# Newly Adopted dog, won't eat dog food!



## Tots Dad

Good morning everyone. Yesterday my family and I became dog owners. We have been looking for a while to find that perfect addition to our family. We found the coolest 2yr old M Miniature Poodle. He had so much charisma in the shelter we had to take him. Sorry, we are just so happy to have him in our lives already, I feel like a kid at Christmas. Let me get to the point. Common sense tells me that he has become accustomed to a lifestyle that he had with his past owner. We already know that he favors adult women. He will not leave my wife's side at all. He already slept in our bed, and if you go into my bedroom he will bark at us if my wife is still sleeping. We can address this issue at a later time. He refuses to eat the food we bought. That food is called Nutro Natural Choice chicken meal rice & oatmeal formula. It was recommended by a pet store employee. Could it be that he doesn’t like it, but he won’t even put it in his mouth to try it? My wife tried to give him some food in her hand with a treat, but he only would eat the treat out of her hand, and nudged the food away with his nose. Are there certain foods out there better (more desirable) out there for dogs? I hear wet food is not the way to go because it isn’t good for their teeth. You guys in my opinion are the experts because you are dog owners. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Tot's Dad


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## cshellenberger

It's possible your dog was either raw fed or fed from the table. Raw can be excellent, table feeding isn't. If you want to feed kibble, here's the thread where I posted the Whole Dog Journal's top rated foods. YOU may be able to get samples from sone of the companies. 
http://www.dogforums.com/5-dog-food-forum/2439-right-dog-food-breed.html

Remember to stay away from 'supermarket' brands as most have corn, wheat and soy and by products, all poor quality ingredients (kinda like feeding kids McDonalds all the time)


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## Tots Dad

What does "Raw" fed exactly mean. I don't believe he was table fed because last night he just layed under the table at my wife's feet and didnt beg at all. Thanks for the fast post on the different foods. I will check into that right now.


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## poofywoof

*get him to eat*

First things first: are you sure that the new dog has no mouth, jaw, or teeth problems? If he is fine in this department, then you will want to research the food article that have been suggested on this thread. Make sure you choose a high quality, highly palatable food for him and stick with it. Do not let him train you what to feed him. You train him when, what, where to eat. Poodles can be finicky and perhaps this one was spoiled by his prev. owner and he is still waiting for someone to " get it right". It will be an adjustment period for him since EVERY Single Thing in his life is Different now!!! He also might not eat as much as you expect, if he is small it won't take much for him. Putting him on a schedule for feeding, walks, potty time, etc will help him get used to the new environment faster, as he will quickly come to know what to expect, and when.
Best of luck, and congrats on your new Poodle! You have chosen well!


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## cshellenberger

Tots Dad said:


> What does "Raw" fed exactly mean. I don't believe he was table fed because last night he just layed under the table at my wife's feet and didnt beg at all. Thanks for the fast post on the different foods. I will check into that right now.



Raw fed means exactly what it sounds like. There are several good raw diets out there. Some are meat and bones only and some include fresh veggies. Here are some sites if you wish to research it. 

http://www.rawlearning.com/
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm

You don't haveto feed premade raw, that's expensive, but do research it thoroughly to be sure you can do it correctly. Many people I know that feed raw, buy there meats from a butcher shop and use basically scrap meat that is cheap. There are several good books on the subject, which can be found at dogwise.com .


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## blackgavotte

Adding warm water to soften kibble and/or adding a forkful of good quality canned food is absolutely not going to hurt your dog., and it is not going to make a difference to his teeth. That theory that feeding dry kibble suited man and our busy schedules, it has nothing to do with teeth in reality.

To keep your dog's teeth and gums healthy, regular brushing, and scaling by the vet when necessary will have far more impact on his dental health than wether you feed dry kibble or softer food. Some large soup bones every so often will help clean teeth as well as, or better than, dry kibble.

Feeding dry kibble to a dog seems to be the accepted thing nowadays, I never felt that was the right way, I know, I know, most people do it but I believe dogs enjoy their food better if it is slightly moistened, even just with water to bring out the flavour, and I find just a wee bit of canned, makes them tuck right in. 

Poodles are not necessarily more finicky than any other dog. I should know, I bred excellent poodles for many years. They would eat their tripe and canned food with their slightly moistened dry, just as well as any beagle or rottweiler or cocker... and those are serious eaters !


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## skunkstripe

As someone who has adopted an adult dog please let me weigh in with another possiblity, namely that your dog not eating has nothing to do with the food. I say this because when we adopted Sophia at age 20 months, we were told she had eaten only Bil-Jac so we should start her on this and gradually switch to whatever we wanted to feed her. 

