# how do i get my pup to eat her kibble?



## kailaq (Nov 12, 2009)

when i bought my puppy, the breeder gave me a small plastic bag of iam's puppy food to take home with me. before he finished the small bag, i bought him a bag of nature's best and he was eating it ok, no hesitation or anything. then i read "the dog whisperer" by paul owens and he dedicates a good amount of the book talking about quality dog food and what's in most kibble that are sold in the market. i was astounded, i googled nature's best and didn't really get any info about it - whether it was good quality or bad quality. so i went to my local global pet foods and started inquiring about feeding my pup raw food. the lady who was working at the store told me that there are good quality kibble out there and suggested that i try orijen puppy food for my pup. so i bought a pack and also one pack of deli fresh slice and serve wet food. she suggested that i either alternate the two when i feed him or serve them together. but my puppy won't touch the orijen food. when i served them together, he ate around the orijen and when i served the orijen on its own, he wouldn't touch it. i've heard many amazing things about orijen and would like him to eat it but i don't know how to get him to?

my pup is a 9 week old pug/jack russell cross.

thanks for the replies in advance!


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## philovance (Jan 7, 2009)

Welcome to the wonderful world of dog food! How does he like the Deli food? Nature's Balance makes a summer sausage type of food that is somewhat similar and my dogs have loved it (as a small supplement not a regular diet). 

You are lucky to have a retailer that sells such great brands and perhaps they can give you some samples of kibble so you don't have to invest in larger bags of the best food they have right away. 

Dogs follow their noses. I think kibble doesn't instinctively smell like food to them. I think they appreciate some funk so I am a believer in canned (there is a thread here where the majority seem to disagree with me).

Merrick makes canned foods that are basically stews with gravy. A teaspoon of one of them at room temperature or warmer would probably get your pup's nose twitching.

Regardless you sound like someone who wants to take the best care of your dog so best of luck!


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## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

There are plenty of other kibbles at the same level of quality as Orijen, so you might try a few others and see if your dog like any of them better. You could check out Timberwolf, Innova, Merrick (they make dry food as well as wet!), Solid Gold, Wellness, or Taste of the Wild.

Having said that, you also don't want to encourage a picky eater or waste a big ol' bag of dog food that you just bought. How long has the dog been on the Orijen? I would tend to say give it at LEAST a couple of weeks to see if the dog adjusts. In that time, put the bowl down for 15 minutes. Whatever the dog has not eaten in that time (even if it's the whole serving), pick it up and put it away until the next scheduled mealtime. No healthy dog will starve itself and you may be able to get through the already purchased bag before looking for something new.


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## Labsnothers (Oct 10, 2009)

If he seemed to be doing OK on the Nature's Best, I would go back to it, or even the Iams. Very little of what you read if any about dog food is based on how well dogs do that eat it. It is all hyperventilating over the ingredients. 

It is funny, there are large professionally managed service dog programs have thousands of dogs all eating one of the common brands of kibble, and all doing well. Then many that feed ''better'' foods seem to have to go through a half dozen foods to find one the dog will eat and not have problems.


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## kailaq (Nov 12, 2009)

thanks for all your input. 

fillebelle - i tried leaving the orijen on his bowl for about half an hour (and i knew he was hungry coz he kept on following me around) and he still wouldn't touch it. i think i'm just going to return it, luckily my pet food store accepts returns for a full refund.

labsnothers - i already gave away the nature's best to my local humane society. i freaked out when i read what goes in dog kibble that i gave it away on the way to the pet food store. 

philovance - he really lovesthe deli fresh , he gobbles it down within seconds. my brother also fed him some ceasar's wet food and he did the same thing. i've deduced that he really likes wet food. so i'm debating whether i should just feed him an all-wet diet? 

other than the price, what are the other disadvantages of feeding a dog an all-wet food diet?


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## kailaq (Nov 12, 2009)

wefeedum said:


> 2)If you are set on getting him to eat that Orijen...put some milk on it.


you know what, i'll try that. i still have the orijen here, i was going to return it tomorrow but let me try this first. maybe he'll like it better with some milk on it.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

I think it's because he likes the deli food better.

If you want him to eat Orijen, just stop feeding the deli stuff. Feed Orijen for every meal. He might try to skip between 2-4 meals but don't fret over it. Don't give him treats or any other food and when he's hungry, he'll eat the Orijen. 

I think for a lot of picky dogs when they taste something better, they just don't want the kibble anymore.

My dogs are all fed Orijen and they all like it! It's a wonderful food in my opinion.

