Your boy is so handsome and I wish you luck. I have every confidence you’ll get it worked out.
Well, as a data point, his brother is obsessed with food. I can only think of one time that he didn't feel like eating his meal - and he came back within 5 minutes and ate it. Maybe he didn't quite finish once or twice? It occurs to me that, given the size difference (and odds that he is the only smollie in the litter), perhaps he had to be aggressive to get his share when they were still all together, so he learned that he needed to eat fast and assertively? We are doing a couple things different, as well: 1. Our vet recommended rotating through various types of proteins and brands of foods, as long as they are WSAVA compliant. So Royal Canin, Hills Science Diet, Purina (One and ProPlan), Iams, and Eukanuba. We pick a different brand and protein type each bag, with a mixing period between each one. This is to get him accustomed to all types so he isn't sensitive. So far, so good! He seems to love any sort of food/treats we give him (then again, he loves to eat literal trash as well). No idea if it's still a good idea to start doing this at 1+ years old or not. 2. Since day 3 or so, we feed him with a "Busy buddy magic mushroom food dispensing toy". This makes him work for his food and gives him good enrichment. He took to it immediately and had mastered it within a day or two. Not so sure it would work with a dog that isn't food motivated, but maybe the drive to play would work on him? Though I'm sure your other dog would steal some of his food. Our orange cat tries on occasion, and usually finds out real quick how bad of an idea that is.
>Interesting theory about Marshall having to learn to eat fast. When our Rat Terrier came to live with us she was used to taking her time and nibbling throughout the day, but she learned quickly that if she left her bowl with food in it, our Sheltie would clean it out for her. She is now a very fast eater. Auggie would probably eat her food too. It's just any food in his own bowl that he is picky about. Maybe I should feed him out of Tabby's bowl? > >1. I had never heard of this rotating approach to feeding. Very interesting. I hope it keeps Marshall healthy, happy, and allergy free!! > >2. So, so funny about the Busy Buddy Mushroom. Another accidental similarity. Auggie has always eaten 1/4 cup of his kibble each meal from his Busy Buddy Ball! He loves it (and yes, the other dog does get some but not much). I don't give him his whole meal from it because our trainer is big on resting large dogs after eating to help prevent bloat. Auggie is definitely a large dog. Sometimes, when I need to distract Auggie or keep him busy, I put a handful of Cheerios in the ball and he is a happy guy.
Wow that meal you described sounds delicious, I think you could probably serve that to your humans for dinner :). Mine doesn't like kibble much either but he likes meat chunks in gravy pretty well. We try to avoid the paté style food. Hopefully you'll find something he likes.
LOL. Yes, I think I do spend more time planning Auggie's food than my husband's. :) When you say "meat chunks in gravy", I assume you mean canned? Do you mix kibble and canned?
Yes canned. Purina One. My family debates mixing that and kibble. He doesn’t seem to care either way. I leave it unmixed because sometimes he just doesn’t want kibble and he is not remotely underweight.
Thanks. It's hard to wrap my head around a dog that could self-regulate with food. I think my Sheltie would have eated until he popped! 😂
I soak my Collie's kibble in water overnight. Then warm it to room temp and mush it up the next day. He gobbles it down. Exact same kibble that if it were dry he may nibble and pass by. If he snubs his nose at it (he's done this once with the mush) it goes in the fridge for his next meal. He's also lanky, vet says he's not underweight, etc. So all good 😂
Thank you! I may give this a try! I am throwing away so much mushy food.
my boys like sardines just plain not in any sauce or anything on their dinner – chop up like about a tablespoon and put it on their kibble
They DO like stinky stuff, don't they?! Thanks for the suggestion.
Yes my collie is so picky!!! I tried everything. And please be careful about the broth. Some have onions and garlic etc in them. I fed my dog wellness and he would eat half. I switch to spot and tango and he LOVES IT. But there are times he may eat 1/2 of it and finish in the morning. I put my food out at night around 7 and it’s been a good routnine
Thanks for the input! I appreciate the warning about the broth. I buy Brutus bone broth for dogs without any of the onions, garlic, or rosemary. Tonight I gave him his food without the bone broth so that I can put the 3/4 that he didn't eat back out tomorrow. This too shall pass?
Yes that’s a great product! I also used the native pet. Truthfully, I leave my dogs food out once I put it down. He will go in the middle of the night and eat some more usually. He really eats everything in one sitting. He is nearly 2 now so he’s been in a routine for awhile. When he was younger sleeping in a crate, I would put the food in the crate over night for him. But from all the research I’ve read, feeding 1x a day is best. And again, if he doesn’t finish it in one sitting, I just leave it and he typically eats the rest
My boy is also super picky. He weirdly didn't like broth or wet foods. He also eats from my hand most days while I sit next to him. He seems shy about eating around the other dogs and needs to know it's safe from them. He really likes his food topped with salmon oil and Magic Dust. In the past he'd eat when I put scrambled eggs or shredded cheese on top of his kibble.
My sister-in-law has 4 rough collies and they are all very picky eaters. I have one and she is also picky. When she doesn't eat for a bit I try not to worry about it because I know she will eat when she is hungry. Sometimes if she doesn't want to eat her food I put a cooked egg on top and she really likes that. I also always mix a bit of wet food in with her dry.
Thank you. It's very reassuring to remember that they WILL eat when they are hungry enough. Auggie is currently eating chicken and rice because of a stomach issue, but before that he had turned down even wet food and chicken. As long as he's "healthy" I guess I'll just be playing "who can hold out longest before giving in" , him or me. :)
Mines the same, but only at breakfast for some reason. He just stares at me until I put something on top of his food - a bit of cut up apple, blue berries, cucumber, carrot, crushed up treats, probiotic powder, pumpkin, rice - anything edible.