It is VERY normal at this age - his growth is slowing and he doesn't need as much food. He doesn't have to be hungry to eat your food, just as you don't have to be hungry to eat a tempting dessert. If he doesn't eat, he's not hungry, and unless he's sick it's not a problem. Switching foods, adding goodies, begging and pleading will just train him to be a fussier eater.

 

Thanks very much! This has definitely put my mind at ease !

 

Charlie, our basset, did the same sort of thing and I worried that he just wouldn't touch his evening meal at all. When we went to the vets, I mentioned that I thought Charlie was too skinny, but he said Charlie was in fact fine. I know bassets can have a reputation for being food obsessed, but in his case he seems to regulate his food himself. I think we were over feeding him and he just didn't want or need it.

 

Our puppies have sometimes gone off their puppy food by around this age, in which case we switch to a Junior or even Adult version of the same brand. To get him to eat the 'dry food', you could try moistening it so you can mix a little tinned food into it more easily. He should be having some hard food however.

I have one who came to us with Giardia, leaving him with a sensitive tummy at which point he was switched onto a home-made fish and mashed potato which worked like a charm. Eventually I changed him to Arden Grange Sensitive (potato and fish) which continued with the good results. Just recently I have been able to switch him to a more reasonably priced food, Pooch & Co, Tripe and Rice which comes in not only a 15 kg bag (AG changed to a 12 kg bag, keeping the same price which I wasn't amused about) but is £5 cheaper and he, and his buddie love it. So far so good re his stools!!

For sure, as he gets older, he won't need quite as much food so part of this reluctance could be as simple as that.

ps We mix a very small amount of Butchers Tripe Mix into their food, being careful not to add too much and wreck the make-up of the complete food!

 

I have a fussy hound ! Inky will take it or leave it when it comes to food unless there are sardines in her bowl ! gone in a second! Most days she will leave her breakfast and just eat dinner.

 

We keep Maddie's food bowl filled at all times with dry food, refilling when it's empty, and she empties it on average every other day. She's a perfect 50 pounds, and has none of the food obsessional behavior I've heard other Bassets have.