# Trouble with getting puppy to eat dry food!



## Labchi (Dec 8, 2013)

My 13 week old Chihuahua/Lab mix doesn't quite enjoy her dry food. She was started on Blue Buffalo Wilderness for puppies, but she didn't like that. She was then switched to Orijen Puppy and seems to like that a little better. 

The only way she will eat her dry food is if she has water in it, and a tiny bit of wet food heated up and mixed. 

My 14 y/o Pomeranian needs a prescription wet food, and it's hard because the puppy sees him get wet food and she gets her dry so she goes over to him and waits to lick his plate.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to get a puppy to eat her dry kibble? 
Also, does anyone have any suggestions on a high quality food picky puppies may like?


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## CaitlinandLudo (Apr 20, 2013)

I had the same problem for awhile with my rescue. First, when you feed your pomeranian her food, do it in a separate room so your chihuahua won't see. I had to completely separate both of my dogs during feedings, and with my rescue who refused to eat anything,I mixed his food with rice, and chicken to make sure he was eating enough. He had severe problems with his teeth after I got him, and he was unable to eat any hard food. Eventually, she'll eat the dry food by itself. But seeing your pom get special treatment, she probably feels a little neglected, and wants the same treatment. I don't see anything wrong with mixing the wet food with the dry food as long as she's eating both. I mix two dry dog foods for taste, and to be sure they're getting all the nutrients they need that one food might be lacking. I had a picky puppy, he hated Blu. He picked certain kibble out, I ended up mixing Iams, and Eukanuba together and he loves that! Occasionally I'll add some Blu in, but he's not too fond of it. I hope this helps! I'm not a doggy good expert, but this worked with my two pups! Good luck!


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## Kyle071785 (Nov 28, 2013)

just wean her off the added water and wet food bit by bit. It may take a week or two but keep lowering the amount you put into it daily and she won't notice as much as if you take it away all at once

My pup is on Wellness Puppy right now and devours it. When he is an adult I'm going to transition to either Orijin, Acana or Go! but since he likes what he's on now I'm going to leave it be. There are so many great foods out there. 

A site I found really helpful when choosing was: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/dry/

Stick to the 4 star plus foods and you'll be good. Happy eating :wave:


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## Labchi (Dec 8, 2013)

Yep we got the Wellness Core Puppy but had a sample bag of Orijen and she loved it so we took the Wellness back and got a bag of Origen. She doesn't seem to like it anymore now -.- I don't want to feed any wet food because I don't want dental problems. Thanks for your replies guys! I will definitely feed them separately from now on.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Wet or dry, kibble isn't good for teeth. Don't count on feeding dry helping. Better to get started with tooth brushing now instead of hoping dry kibble is easier on teeth.


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## Labchi (Dec 8, 2013)

I have a dog dental cleaning kit. I do know wet is worse for teeth because it gets stuck in between easier than the dry that's why I'd rather feed dry.


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## Justdogs (Dec 23, 2012)

First of all...toy dogs typically have bad dental issues in general. It is the natural order of things when humans manipulate a species into ridiculous packages. Wet or dry...for any dog, not just toy dogs...why should we expect them to eat, let alone "like" the same crap we put in front of them day after day for years on end. People say..."be strong...a dog won't starve itself...they'll eventually eat." Well...true...but that is very sad. I sort of wonder how enthusiastic a human would be if all they were allowed to eat was a bowl of Quaker Oats for every meal, for 14 years. Also sad...when you are giving one dog a really cool diet because of a medical issue...and another dog wants that too...by gosh....separate that darned healthy dog and make him eat dry, tasteless crap...and by gosh, if he prefers it moistened, and you don't want to bother checking his teeth on a regular basis...I guess he'll either die or eat the dry crap.

Dog food companies have perpetuated the myth that table scraps or ANYTHING other than their tasteless dry food is best for your dog...veterinarians soon after have jumped on that bandwagon because those two entities got into bed with each other and began hawking dog food in their offices. Heck....I would love feeding toy dogs an appropriate varied diet because it is a monetary no-brainer....but yet I have three 70 + lbs dogs that I enjoy feeding a varied diet...even with a base of a mid-priced kibble. You can make a simple "stew" of a boiled whole chicken with some carrots, celery, turnips, potatoes, etc, etc...to last for a week of adding to a meal, and switching that up with beef or pork, or whatever is severely price-reduced in the manager special bin at your grocery store. I also give fish (their ultimate favorite) on a routine basis....very easy, very cheap. Snacks? One of their favorites is simply a big carrot that they treat as a bone...cleans the teeth nicely, but I also buy raw marrow bones from the grocer meat bin, also a good teeth cleanser...Why WOULDN'T you want your dog to actually "like" the food he/she is eating, rather than simply wanting tips on how to MAKE your dog eat crappy, tasteless food?