We drove 1 hour to get the Bil-Jac to have it ready when we brought her home and guess what, she would not eat it. She also would not eat Canidae, Purina, tuna fish, Eagle Pack, raw liver, Ol' Roy, cooked chicken, I mean I tried EVERYTHING because I was worried about her. The ONLY thing she was interested in was -of all things-Greenies. 

The first three days she was with us she ate a total of about 15 pieces of kibble and three Greenies. The problem was quite simply stress at the new home. As much as her old home (10 ft concrete kennel in a puppymill) was not heaven, it was all she knew and she was scared of her new surroundings.

Sorry this is so long, but I want to finish up by saying that before you get into details of feeding, wait a little bit to give your dog time to adjust. Heck, how would YOU feel if someone came and got you and put you into a totally new home? Maybe food would be the last thing on your mind too.

Good luck!


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## Booga

I adopted a dog who is 6 years old.
I had to change his food because we got him with hot spots.
He wouldn't eat the new food so I started mixing things with it, homemade gravy, broth, broiled meats, veggies. He eats everything now.
He was also stressed because of the new home. I'm not sure how long it takes them to adjust but i've had him 3 months and he seems to fit right in.
Good luck!


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## mistyinca

skunkstripe said:


> The first three days she was with us she ate a total of about 15 pieces of kibble and three Greenies. The problem was quite simply stress at the new home.


I was thinking the same thing. My puppy recently went through something similar, and for about 3 days, she didn't eat much of anything. I got lots of suggestions from the wonderful helpful people on this board. After a few days of putting the exact same food out for her every meal, she finally started eating.


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## Cheetah

I'd like to add that the whole "wet food is bad for their teeth" thing is actually a myth. A dog can eat wet food OR dry food and end up with bad teeth simply from lack of dental care and things to chew on. If we ate dry cereal all our lives and didn't brush our teeth, we'd end up with bad teeth too. >^^;<


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## Joe&Jo

I'm new to this whole dog thing too, but I think the dog is just getting used to it's enviroment. That's what was happening to my new dog a few weeks ago. She wouldn't eat her food either, so we started mixing wet food in with her dry food and gradually had less and less and now (3 weeks laster) she is eating all her food with no problem. Just give it time and make sure he has plenty of fresh water to drink.

Also, congrats on your new addition.


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## perky7

Do not start off letting your dog dictate what HE wants. I do not mean you should bully the poor dog. Just remember it is always or never, Dogs do not really understand SOMETIMES. So if you do not want him on the bed, for now it would be better to keep him off altogether.


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## drfong

As ong as the dog is healthy, it will eventually eat. It could be in combination of new stressful place, not the food it wants, etc. Dogs can go along time without eating and we think the are going to starve. They are feast or famine animals in the wild so don't get too worried about it as long as it doesn't go too long. Also they are great at getting other things, like treats, etc so they don't really need to eat their dog food. I would very carefully monitor it's intake. Don't let it have anything else. You can also feed it baked chicken and rice as most dogs will eat it right up and it is very bland on their system. If you don't know what it was eating abrubt changes can upset their system. Vets offten recomend C&R to dogs with upset stomachs to help straighten them out, than start mixing the food of choice in and over a few days completely to the food. Plain, no sugar added yogurt is also good for their systems and dogs seem to love it also. Feed the dog at specific times, give it a reasonable chance to eat and remove the food. Eventually the dog will eat when you want. This will also help establish your position as pack leader. This may sound crazy, but spit in the dogs food and mix it up when you feed it. The pack leader always eats first. If your scent is in the food, it knows you had it first and then allowed it to eat. Everything you can do to help it learn it's place behind you will help. I know the barking at you thing seems trivial, but the dog needs to learn its place and the sooner the better. 
Good luck and congrats on your new dog.


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## I love Melon

Chicken and rice worked really well for my dog


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## bebedechocolate

Our new puppy isn't a voracious eater either. She eats slowly and carefully. The first night she ate maybe 6 kibbles. She has gotten better now that she's been here about a week and a half and now I add a tiny spoonful of canned food to it which helps. We are in the process of switching her food so hopefully once i get on something better (she is on Science Diet cuz that is what she ate at the shelter) she will eat more enthusiastically.


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## KarlKatzke

Science Diet (the consumer stuff, not to be confused with the prescription stuff) is one of the worst foods on the market these days for it's price. I've had better success with just about *anything* besides Science Diet, especially if they were eating it in a shelter, veterinary lab, or other stressful environment.


