My dog only eats one brand of food. How to transition a picky eater?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 7 years and 9 months old | 55 lbs
My dog only wants to eat one brand of dog food, Crave. This was found out when he just stopped eating food all together and this was like my fourth try of food. Its a bit pricy so I've tried to transition him to two really good brands that he will eat for about 2 weeks and acts like he likes it then stops. He even picked out a dog food himself from the store and I gave it to him and he just looked at it funny. He didn't eat it. The next day I put some crave in with it and he ate just the Crave.
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on March 9th, 2018
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Dom is adorable! I think that if he consistently eats the Crave then I would feed him that. I know it is pricey but it may save you in the long run from buying all different types of food to tempt him. Look for pet stores that offer discounts or a frequent buyers program. Look online for cheaper prices. The other option is to buy one food and stick it out. Put it down and if he refuses to eat with in a period of time remove it. Try again next meal time. Healthy dogs usually do not chose starvation and will eventually eat. It may take 3 days. You can try adding water at the 3 day mark. Personally I would buy what he likes. I hope this helps and I wish yo u and Dom the best!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on May 6th, 2019
It's best if your dog is fed mostly the formulated dog food for hsi age range and activity level, and offering people food only as treats occasionally. He will not starve to death if he is in otherwise good health, though he may try to make you feel guilty that he is. Feed him the best quality food you can afford, determine how much he needs per day based on his weight and activity level then divide that amount into however many meals you want to feed him per day. Three times daily is ideal but with schedules, it can be difficult, so twice a day is what many people opt for. Put his meal down, give him twenty or thirty minutes to eat it then take up any remaining food until the next meal. Don't give him treats unless it is for training or because he has done something you taught him when asked to do so. When the next meal time comes, give him his food and another 20-30 minutes to eat. He'll begin to understand that if he wants to eat he'll have to do it when the food is available and not whenever he wants. If you want to continue feeding him people food it's up to you, but in the long run keeping him on a diet formulated for his needs will be best.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on September 9th, 2017
If they are just picking then pick a dry food and stick with it. And stop mixing anything in. They will eat when they are hungry enough. A normal, healthy dog will not starve themselves. Put food down for 10-20 minutes twice a day to give them time to eat. If they don't eat pick it up and no treats or other foods. Healthy puppies will eat in a day or two. Don't let them train you, you need to train them. :) this way too you if they do ever get sick you have a better chance of tempting their appetite if needed. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on February 6th, 2017
Your dog has decided what his diet will be, but that's not his job . . . it's yours. Stop feeding him the chicken. 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 he has eaten or not. Do not give him anything--no treats, snacks or human food--until his next scheduled mealtime. Then repeat the process. It may take several times for him to realize that there will be no more chicken, and that he must eat his food. Remember that you are not starving him–he is choosing not to eat. When he is hungry enough, he will. Do not give in or "feel sorry" for him. It will only make it harder to correct. He must have a nutritionally complete diet, and chicken is not sufficient.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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