My dog only eats treats. How to safely switch to regular dog food?

Question

My mom has been taking care of my dog for me while I have been living abroad for 1.5 years. I just came home to discover that my mom has only been feeding my dog with treats for about a year. The dog refuses to eat regular dog food. How do I go about switching back to dog food and cutting down on treats without harming my dog's health in other ways? Pet's info: Dog | Miniature Pinscher | Female | spayed | 3 years and 5 months old | 13 lbs

Angel Alvarado, LVT · Accepted Answer

Immediately discontinue feeding all treats or snacks. Start feeding a high quality canned or dry dog food. Dogs thrive on routine, so feed Zoe on a consistent schedule. Prepare her food at the appointed time and leave it down for 20 minutes before picking it up whether she has eaten or not. Repeat this at the next mealtime. You can mix in some warm water or a teaspoon of plain baby food (nothing with garlic, onion or raisins/grapes) to stimulate the appetite. The hard part is that you and your mother, will need to be firm. Do not offer any food between meals. Do not worry, Zoe will not starve. Once she realizes no treats are forthcoming, she will eat.

My dog only eats treats. How to safely switch to regular dog food?

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