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## Meghan&Pedro

Here's my answer from a similar thread about two weeks ago  Hope this helps



> A dog who is not stimulated properly mentally and physically every day with develop unwanted behavior and quirks, and picky eating is a big part of that.
> 
> You need to put your foot down and stop spoiling!
> 
> And this is coming from an owner of a 'picky' dog!! When I first rescued Pedro he was allowed to free-feed at his previous home, he was underweight, his blood panel came back with deficiencies in every area, and he was boarderline anemic.
> 
> It took me two weeks of playing 'tough love' with him to get him to eat meals properly, and two years later, he'll still eat whatever I put down.
> 
> You need to ensure that if you are home cooking you are providing a fully balanced and properly proportioned diet ( animal protein : animal fat : carbohydrate : fiber ratio's are SO important!!, as well as proper supplementation! When you cook food, you cook a lot of the nutrition out of it!)
> 
> You need to walk him before meals, not after, so that you are meeting his psychological need to travel/hunt in order to find food. You eat first. You then put his meal down for 3-5 minutes. If he does not eat it, you pick it up and he is then fasted until the next meal - no cookies, no bones, no treats. He will start to get the idea, and he will start to eat well.
> 
> If he is eating well, then yeah sure, he can have cookies and bones and treats....but he needs to eat well first.
> 
> Good luck, you can do it, it's just a matter of whether or not you want to!



Now because your little guy is so new, ensure you have ruled out any health problems such as broken teeth or a sore jaw. If that's the case you can do tinned, but a very strong dental hygiene regiment will be needed to ensure good dental health. A kibble diet still needs dental care, but not to the same degree.


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## JackandJordi

Meghan&Pedro said:


> Here's my answer from a similar thread about two weeks ago  Hope this helps
> 
> Now because your little guy is so new, ensure you have ruled out any health problems such as broken teeth or a sore jaw. If that's the case you can do tinned, but a very strong dental hygiene regiment will be needed to ensure good dental health. A kibble diet still needs dental care, but not to the same degree.


Agree 100%!!!! You should NOT baby the dog- give him a chance to eat after exercise and then take the food away.

Instincts will kick in- a dog will not starve itself to death if it is healthy in every way.

Exercise exercise exercise! And YOU should walk the dog- you want him to see you as a safety/authority figure too. Especially with little dogs this is very important- otherwise he could become possessive and aggressive over your wife.


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## Meghan&Pedro

Thanks for the back-up 

Gotta love when someone feels the same way!! Soo many picky dogs out there!!

And believe me - a couple weeks, that's all it took. And now it's a breeze at dinner time.

I actually have to add warm water to my "picky" dogs food so that he doesn't choke as he's sucking it back


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## TN_LAB

Once you've determined that he's healthy and not overly stressed, relax and start training him on what you expect from him regarding feeding...don't let him train you.

I am one of those folks that puts the dry kibble out for about half and hour and then remove it. I feed twice a day and have yet to have my dog miss more than 1 meal in a row.


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## Becca & Emily

my puppy is 7 months old (doberman/pit bull) and we are trying to switch her to dry dog food from the raw diet. We just moved to a new place with two full grown mastiffs and they eat food consisting of chicken and rice and she won't touch it. The first day she at a full bowl, but she will sniff and walk away. Could this all be stress related? Should I just keep putting food in front of her at her normal meal times then take it away if she doesn't eat? I have tried mixing in some dry dog food sauce and some warm water...she just licked the moisture out and left the dry food!


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## rosemaryninja

It could certainly be stress-related. Don't add the warm water and the sauce. Just put it down for 15 minutes, take it up and put it down again in at the next mealtime. She knows when there's going to be food, and when she's hungry, she'll eat. A healthy dog will not starve itself.


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## yappypappymom

I realize that this thread is PRETTY "old" , so..I am REALLY HOPING that the dog FINALLY ate something over the course of the almost 3 years..(how skinny would the boy be?*LOL*)
But, on to topic of a "picky-eater"...I have a pup, & a ferret..the pup came with all kinds of feeding instructions-to which I followed to a LETTER..only to find that my dear boy preferred - get this - my FERRETS FOOD!!! OMGosh!!...I had to finagle it in a such that my boy is back on DOG food mixed with raw meat, but..could someone PLEASE send him a "memo" that he's NOT a FERRET for crying out loud!! LOL


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## KarliMom

Firstly I want to congratulate you on the newest family member and say thank you for choosing rescue . So far you have done it right by doing your home work on the food . No corn No wheat No soy .
I was taught when I first started fostering Border collies is it takes around 7 days of mourning for them to adjust even when they came out of hell holes . The fun of watching them bloom when they get past this phase is so much fun .