Justdogs


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## Little Wise Owl (Nov 12, 2011)

Labchi said:


> I have a dog dental cleaning kit. I do know wet is worse for teeth because it gets stuck in between easier than the dry that's why I'd rather feed dry.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Just wanted to add... 
Wet food doesn't make teeth any worse than dry food if the dog is given dental care (brushing, chewing dental toys, and/or gnawing on raw meaty bones/tough meat chunks). Now, this is just my opinion but I believe a smaller dog is going to have worse teeth when eating dry food because they're more likely to chew their food due to their smaller mouthes. Dry food is more carbohydrate heavy than high quality wet food so your dog is going to have carb-ridden food stuck in their teeth more often. 

Our late Maltese was fed dry food exclusively and ended up with severe periodontal disease (we thought dry food and water additives would help... How ignorant we were). She chewed every piece thoroughly too.

Anyway, I wouldn't rule out wet food simply for dental reasons. Our 13 year old Bichon/mini Poodle had horrible teeth (and was headed down the same path as our Maltese) until we switched him from dry food (which he hated anyway) to solely a meat based canned food and fresh food (raw heart, gizzards, pork/beef chunks and soft meaty bones) diet. The vet says his teeth aren't even a concern anymore.


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## Labchi (Dec 8, 2013)

Justdogs, so you're thinking that I want my dog to eat food she doesn't like? Crappy food, actually. I look for the most high quality food that I think suits my dogs, I refuse to buy my dogs "crappy food". I'm trying to get her used to dry food. My 14 year old has eaten so many different varieties of foods throughout his life, not the same brand of food for 14 years. I was told that by so many resources and people that wet is bad for teeth. I thought dry would have been somewhat better. I've only had one dog my whole life up until this puppy, I'm still learning the updated ways to care for my dog properly, so I'm trying to find ways to keep her teeth cleaner on the side of brushing, like bones, toys, foods. This puppy doesn't eat the same thing every night. She has chicken broth, wet food, dry food, boiled chicken, etc. I want variety in my dogs diet just like my 14 year old used to have, who is now on a limited diet of low fat prescription foods because of Pancreatitis. Like I said, I need tips to get her used to dry food. She eats it now that I found a brand she likes, but doesn't like the texture. You read everything wrong. Judging by a small post I made, you immediately made horrible assumptions about my dog's diets and how I feed them that are completely false.


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## Labchi (Dec 8, 2013)

Little Wise Owl said:


> Just wanted to add...
> Wet food doesn't make teeth any worse than dry food if the dog is given dental care (brushing, chewing dental toys, and/or gnawing on raw meaty bones/tough meat chunks). Now, this is just my opinion but I believe a smaller dog is going to have worse teeth when eating dry food because they're more likely to chew their food due to their smaller mouthes. Dry food is more carbohydrate heavy than high quality wet food so your dog is going to have carb-ridden food stuck in their teeth more often.
> 
> Our late Maltese was fed dry food exclusively and ended up with severe periodontal disease (we thought dry food and water additives would help... How ignorant we were). She chewed every piece thoroughly too.
> ...



That sounds like a good diet. I've read so many mixed things about wet food. My Pomeranian was fed wet food mostly his entire life, and he has severe periodontal disease that he needs medication for. That's why I wanted to know better options of food to start this puppy on to help her teeth. I now know there really isn't any but she will have her teeth brushed often. She is mixed with lab, and has the large lab features so I am unsure how large her mouth will get. Our puppy is still eating a bit of wet food with her dry. I'll probably go out and buy her a high quality wet food tomorrow to mix into her dry foods and look around at more healthy varieties to give her. Thanks for your reply 



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## nikkiartstudio (Dec 22, 2013)

I have tried every dry food under the sun. My Basset, who is 2, still does not enjoy her food. But I have found that if I put a little water on the food and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds, she will eat it. She is picky.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Wet is better for dogs, whether it's raw, canned or dehydrated. Is there a problem with your dog having canned food,neither alone or with kibble?


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## zd91 (Dec 20, 2013)

what i did for a few weeks was mix it with a small amount of wet food, then obviously slowly subtract the amount of it every meal time so she starts to get used to dry food


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## ufimych (Sep 5, 2011)

Having such a little dog, I would not bother with kibble at all. Offer him a raw meat of all kinds, including pieces of liver. By the way, how that kind of mix was obtained? Chihuahua is so small and Lab is much taller...How one made them mating? 

Dry dog food is hard on kidneys. The dog, or cat would not live as long as they should. My son got a stray cat years ago. When he offered the cat raw ground beef, the cat did not want it. Probably he never ate raw meat before. It was a typical declawed cat. Now, the cat has a bad kidneys problem and he should eat raw or die. He began eating ground beef, which helps him to continue in this life.


