# Lilly is a picky eater or spoiled



## cyndrae (Aug 30, 2009)

I usually feed her two times a day part kibble part canned. Was using Wellness and just picked up a sample of Acana kibble. She was pretty much eating without a problem, but she was never really excited about the food. 

At the same time I have been training her and it has been hard finding small enough treats so I have been using chicken. We always have chicken around the house which makes it very easy to use and Lilly will die for a piece of chicken.

Actually when she first started to not eat her meals I started using the meal as treats while we played ball but then it seemed like she only wanted to eat when I was there playing/feeding her.

I don't worry about her not getting enough food because of the chicken treats.

I used very little canned food so I usually had to throw out some of a can before she got to it. We started adding chicken to the kibble instead of canned.

SO my question is this.....
Is the kibble and chicken enough as a base? I do add occasionally sweet potato or potato, I have found coconut flakes and dried sweet potatoes.

Should I add a vitamins? any advice on which ones?

I just want to make sure she is getting a good balanced diet.

Thanks everyone.


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## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

I think Lilly and Rocky are related. I am doing the same thing! He loves his chicken and will do anything for it. I like you, started with the can food and kibble. I feed him Natural Balance Organic Kibble. I mixed it with a little canned food. He would get bored and not eat it after a while, so I started with the chicken. I mix it with chicken and he only eats the chicken. So, I'm back to tough love...Kibble or nothing. He ate it tonite. I just wish I could find a food he loves and stick to it. He's never really loved any dog food. But if he were not to eat the kibble at all, I would have to make him some vegies too, to make it a balanced meal. Good luck...I'm sure there are a lot of other ladies here that could help you more.


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## cyndrae (Aug 30, 2009)

Rocky's Mom said:


> I think Lilly and Rocky are related. I am doing the same thing! He loves his chicken and will do anything for it. I like you, started with the can food and kibble. I feed him Natural Balance Organic Kibble. I mixed it with a little canned food. He would get bored and not eat it after a while, so I started with the chicken. I mix it with chicken and he only eats the chicken. So, I'm back to tough love...Kibble or nothing. He ate it tonite. I just wish I could find a food he loves and stick to it. He's never really loved any dog food. But if he were not to eat the kibble at all, I would have to make him some vegies too, to make it a balanced meal. Good luck...I'm sure there are a lot of other ladies here that could help you more.


It's nice to know that Lilly is not the only chicken addict


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## waggybaby (Jul 28, 2009)

I home cook for Sasha and what she eats one day she won't eat the next.
I even have tried canned, kibble, and raw food.

Maybe all ours fluffs are just very finicky.
I will be happy for advise from everyone too.

Oh... I give her supplements of vitamins, probiotics and salmon oil but I give it to her in cream cheese because somehow that she will always eat hahaha


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## maltlovereileen (Jan 19, 2009)

cyndrae said:


> SO my question is this.....
> Is the kibble and chicken enough as a base? I do add occasionally sweet potato or potato, I have found coconut flakes and dried sweet potatoes.
> 
> Should I add a vitamins? any advice on which ones?
> ...


A good quality kibble (such as the one you mentioned) is a balanced diet in and of itself. You are using the chicken to 'spike' the food to entice her to eat the kibble. As long as she is also eating her kibble, she should be getting all her vitamins and nutrition. Everything you mentioned would be fine to spike her food with to entice her to eat it. We have to do that here too...add a little something something to get them to eat their kibble.


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## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

No one beats my malt when it comes to picky eating. I give her raw dehydrated kibble, Acana and on rare occasions Merrick canned food. I rotate all these foods very often. I mix in her 2 favourite foods : Cucumbers and blueberries. Sometimes she knocks all the kibbles out of the bowl to make room for her to enjoy her bluberries and cucumbers. I've also added coconut oil, but now she's bored with the coconut oil. She basically like variety. The only food she gets really excited for like crazy is Ziwi Peak. Very, very expensive, though.


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## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

poochie2 said:


> No one beats my malt when it comes to picky eating. I give her raw dehydrated kibble, Acana and on rare occasions Merrick canned food. I rotate all these foods very often. I mix in her 2 favourite foods : Cucumbers and blueberries. Sometimes she knocks all the kibbles out of the bowl to make room for her to enjoy her bluberries and cucumbers. I've also added coconut oil, but now she's bored with the coconut oil. She basically like variety. The only food she gets really excited for like crazy is Ziwi Peak. Very, very expensive, though.


:HistericalSmiley:...Rocky does like things rotated too. We say that we think Rocky wants a Menu every night! He always knocks out what he doesn't want in the bowl. I tried coconut oil and he doesn't like it. What he likes one day, he does not like the next. I think these Malts are very finicky and spoiled. I will keep trying to put nothing but the dog food down. I've done this once before a few months ago... and he didn't eat for five days. But so far this time he is eating it. I give him zero treats while doing this so hes good and hungry.


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## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

Rocky's Mom said:


> :HistericalSmiley:...Rocky does like things rotated too. We say that we think Rocky wants a Menu every night! He always knocks out what he doesn't want in the bowl. I tried coconut oil and he doesn't like it. What he likes one day, he does not like the next. I think these Malts are very finicky and spoiled. I will keep trying to put nothing but the dog food down. I've done this once before a few months ago... and he didn't eat for five days. But so far this time he is eating it. I give him zero treats while doing this so hes good and hungry.


