# Puppy will not eat dry food



## Cacciatore1981 (Apr 15, 2019)

Hello, tried searching this topic but couldn’t quite find exact problem. Brought a 3 month old puppy home last week, according to the breeder he ate dry food in the morning and raw in the evening, tried every trick in the book with the mixing but he spits out the dry, the same brand that breeder claims he was eating in morning, he will eat raw , canned , fresh pet select . Is there anything left to do other then letting him get hungry enough to eat ? He’s a 3 month old. Any help is greatly appreciated . Thank you


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

He knows what’s good and what is not.
If you don’t have to feed dry food, and can feed fresh homemade or raw, there is no reason to feed kibble. Just make sure you feed the right proportions of bone, organs and muscle meat. There is a wealth of info on this forum about diet.


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## Cacciatore1981 (Apr 15, 2019)

My last Dog lived to be 13 on dry, good shape I have always tried to use more quality dry, feeding raw and homemade is not do able for me , I’m a single dad of a young child , I work and have to board my dog sometimes 1 or 2 weeks a year , I was just trying to get some help. Thank you


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## Judy Untamed (Oct 26, 2018)

The benefits of feeding kibble are many, and I totally understand wanting to find a solution that lets you do that. 

I am too new at this to have any sure-fire advice...but I do believe it won't hurt the pup to go hungry (miss a meal) a time or two to help build an appreciation for his kibble. If I were in your shoes, (and I basically was when I brought my pup home...she was fed 100% raw at her breeder's home) I would find a good kibble I was confident in and wean him off the raw completely...at least for now. If he knows something better is coming later in the day, he may not care to eat the kibble. If all he gets is kibble...and he gets hungry enough...he'll learn to like it. Once you get him used to eating the hard, crunchy bits, then maybe you can dial in a flavor that he likes best.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Cacciatore1981;9159531tried every trick in the book with the mixing but he spits out the dry said:


> Smart pup.....I might be wrong but mixing raw and kibble probably is not a good idea.
> 
> 
> I'd stick with the breeder's feeding plan.......a meal or two missed of kibble won't be the worst thing.......
> ...


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## crittersitter (Mar 31, 2011)

Is it the same kibble as the breeder was using? Also, how about canned or dehydrated if you need a backup to raw? You could even mix the canned with a little warm water and mix it up with the kibble?


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## Mei (Mar 30, 2018)

Your puppy could just be teething and the kibble hurts his mouth? Happened to mine at that age. I just added beef/chicken stock or warm water to soften it up. just a thought.


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## Cacciatore1981 (Apr 15, 2019)

Yes tried everything, mixing canned low sodium stock , water , baby food , you name it , never had this problem with any of my past dogs, crazy


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## Cacciatore1981 (Apr 15, 2019)

Thank you that's what I'm thinking , if he gets hungry enough he has to eat, so far he went a day and a half and I caved , he will devour the pet fresh select wet food , even tried mixing it but he spits out the dry, first time for everything , never seen this before


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## Cacciatore1981 (Apr 15, 2019)

Hello, no I'm not mixing raw and dry , but tried everything else, broth , canned food , water you name it


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

Try withholding the raw food again. I bet you caved one meal too soon. He may only be 3 months old but it sounds like he is getting your number and training "you" well. Unless he has a health issue you don't know about, the food is rancid (dogs know) he will eat when hungry enough. Going a couple days won't cause him any harm. I would be concerned if he went more than 3 full days or begins to sow signs of illness. Be strong! This is likely just a battle of wills.


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## DaBai (Aug 13, 2017)

Switching to a smaller bite kibble like fromm and mixing with wet food? Sort of hard to lick wet food off that size of kibbles without eating in most of the dry. 

Or maybe try feeding kibble partially soaked with goat milk or bone broth if you happen to make them? Though would not personally recommend this too much, my dog got this treatment after she got off surgery and she protested by not eating her kibble for a while when i tried to switch back to kibble-only so this might backfire by creating a new dependency.

Or maybe try a raw coated or freeze dried dry food ($$$ alert) like stella and chewy or ziwipeaks (which my dog is willing to take for treats and no she does not just take normal kibble for treats).

And of course just try sticking to feeding schedule and the dog should soon learn that being picky means no more food until next meal.