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## Zoey's Mom (Dec 16, 2013)

I agree with others about dry being useless for teeth no matter which way you turn it. If it did anything for teeth then I'd imagine the statistics for dental diseases in dogs would be at a much lower rate than they are. (Currently 80% of all dogs over the age of 2!) My Pekapom is 14.5 and never had a dental cleaning in her life. The vets always comment about what good shape her teeth are in and tbh...Her dental care was pretty neglected for the first few years of her life before I realized it was so important. The gunk that had built up in those few years were worn off by raw bones and brushing, now she just has some discoloration but the teeth and gums themselves are in great shape. She's eaten wet food for most of her life before I switched her to full raw. I do believe that small dogs are more prone to dental problems but it always makes me sad when people assume it WILL happen just because they've got a compact mouth. (That's not saying YOU are implying it but I've spent my time on several dog forums and it amazes me the people who risk their dogs lives every single year for a dental cleaning because they believe that the dog automatically WILL end up with problems if they don't. Personally I'd rather put them under once and pull every last tooth if I was that worried about it. :/ Going off topic now though. )

As far as adding water and extras go, I firmly believe in doing both. Dogs are meant to get moisture with their meals. Think about how "wet" meat is, it's about 60% moisture. Now compare that to kibble which is typically a maximum of 10% moisture. Not all dogs go to the water bowl enough to make up for it which can lead to a lot of health problems. I also feel like dry kibble has to be so scratchy going down! Just rub it between your fingers and it's no wonder why so many end up choking (Even if it's not life threatening, just a hack or two) while eating! I also don't believe for a second that ANY kibble, no matter how much you pay for it, is "complete and balanced" which is why I believe in adding some canned food for variety or more importantly, REAL meats for REAL nutrition. Not synthetic crap. So it's great that you already add things, though I'd try to incorporate some of it raw style.  Be careful with the broth though unless you're using it from the chicken you boiled. Canned kind is so full of sodium! Look up how to make bone broth too, omg do my dogs (Well, currently only have one but have had many in the past) love some bone broth!!! It's also excellent for the joints (Aside from being yummy!) because it contains so much natural glucosamine!


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## anonymoususer (Dec 20, 2013)

Beori had trouble with kibble also. Her puppy teeth was too small to crush kibble. What i did was tab each piece of kibble with a blunt knife handle. Even if it doesn't crack in half, it would make it much easier for her to chew.


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## Justdogs (Dec 23, 2012)

Labchi, I'll forgive you for railing against me for simply replying to your original post. I love it how people on this forum love to put words in my mouths...words I never said. One thing I will say is quality is relative. Advertising and consumerism is also relative. Just because one spends $70 for a 30# bag of food doesn't necessarily make it better than spending $30 for the same size. If people were to actually research dog food companies....a lot of these "expensive" brands are produced by the same companies that produce more economical brands. And for those of you that did do this....just wait...there will come a time when they will be "bought out" just like everybody else. 

So if you got the notion I was telling you about "crap" food...it is ALL crap food. I was simply responding to YOUR original post....dog food companies and veterinarians alike throw out words like "picky eaters" as if that were somehow a horrible affliction with our dogs. Our dogs are not stupid...I'm sure most on this list cook for their families so dogs are smelling all sorts of DIFFERENT things every night...yet they are presented with the SAME bland dry kibble every day of their lives. And when they turn their nose up..."oh...the are just "picky"." My dogs would eat the same plain kibble every night if it was presented to them simply because they knew that was all they were getting. But it hit me one day...after years of making different meals for myself....why were my dogs not excited about eating? I guess if I ate oatmeal every day for 15 years...I would eat it because I knew I had to eat, but I certainly wouldn't be excited about it.

Now, I actually enjoy buying simply a mid-price level food (not the expensive...um, crap...which is just as crap as the mid-level price) but I put the extra money into buying meat and fish and pork (yes pork) on sale and making an easy stew with carrots and celery and potatoes....as additives...never the same meal twice in a row....one meal with canned tuna...the next with mystery meat stew...the next with maybe some canned dog food...always different...just like I eat different. Heck..sometimes with cottage cheese (my dogs love that) sometimes with simply human leftovers (omg! your vet will faint!). They particularly love sardine night and salmon night and mackerel night...there are certain chain grocery stores where you can buy fish and meat cheaply to make up for overly priced kibble.

Your original post....your PUPPY wants to lick the plate of your old dog that needs prescription canned food. Hmmm....that tells me your puppy is simply BORED with kibble...thinks the canned food is yummy....and everybody but me somehow thinks that is a bad thing and you are buying into feeding separately so your puppy doesn't see your older dog getting tastier food...weird. I say....give your puppy some tastier food, and a variety of it...for all the reasons I already said above. And like I said...your railing against me will not deter me from my views. Reminds me of that whole control thing where "humans" must prevail over basic nature issues. It is all very sad.


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## NicoleIsStoked (Aug 31, 2012)

i'm going to have to agree with Justdogs. I don't think its a personal attack against anyone. But overall, and this is directed to everyone equally, i think if your dog hates what is being offered, the least you can do is find something high quality that he/she enjoys, whether thats kibble, raw, canned, home cooked, dehydrated, etc. If you have to add water to the kibble for your dog to like it, I personally don't see the big deal. The only down side I see with adding canned is that it is quite expensive, especially for high quality. But if the cost is not an issue than no dog should have to eat something they hate. The only exception i can see if when medical issues force your dog to need 1 particular type of food. My little man that passed away 2 years ago had liver failure and needed a dry prescription diet that he HATED. and we would actually starve himself without breaking down and eating it. so we mixed in BBQ'd chicken everyday and made it more enjoyable for him to eat.
just my two cents.


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