EXACTLY like my malt ! Would prefer a menu every day :OMG!:
Sometimes I give in and I feed her by hand.....I know very very bad thing to do. That's not done often. When I lay her kibble down in the morning sometimes it will be 4 pm and she hasn't touched one. Give her some rice, veggies and chicken and its gone in a flash. These babies are very smart !


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## Miss_Annie (Mar 3, 2010)

This thread kinda scares me... What if my baby doesn't like anything?! :mellow: Hopefully home cooking will be good enough for him. 



poochie2 said:


> I mix in her 2 favourite foods : Cucumbers and blueberries. Sometimes she knocks all the kibbles out of the bowl to make room for her to enjoy her bluberries and cucumbers..


 Really?! :HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley:Blueberries and cucumbers?! I would've NEVER guessed that as a favorite food for a malt! That's too cute!


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## almitra (Apr 24, 2009)

Pepper is finicky, but I just don't cater to it.She will either eat or be hungry, the choice is hers. Luigi will eat anything and quickly, too, though...LOL! So I have one of each kind: a finicky eater and a _designated diner_.


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## Chalex (Feb 19, 2010)

I cook for my 15 year old poodle but I don't want to spend the rest of my life cooking so Preston gets Orijen (we call it his fishy food). Also, I know he's getting the nutrition he needs with a good quality food rather than my dog recipes. 

I sprinkle a little chicken on top as well since his sister gets chicken. That makes him dive in. At first he didn't like the kibble but he seems to be enjoying it now.


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## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

Miss_Annie said:


> This thread kinda scares me... What if my baby doesn't like anything?! :mellow: Hopefully home cooking will be good enough for him.
> 
> 
> 
> Really?! :HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley:Blueberries and cucumbers?! I would've NEVER guessed that as a favorite food for a malt! That's too cute!


Yes. Her healthy treats are cucumbers and blueberries. When she sees me taking the cucumber out of the fridge she starts jumping and doing 360's. She's hilarious !:happy:


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## cyndrae (Aug 30, 2009)

I have to say the members here on SM are great. Now I know it's not just Lilly. I didn't think of blueberries, I eat some every day. I didn't think of the rice either so I'll give that a go.

I would probably try the wait game and I'm sure she would figure it out but my husband (the big tough one) would think she is starving if I did it. Ha Ha!

I will continue with my plan so far and not worry about getting the canned food.


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## Rocky's Mom (Apr 10, 2010)

Yes they are and they know how to make you sweat. Rocky didn't eat all day...finally tonight he ate some kibble. I give him a high quality canned liver in his Kong...at least I know he is eating that too. I've yet to find a bisquit or dog cookie he likes. I tired blueberries today and he spit it out. I've tried strawberries too...nope!


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## cyndrae (Aug 30, 2009)

that is too funny. I had to work from home last night so I was on the computer and the phone for the entire evening. Dave fed Lilly and a surprise to both of us she ate every bite. I don't think I'll ever figure her out.
:smilie_tischkante: :smilie_tischkante:


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

I know I've said this before, but I have yet to see a dog who will intentionally starve themselves. 

This is my opinion on the matter:

If you are committed to a certain food, whatever it is, then keep putting that food down for them. Leave it there for 30 minutes. If they don't eat within 30 minutes, take it up and refrigerate. Next feeding time, put the same food down again. Repeat until they eat. Don't free feed kibble if your dog is picky, as it is a waste of food. You have to teach your picky dog that YOU control the food. Leaving food out all day, imo, is creating boredom, and also allowing them to control when they eat. 

Rotating foods is great for variety and to avoid allergies. In addition, if you feed commercial food and rotate it, if there are any issues with a dog food recall, the dog hasn't been on that same exact food for a long time.

That being said, rotating foods every few weeks or every month should be YOUR decision, not your fluffs. 

I'm just as guilty in caving in to my dog's desires. Nikki goes through phases of "pickyness." But I recently decided to stop trying to figure out her "taste." I decided that she will eat what I give her, period. Right now, she's on a roll with chicken. That's what she wants to eat. However, next month she will be eating Bison. Whether she likes it or not.


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## moshi melo (Jul 2, 2009)

Sometimes when I give Shiloh some yummie treats, she gets more finicky with her regular kibble. I think she's holding out to see if she can get more yummie treats. LOL.


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## Cute Chloe (Nov 30, 2009)

Nikki's Mom said:


> I know I've said this before, but I have yet to see a dog who will intentionally starve themselves.
> 
> This is my opinion on the matter:
> 
> ...


 
LOL! There's no love like tough love.

Chloe has been on Life's Abundance kibble for 7 straight months and nothing else. I am now just starting to add a little variety to her diet by giving her samples of Orijen 6 Fish kibble.

The last thing I want to do is create a picky eater that would drive me insane.:w00t:


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## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

Cute Chloe said:


> LOL! There's no love like tough love.
> 
> Chloe has been on Life's Abundance kibble for 7 straight months and nothing else. I am now just starting to add a little variety to her diet by giving her samples of Orijen 6 Fish kibble.
> 
> The last thing I want to do is create a picky eater that would drive me insane.:w00t:


That little Chloe is such a doll. I just watched her you tube video and it was so funny and cute. The shoe she's running off with is practically bigger than her. That was just adorable!!!!!!!:back2topic: Mine malt has been picky since day 1. Looks like she's always holding off for something better. If not, she'll eat what's in her bowl. I rotate between 3 different food. Now I'm on Merrick and she's lovin it for now.:thumbsup::wub:


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