What is the best food method for my very picky dog? She seems to hate her current science diet kibble, for she only eats it when she is desperate for something to eat, other than that she begs me for a bite of my meal.

The best thing to do is not to give her any additional food at all. No human food or treats. Given that she will eat it when she's desperate for something to eat, it shows she will eat it and she's simply being picky. Only offer her her dog food twice a day, and put the meal down for 15-20 minutes. Pick it up after that time period, even if she hasn't eaten anything. Do not give her any other food until her next meal. Once she learns she won't get any other food, she will start eating it.

It sounds like she's training you just the way she wants you. ;-) As long as she is in good health, you can outwait her picky appetite. Science Diet is excellent food and made to be highly palatable, but if she can talk you out of your food, why would she want to eat the kibble? So, figure out how much food she is supposed to have and divide that into two or three meals. In the morning, put her meal down for her, give her twenty-thirty minutes to eat it and take it away. Don't give her treats unless she is doing something to get it as a reward, such as training or performing something you've taught her to do, and don't feed her a lot of them. Don't let her guilt you into giving her your food either. When it's her mealtime again, put her food back down for the 20-30 minutes and take it away at the end of that time, even if she hasn't eaten anything. Dogs don't suffer any adverse physical problem like cats do if they go without eating for a few days. She should start to learn that you're not going to give in and if she wants something to eat, she needs to eat it when it's available. Be patient and don't let her make you feel guilty, even though you will feel guilty.

Sweety has decided what her diet will be, but that's not her job . . . it's yours. Stop feeding her the human food. Put regular dog food in a bowl on the floor without fuss and leave it for 15 minutes. After that time, pick it up whether she has eaten or not. Do not give her anything--no treats, snacks or human food--until her next scheduled mealtime. Then repeat the process. It may take several times for her to realize that there will be no more goodies, and that she must eat her food. Remember that you are not starving her–she is choosing not to eat. This is a battle of wills. When she is hungry enough, she’ll give in and eat, and your problem will be solved. Do not weaken or "feel sorry" for her. It will only make it harder to correct. She must have a nutritionally complete diet, which she currently is not getting. Good luck with this!

The first thing I would recommend doing is having her examined by your veterinarian to make sure this decrease in appetite is not a sign of a medical condition. If you and your veterinarian feel confident that Chloe is healthy, then you can make a plan for managing her picky eating. There are some dogs that like variety, so if you are willing to buy various foods for her you could. You could also choose a food and wait her out - some dogs will take 24-48 hours to eat but will eventually eat when they are hungry enough. If you stick with it she will learn that waiting to eat does not result in different food being offered.