Get a Picky Dog to Eat

Dogs are just like people; they don’t want to eat boring food any more than you or I do. If you shop around a bit, you can probably find a brand your dog will love (preferably something holistic!) but even then, some dogs can be finicky with their meals. If you’ve got a healthy dog who turns his nose up at his food – even if he loved it the day before – I have some tips for improving on it. These dog food tips are simple and affordable, but most of all, they are very, very yummy and will only improve upon an already healthy diet, provided they’re used in moderation, as you don’t want Fido putting on weight. If you’ve got a really picker eater, you may want to rotate these in, as some dogs will even turn their nose up at these treats if given every day – and we can’t really blame them, as you’d get sick of eating the same thing day in and out, too, no matter how good it was.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a fabulous, healthy way to make your dog love his food, and you only need to add a very small amount. Less than a teaspoon is enough to put a thin coating on every piece of kibble for a medium-sized dog, and possibly even for a larger dog. While the occasional fruity yogurt can make a nice treat, keep in mind that some of them have a lot of sugar, so stick to plain yogurt if you can. If you want to make it really healthy, choose something 100% natural and organic. Make sure it’s fresh, though – this method works best for people who eat yogurt themselves; simply give Fido a teaspoon-full of your own yogurt before you eat it. Also make sure the yogurt doesn’t contain chocolate or other foods dogs should not eat.

Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Parmesan cheese is usually a favorite of dogs. Sprinkle a pinch or two over Fido’s kibble and watch him chow down. It’s got to be fresh, though, as some dog’s will turn their nose up at Parmesan that’s been open more than a few days. You can get around this by buying tiny packets of cheese which will get used up quickly. Bear in mind that you don’t want to put too much cheese on their food, as you don’t want to constipate them. Other types of cheese would also work, especially the shredded kind, but these may be more likely to cause constipation in some dogs.

Natural Oils

Please note that this is NOT mineral oil. Nor is it anything similar to your Canola-type cooking oils – those types of oils are not ok for Fido. What is ok for Fido, are healthy, natural oils like Salmon, Safflower, Olive, Peanut, Pumpkin, etc. A truly picky dog may get tired of the same oil after awhile, so you may want to switch them up a bit, or vary it with yogurt or another healthy alternative. Also, unless you’re supplementing for something specific, you only want to you use enough to lightly coat and flavor the kibble. If you’re using a supplement, follow the directions on the bottle.