But I would be careful about putting milk in it. Most dogs are lactose intolerant and milk will just give them diarrhea. All 3 of mine get diarrhea if they have milk.

I suggest putting a spoonful of canned or something and mix it in with the Orijen if you really must have him eat it right away. But the best way really is just to give nothing else, and offer only Orijen for 10 min at each meal. If he doesn't eat it, it's taken away. He will DEFINITELY skip a few meals but after that he'll understand that if he doesn't eat what he's given, there's going to be nothing to eat.


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## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

kailaq said:


> thanks for all your input.
> 
> fillebelle - i tried leaving the orijen on his bowl for about half an hour (and i knew he was hungry coz he kept on following me around) and he still wouldn't touch it. i think i'm just going to return it, luckily my pet food store accepts returns for a full refund.


This technique of out-waiting the dog is not something that you do once. It's something that you keep doing until the dog learns that it needs to eat what it put in front of it.

Still, my initial recommendation of trying a different food of the same high quality stands.


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

kailaq said:


> you know what, i'll try that. i still have the orijen here, i was going to return it tomorrow but let me try this first. maybe he'll like it better with some milk on it.


Or a little hot water and stir it up for a while.

Or bacon grease.

And taper it off over time.

Really I don't worry about it unless a dog is having problems like an allergy or something. Most of my dogs have lived long above average lifespans with no issues on regular store brand foods.

I feed high dollar food now as one of mine seems to have allergic issues.

I'm also not above just putting the bowl down and leaving it until they get hungry enough to eat it, and they will.


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## nico8 (Jul 16, 2009)

Labsnothers said:


> It is funny, there are large professionally managed service dog programs have thousands of dogs all eating one of the common brands of kibble, and all doing well. Then many that feed ''better'' foods seem to have to go through a half dozen foods to find one the dog will eat and not have problems.


Yet another shining example of your failed logic. Most people that feed a higher priced, harder to obtain food expect more out of the food than say, someone feeding the first and cheapest food they saw in the grocery store. A vast majority of the people feeding low end, full of filler kibble don't realize that their dog's food can be the cause of various health problems( dandruff, hot spots, itching, joint problems, and so on). They see the dog scratching incessantly and they laugh it off as a dog being a dog. If you put more time and money into your dog's food, you're going to be looking for specific results.


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

nico8 said:


> Yet another shining example of your failed logic. Most people that feed a higher priced, harder to obtain food expect more out of the food than say, someone feeding the first and cheapest food they saw in the grocery store. A vast majority of the people feeding low end, full of filler kibble don't realize that their dog's food can be the cause of various health problems( dandruff, hot spots, itching, joint problems, and so on). They see the dog scratching incessantly and they laugh it off as a dog being a dog. If you put more time and money into your dog's food, you're going to be looking for specific results.


Yeah my "specific result" I am looking for is a lower vet bill for no more ear and foot infections.


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## kailaq (Nov 12, 2009)

hey guys! i have some awesome news! i figured out how to get him to eat his orijen! 

i combined all of your suggestions and it worked! at first i tried the milk thing, and he just drank the milk around it. then i decided to add warm water and waited about 10 mins after putting the water, to soften the kibble up, before serving it to him. he at first snubbed it but i waited for 20 mins (he ate a bit here and there) then took it away from him. then the next feeding time, i set down the same bowl and he ate more than earlier, etc.. etc.. i realize now that he just needs a bit of time to eat it up, so now i leave his bowl down for about 45 mins before i take it away. i thought all dogs just ate up their food the moment you set the bowl down.

if you're reading this and you're thinking "well duh idiot", i'm really sorry. this is my first pet in 15 years and when i had my dog before, i was 8 and my parents were the ones taking care of the dog. i'm really glad that this forum is here to help me out. you guys rock!


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## MoosMom (Sep 15, 2009)

Well that's FANTASTIC! He will thank you for looking out for him.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Hi Kailaq! I'm in TO too!

Remember as well he's just a pup..he could be stressed being in a new home, teething etc so this CAN effect food intake and choice.

When you start looking for a good puppy training school I can recommend a couple to you if you'd like. I work at one, but am happy to give you several names for you to check out.


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## HORSEandHOUND (May 28, 2009)

Dont get neurotic with food and a 9 week old puppy. their digestive systems are so delicate and sensitive.... you really dont want to end up in the emergency room with your pup on fluids because you got neurotic over pet food. If your dog ate the natures best, keep him on that until he's older and his digestive system is more stable. When you decide to switch, you need to transition over the course of 4-6 weeks.


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