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## GSDchoice (Jul 26, 2016)

An amusing side story....

My cousin and her husband were going off on their dream vacation to Australia. They left their beloved cat with her mom and dad for two weeks. My aunt and uncle are foodie people who are famous for their dinner parties...

Anyway my cousin got her cat back after vacation and he was refusing to eat, so she made a vet appointment.

Then she found out that her mom had been buying a large rotisserie chicken from Costco every week and slicing it up and feeding that to the cat!! That is what he dined on for two weeks. No wonder he was refusing his cat food for a while...!


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## Cacciatore1981 (Apr 15, 2019)

Thank you for advice , I wasn't even aware of freeze dried kibble


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

SuperG said:


> Smart pup.....I might be wrong but mixing raw and kibble probably is not a good idea


It's fine. That's a myth. The theory is it digests at different rates...but so does bone and raw meat 

https://therawfeedingcommunity.com/...s-kibble-may-actually-digest-faster-than-raw/


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## wm97 (Dec 13, 2018)

*A Pediatrician's advice*



Cacciatore1981 said:


> Hello, tried searching this topic but couldn’t quite find exact problem. Brought a 3 month old puppy home last week, according to the breeder he ate dry food in the morning and raw in the evening, tried every trick in the book with the mixing but he spits out the dry, the same brand that breeder claims he was eating in morning, he will eat raw , canned , fresh pet select . Is there anything left to do other then letting him get hungry enough to eat ? He’s a 3 month old. Any help is greatly appreciated . Thank you


I remember the advice one pediatrician gave to a worried mother whose baby would not eat the food she prepared. "Don't worry about it," said the doctor. "When she gets hungry enough she will eat a rock."

Before you get to the rock stage, I would suggest mixing something with it. I mix in some canned dog food of different flavors. I figure if I would get bored eating the same thing every day, they would too. 

Or, I sous vide some chicken or beef (if you haven't tried sous vide, you should. You can get a three-inch thick piece of meat perfectly medium rare edge to edge every time), and I pour the unseasoned juice over their food. I have never seen a dog that would refuse that.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

One of my dog's sisters was like that. She would not eat any of the kibble. The owners had to go through a bunch of different brands until they found one that their pup was interested in. It just so happens that it's one of the more expensive brands....Orijen. They have no choice. That's the only one the dog eats. My point is, have you tried a bunch of other brands? Tried other "flavors" like fish/salmon based or duck based or etc.

Also, once you start adding things that entice the pup to eat kibble like broth or raw meats or canned food or etc...you've opened Pandora's box. The pup's gonna start expecting all the additions and won't touch the food without it. I know all about it. I added shredded chicken, broth, eggs, or canned food to my previous dog's kibble. In fact the kibble was a mixture of 2 different brands. I had no choice because I had to force him to eat. If he didn't, he would lose weight really fast because he had EPI. If you're deadest on kibble, then keep looking for a brand that works. Also, if you don't mind the extra work of adding food to entice your dog to eat, then keep doing it


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## Cacciatore1981 (Apr 15, 2019)

tc68, yes I have tried many , bought many and free samples , I finally found one that he started eating called Rawz meal free diet limited recipe salmon, everyday he’s eating more on a schedule, very high priced and only sold in one store in my area, I’m hoping I can slowly have him eating taste of the wild or another similar food, thanks for everyone’s input , he’s a ball of fire now that he’s eating properly


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## Cacciatore1981 (Apr 15, 2019)

DaBai I wanna thank you for your reply you’re the reason I found a food that is working, when you mentioned Stella the raw coated I ended up finding a food called Rawz meal free diet limited recipe salmon, it’s working now and eventually I’m hoping I can ease him into taste of the wild or another similar food. Thank you


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## Seer (May 24, 2011)

Judy Untamed said:


> If he knows something better is coming later in the day, he may not care to eat the kibble. If all he gets is kibble...and he gets hungry enough...he'll learn to like it.


If stale biscuits are the only way you want feed, might as well get on with it. Having a proper diet then laying down kibble the dog is going wait or spit out the fast food to get to the meal his body wants. Besides kibble being dirt cheap theres no real good reasons to be on it. DC the good food and he will eventually be forced to eat what you want him to.


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