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## Labsnothers

As a couple have mentioned, it could be the stress of a new home. And I agree an early vet visit is a good idea. A healthy dog will eat when it gets hungry enough. 

Mostly what I would suggest is finding out what it was eating before and offering that to it until it has a while to adjust. Chances are it is just as good for a dog as the expensive food you can count on a pet store employee suggesting. Would you go to Circuit City and ask them what is the best computer? 

Many dogs will wolf down more than is good for them and look for more. Others refuse to eat more than than they need. Evaluate the dog as illustrated in this link, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx You may want the vet to confirm your judgment. Adjust the dogs food and exercise as needed to reach its ideal body condition. Some German Shepherds and other breeds may refuse to eat enough to completely hid their ribs. As long as you are feeding a concentrated, meat based chow, the best thing is to accept it.

The worst thing you can do is to bribe a dog with rich foods into eating more than it needs. Instead, Put down the dish with what the dog should eat, and give it 15 minutes to eat. Then take it up. Do not give it anything to eat until its next scheduled meal. In a few days, it should be eating what it needs. Continue to check its ribs and adjust the food as needed. This is not easy. I had a Shepherd go 3 days on a few nibbles. I was a wreck, but she was fine. It is almost unknown for a healthy dog not to eat what it needs. Unfortunately, in too many cases, it is less than the package says, and less than the owner thinks the dog should have. Many dogs are quite good at holding out for tastier chow. Like kids, sometimes it calls for tough love.


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## artiesaurus

Tots Dad said:


> What does "Raw" fed exactly mean. I don't believe he was table fed because last night he just layed under the table at my wife's feet and didnt beg at all. Thanks for the fast post on the different foods. I will check into that right now.


Hi! My name is Art. It's nice meeting you. Pets, like us, are prone to some of the same plights that we are. Believe it or not, that includes bouts of depression. Your new family member may be either traumatized by missing former owners or worse could be suffering emotionally from abuse or neglect. Based upon what I've seen before coupled with what I've read, this could be the problem. Like us, a little love goes a long, long way. A very close friend of mine from church has two large dogs and they curl up and lick me to death when I go over to his place. Talk about over-grown lap dogs!


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## katiemay

Tots Dad said:


> Good morning everyone. Yesterday my family and I became dog owners. We have been looking for a while to find that perfect addition to our family. We found the coolest 2yr old M Miniature Poodle. He had so much charisma in the shelter we had to take him. Sorry, we are just so happy to have him in our lives already, I feel like a kid at Christmas. Let me get to the point. Common sense tells me that he has become accustomed to a lifestyle that he had with his past owner. We already know that he favors adult women. He will not leave my wife's side at all. He already slept in our bed, and if you go into my bedroom he will bark at us if my wife is still sleeping. We can address this issue at a later time. He refuses to eat the food we bought. That food is called Nutro Natural Choice chicken meal rice & oatmeal formula. It was recommended by a pet store employee. Could it be that he doesn’t like it, but he won’t even put it in his mouth to try it? My wife tried to give him some food in her hand with a treat, but he only would eat the treat out of her hand, and nudged the food away with his nose. Are there certain foods out there better (more desirable) out there for dogs? I hear wet food is not the way to go because it isn’t good for their teeth. You guys in my opinion are the experts because you are dog owners. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks,
> Tot's Dad


Yay on your new family member!

Give your new addition time to adjust. Big moves like this can be extremely stressful on a dog. He's in a new home, with new people and new smells. Give him a little time and I'm sure he'll eat once he's hungry.

If you start to really worry about him, you can try adding some warm wet dog food to it or even cooked plain chicken.


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## GeorgeGlass

katiemay said:


> Yay on your new family member!
> 
> Give your new addition time to adjust. Big moves like this can be extremely stressful on a dog. He's in a new home, with new people and new smells. Give him a little time and I'm sure he'll eat once he's hungry.
> 
> If you start to really worry about him, you can try adding some warm wet dog food to it or even cooked plain chicken.


His dog is now 5 years old. 

He's been in the house for more than three years.

This thread was started in 2006 and he hasn't posted since 12/26/06.

My guess is he got the advice he needed.

And if the dog still hasn't eaten, well, I'm sure he doesn't need advice any more.


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## orchid500

My new rescue didn't eat for 6-7 days after I took him home from the pound. He didn't touch a chew toy, and kind of just sat around like a zombie. He didn't even react to other dogs. He also had Kennel Cough and was pretty lethargic for a few days. He did drink water every day, though. The pound said Kennel Cough was like a human cold, and to just let it run it's course (absent signs of infection). It took my rescue about a week, and then like magic, he started eating, chewing and bolting off to play with other dogs in the neighborhood : )


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