# Are We Going Through a Picky Eating Phase?



## emcale (Jul 9, 2017)

I have two GSDs, male/female 11 months old, spayed/neutered. Within the past month or so, our boy (Mac) has decided that he doesn’t want to eat in the mornings. Our routine is: wake up, play outside, settle down while Mom (me) takes a shower and gets ready, and then eat breakfast. 

Our girl (Tasha) does fine. I fill her bowl, ask her to sit, and set her bowl down in the feeder and she eats. Then I do the same with Mac, and lately, Mac just lays on the floor and looks at me. I feed them a mixture of dry food (Victor High-Pro) and wet food (Merrick - a variety of flavors. I change it up). Because of Mac’s behavior, I’ve started adding in extras. I’ve tried cottage cheese, veggies, and fruits.

Here are the things I’ve tried:
1) Changing food. I change up the dry food every few months and the wet food every couple of weeks. I tried different varieties of both with still the same outcome. 
2) Feeding them separately. They’re used to eating out of the same feeder that has two bowls. They’ve always eaten next to each other. I thought maybe it’s time to separate them while feeding them. Mac still either just lays on the floor or even walks away when I try to feed him.
3) Waiting longer to eat. I’ve tried waiting an hour after exercising outside to feed them. Tasha always done fine, Mac displays the same actions.
4) Hand feeding. This one seems to have been the only thing that sort of works. He’ll eat out of my hand or I feed him with a spoon. He seems to eat his food well this way. But as soon as he sees Tasha finish hers, he’s not interested in the food anymore. This is why I think it has something to do with Tasha being in the room, so perhaps I need to revisit that theory.

I don’t know if hand feeding him consistently is a good idea to keep up. But it’s the only way he’ll eat in the morning. In the evening when my husband comes home and feeds them (I’m at work at that time), he does fine and eats out of the feeder beside Tasha, no problem. Does it have something to do with me? Is he going through a phase? Has he turned into a picky eater? Any ideas?


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

try not to spoil them too much by giving them lost of choices while they go through the fussy stages. I make a nice meal, and if it isn't eaten I put it into the fridge (it often has stuff added that might spoil) and give it to them the next meal. Now, of course, if you pup has no energy and doesn't eat for days and looses a bunch of weight, get to the vet right away. 

I personally separate my dogs during meals. snitching from each other doesn't help the problem.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

My girl has been a picky eater from day one.Fussing over her made it worse.It's really hard to think of your poor dog going hungry all day....but I began just taking away her bowl if she didn't eat in a reasonable amount of time and pretended not to care if she ever ate again ever.After a couple of days she was eating normally again.I'm not sure if she enjoyed the attention more than than the meal or what.


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## Brushbunny (Mar 17, 2018)

Feed, give 20 minutes and then take it away. They will learn to eat at meal times. 

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