Stubborn with food + a picky eater
Hello everyone,
for the past three weeks my wife and I have been living with our now 11 week old puppy Maša. She's been amazing so far - silly, goofy, calm, a fast learner, a true sleepy head - just a beautiful puppy overall. But there is one thing... as it always is.
She's a real picky eater. Dog breeder that we got her from told us to always leave a bowl with kibbles available, as that's how she's been raising all of her puppies. When we first got her, she refused to eat dry kibbles so we introduced a bit of water. She ate it like that for a day or two and then started refusing. So we mixed dry kibbles with Royal Canin mousse as that's what she's been fed at the breeder too. For a couple of days everything was ok. But we can't feed a small puppy with dog pates for every of her 3-4 meals a day. She needs to eat dry food as well, if for nothing else than to practice her biting and teeth.
So we decided to give her smaller quantities of pate, still mixed with dry food. A couple of our veterinarian relatives and friends gave us a green light to do so as she needs to start eating dry food. Nope, if she didn't smell that there was "enough" of it, she simply wouldn't eat it. We tried hand feeding her and that would sometimes work, but not all the time. Switching bowls to mini plates and back also didn't help, except for the first time. The second time she was fed in the same plate like the previous time she refused it. Throwing kibbles on the floor helped maybe once or twice and then she started refusing it too. Then we started wondering what if the temperature of the pate isn't good enough? Maybe serving it to her 15-20 minutes after being in the fridge isn't good.... So, logically, I gave a shot with the microwave for 10-15sec.
AND OH BOY WHAT A MEAL THAT WAS TO HER. She ate it like crazy. For the next day or two we gave her kibbles mixed with small amounts of pate heated in the microwave for 10-15 sec. BUT WE CAN'T REINFORCE THAT. IF WE GO SOMEWHERE WITH NO ACCESS TO THE MICROWAVE SHE'LL JUST STARVE? While talking with a breeder she said that she would often microwave food for her puppies too, and that she must have remembered that's how the food had been served.
Today we started with a new regime suggested by multiple internet sources, as well as our veterinarian friends. To leave dry food out for approx 15-20min and if she doesn't eat it - pick it up and offer it to her in an hour or so.
Morning meal (8.00 am) - served her dry kibble - refused to eat
removed after 20min
play time
9.00 am - second try - ate
Lunch (2.30 pm) - served her ONLY dry kibble - refused to eat
refused to eat in 20 min, 45min, 1.30 hour
also refused to eat around 5.30pm
Dinner (7.30) - served her ONLY dry kibble - refused to eat
refused to eat in 20min, 45 min
as she's been without any food from 9.00 am I felt really sorry and mixed in some pate. Of course, she ate it like crazy.
So.... What to do next? I've heard from multiple sources that I shouldn't give in and buy her new food. This brand (Happy Dog) is one of the best for the price in my country. Of course, there are brands like Royal Canin, Taste of the Wild, Acana, Brit etc. but this one has been recommended to us by our friends and family + the breeder. I mean, if a dog isn't interested in food unless heated in the microwave, maybe it doesn't smell good to her? Should my next step be to try a different brand?