[xuechi]

Hey so my dog is a 2 year old shihtzu x pekingese and he started being picky around 3/4 months old. We didn't/don't give him table snacks and when he started being picky we toned down the amount of treats he got, not that it was much to begin with (only during training sessions and never more than 10 a day) He used to happily eat dog food, then one day he just stopped and would not eat for almost a week until we gave him home made food, mixed with dry food. His health is fine - his weight is normal and every time we take him to the vet, the vet clears him (knowing his diet), though we do have concerns as making him food every day is time-consuming and if we are going away on holiday, it is worrying whether he will eat or not, as well as human food is obviously not the best for him to eat.

Every now and then since we got him we try to give him regular dog food as the only thing for him to eat but he refuses. He just won't eat unless we give him his regular meal. He will go for over a week without any food if we give him only dog food AND do things he has been trained not to do, such as chewing our things and peeing and pooing inside the house.

It has gotten worse this week in that he now will only eat if I am present and sitting next to him - only me and no one else. He also now has started to pick what he does not want to eat from his food bowl and leave it at the side as of 2 days ago. Usually vegetables. I am going on holiday in around 2 months so this is now a rather big concern as I can not sit with him if I am away to make sure he eats...

So yeah... help xD

 

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Your dog knows whats good for him lol human food is not bad its better than dog food provided you give meat & not junk. You also need to double check there's not some human foods in it that dogs cant have. Keep giving the home made ones. Make up batches & freeze them if you are going away, altho my dog doesnt like it microwaved after freezing, so I use the oven. My dogs the same, dont worry about the not eating veges either, they're not a majorly necessary dietry requirement for dogs. Mine likes fruit, some vege no way- others yum.She likes mashed potato beef gravy cheese & chicken.Carrots can go to another planet as far as she's concerned, she likes kumara but I dont dare show her a mushroom or tomato! Just make sure he's having a good dog kibble for dogs as it has things in it that dogs require.The wanting you watching is an anxiety thing, so you would be treating that issue with anxiety behavioral methods. If you want to read more about this topic, you can click on a post, a search symbol pops up at the top of the page, click all posts then subject, in this case you could search food, & then after that anxiety. With anxiety treatment, you are doing things to build confidence & reduce stress. Not just at meal times, all the time. This includes creating an environment & routine that sets him up for success. Its also about trust & consistently providing food he likes to build trust in you & in food. Dont listen to anyone who just blames you & doesnt help. That is what I got alot when my dog was a pup & a fusspot & told people. Also check the teeth are all normal, teething etc can interfere with eating habits.