My dogs wouldn't eat dog food :(

I tried to feed my puppies dog food but they wouldn't eat it. My sister made them eat human food (rice, chicken, cheese,etc) when they were just starting to eat solid food. I know dog food is the best for our dogs because it provides them the proper amount of nutrition that they need everyday.

Do you guys have any suggestion how to make dogs switch to dog food? Thank you so much in advance.

 

How old are your puppies now?

 

They will probably eat it if they get hungry. Have you tried mixing it with what they usually eat as slowing increasing the amount of dog food in the mix until it's entirely dog food?

 

Have you tried different brands of the dog food as well? Sometimes dogs really don't like a certain brand due to whatever it's made with. If that doesn't work I recommend what NeilPearson said, mix the dog food with the human food and then slowly increase the amount of dog food in it.
Also if your puppies are young enough they probably need to be on special puppy food that has different nutrients in it.

 

I agree with the suggestions. He may just not like the brand that you have been feeding him. I would also suggest trying wet/canned dog food. It is a bit more expensive but your dog could get very sick eating human food! Especially things like cheese. He could end up very sick and need to get surgery if you continue feeding him human food.

 

Maybe you could try to mix rice and dog food since that what I had saw from my friend. She sometimes fed her dog human foods and sometimes dog foods. If its dog food, it was always mixed with human foods like rice.
And you could also try some other brands of dog foods if there will a difference.

 

Try Pedigree wet dog food. My dog loves it, and I am sure once your dog understood that is what he/she has to eat, the dog will eat it. Good luck!

 

Yes. Introduce wet dog foods first because solid dog foods are a bit blunt when it comes to aroma. As soon as the puppy recognized it then switching to solids is the next step.

 

The thing I think is when you have them taste human food first before dog food they would prefer it over the latter. If you want them to eat dog food, there are flavors that can be to their liking. My dogs won’t eat dog food but when they have a taste of the lamb flavor, they bite on it.

 

A gradual transition would be a good idea. Like mixing some dog food with their regular food. And increasing the percentage of dog food until they are eating only dog food.

 

You said it right Victor. You can never go wrong with dog foods because they are specially formulated for them. Human foods are for humans and dog foods are for dogs. But sometimes, feeding them some human foods like chicken or meat is fine.

 

I think it's not the question of nutrition here. It's like my Candy simply loves whatever I eat. Someone told me that when our dog eats what we have eaten, the dog bonds better with us.

 

I agree with what a lot of others have said in this thread already. Mixing the dog food with the human food they like to eat will gradually get them used to eating the dog food in the first place. Hopefully that does the trick and your dogs can go on to eat dog food successfully!

 

Yeah trying wet food and mixing it into the foods they love the best will get the ball rolling. If you wanna get them on dry food try taking whichever you choose and putting it in a blender mix that powder into the rice and such. Eventually if all else fails they'll eat it if they get hungry.

 

Well, just my two cents here. If the puppies are getting some type of meat like chicken, beef, etc. Human food in my opinion is better than the commercial dog foods. My dog really hasn't had commercial dog food with the exception of a can here or there when I run out of her food. I cook for my dog and this is a vet prescribe recipie. I put all the ingredients in a crock pot then let it cook for 6-8 hrs. This will last me for about 3 or 4 days. She gets the following 2lbs of meat (chicken, beef, pork, etc), 1 cup of organ meats (beef hearts, or livers), 1/4-1/2 cup each of seasonal greens (mustard, dandelion, collard, etc) as well as shitake or crimini mushrooms, 1 cup of barley, and 1 or 2 soup bones thrown in. If my husband and I are eating steak or hamburger for dinner she might get a piece or two of our dinner. However, I don't agree with giving cheese, or salty foods like (chips, pretzels, etc). On occasion she will get carrots or strawberries. People food in moderation and knowing what to give the dog to eat I think is ok. Just don't give them the bad things.

 

I used to cook for my dogs, too. I would buy a couple of kilos of frozen beef. Mince it with a blender. Cook it over a slow fire until it's just a thick paste. Then keep it in the fridge. Add to hot rice and serve.

 

I never cooked a dog food recipe for my dog before. 6-8 hours. I take this literally. Why would cooking a dog food take that long?

 

First, your puppies are so cute! Second, I would try what is suggested about giving them wet food first and then move to dry food. It might be the brand or it might be that they got spoiled with the human food. I don't know about making homemade dog food I have never attempted that before. I wouldn't spend 6-8 hours cooking anything for my dog though but that's just me.

 

You have some great suggestions here. I would begin mixing human food that they are use to with a good brand of dog food. Place a larger amount of human food and lessen over time. They will eventually begin eating what's there. Dogs are very smart and will try to guilt you into feeding them what they want.
Last week we had to change our dog's food due to medical reasons. She refused!! Called the vet and explained I would not be able to immediatly start new food. Once I began mixing the dog food with her usual boiled chicken and carrots she got the idea and a week later she is eating the new food. My other dog started eating the newer food late at night. Guess she figured that was all she was going to get. I catch her eating when she thinks no one is looking.
I am one of those that bakes and cooks for my doggies. They are like children, spoiled!