[Hickory]

Recently, I went away for a few days and left Hickory with my fiance's parents. Though we stressed how important it was that he get absolutely no table scraps, we found out from her sister that he had been getting pizza among other things. Since then, he has barely touched any of his dry food ( Innova large breed puppy food). I have mixed in some canned food to entice him and that helps a little, but he more or less picks it out and stops there. Does anybody have any advice to getting him to have a more healthy appetite when it comes to his dry food??? by the way, this has been going on since tuesday. Thanks!

 

[Boomer's Mom]

Just leave the dry food, and when he's hungry enough he'll eat it. Trust me, he won't dry up and blow away!

 

[Hickory]

I have been doing that and coming home from work to see he hasnt touched it. I also heard that as soon as he walks away I should take the food up and not offer it again until the next meal. Do you think that might help?

 

[Soundtrack]

Yes, that would probably help. The problem is you've already shown him that if he refuses to eat you're willing to add "goodies" as a reward. Just feed him and don't fuss over whether he eats it or not - if he doesn't eat he's just not hungry.

Also, depending on his age his growth my be slowing, so he may just not need as much food. Unless he's sick, he'll eat what he needs to.

 

[Hickory]

I wonder if it has anything to do with the food itself. He was originally on nutrisource at with the breeder, but I switched him to blue buffalo and then to innova large breed when i saw some people saying that large breed food is better for bassets. Does anybody have experience with nutrisource large breed puppy food or know how it compares to innova and blue buffalo?

 

[Mikey T]

I would not switch foods at this stage given that again it tell the dog that being picky gets you new/different better stuff. The only time I have had dog refuse food however was one time that it do go bad. So if this is a possibility you can try a new fress back of innova a small bag if you are considering switching food and see if that males a difference.

With puppies after a growth spurt I do not find it unusual that the amout of food the need and want drops dramatically as well.