Hello everyone, I'm a new member and could do with some advice.

Hello everyone, I have a 22 month old male, he's my boy. Over the last week he's gone right off dog food, he looks at me with those sad eyes, bow's his head and trots off back to the settee. After the first couples of days with him not eating, ii did what most people do and look on the internet for a answer, and it seems everyone's a dog whisperer.
Well back to the issue, my boy will quite happily sit there and watch me cook chicken and rice for him (which I have done since day two off his hunger strike) my wife say's I'm to soft and he will eventually eat dog food, he eats the c + r fine, so the next meal time I will dish his normal dog food and mixer up and he walks in the kitchen looks at it and turns round. He is drinking fine, running around, fine in himself but will not eat dog food, it's getting expensive, I'm really trying everything before I go to the vets, now that's expensive.
I have also got a four month old bitch who will eat everything and seeks attention, I'm wondering if the male is playing me, since the bitch has been able to scramble onto the settee the male never gets time to relax, as soon as he gets comfy she will run over jump on him, he will give a little grunt or growl out then move somewhere else, could this be contributing to his pickky ness and him knowing that if he refuses his food I will feel sorry for him and cook him a meal, i can feel a trip to the vets coming, any advice from yourselves would be much appreciated, Thanks.

Hi &

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Hi and welcome to the forum from Rocky and me.

Have you tried putting his food down for him then leave it there for about 10 minutes then remove it. He wouldn't let himself starve.

does he get any treats, biscuits or table scraps of any kind that he could be eating instead of his normal food? If so try knocking these on the head for a while until he starts to eat again.

Hi great site, I tried that first, the first couple of days he would glide him nose over it give it a lick then walk off, I have tried every couple of hours But he is not interested, as for treats, they both get a dentix stick every day, we don't feed them off our plates but if they do get scraps it goes in there bowls.
I tried keeping the bitch in the front room so he can eat in peace, i thought this may help but he's just not interested in dog food. chicken, rice, sausage's, steak, this weeks the dogs eaten better than all of us, he's a very chilled dog, this is really out of character for him, he used to love his food.

Just out of curiosity, what brand of food were you giving him ?

Sorry but it sounds to me like he's getting fixated on the table scraps you provide him and he knows if he doesn't eat his food then you will provide an alternative. By all means if you are concerned then take him to the vets for a check up , but ultimately for the moment you must cut out al table scraps and treats and anything else you cook for him because you're worried about him not eating.
Believe me this is from experience as Tilly was exactly the same . Put the food down and then take it up after 10 mins , repeat hourly . A healthy dog will not starve him / her self so if the vet says everything is ok then you just have to get tough.
It would be interesting to know what food you are feeding him on , he maybe has got bored of it but if you persevere he should at least mess with it.
I am now changing over to Fish4dogs for our 2 and if you contact them they will give you some free samples to try so maybe it's worth seeing if he shows any better interest in something new, but the longer you pander to him the worse he will get.
After our strict regime with Tilly following the advice above (which I got from here) Tilly's eating habits are improving and we can slip in the odd treat without her losing interest in her own food.

and welcome to the forum

Good advice already, hiya and welcome from me and Moo

Hi from me and the boys.

Firstly choose the food you want to give and stick to it. Put it down for 10 mins at meals times and take up after that. Dont give him anything no treats,scraps nothing between meals. Just keeping putting down and taking away his food.

He will soon learn that he has to eat what you say, he might go a few days without eating but if he is healthy then it is no problem at all, longest I've heard a dog going was 11 days and now eats what it gets.

Tough love it the answer if you have ruled out health problems

Hi & welcome.

Like the others, I'd put his food down & take it up after 10 mins. Then nothing at all until next feed time.

What brand dog food do you feed?

Hi and welcome from me Millie and Bella

welcome

Hello and welcome from Tyson & me.

Hi and welcome from Kia and me

Thanks for all your ideas, I will try him with his dog food for the next couple of days and will keep you all posted.

Hi & welcome to the forum

My bulley is exactly the same He will eat about 4 pieces of kibble a day and has been the same for 2years! Time to get tough on your boy and stop cooking chicken&rice he'll eat when. He's hungry

Hello and welcome, i agree it's time to toughen up, no dog will let them selves go hungry if food is available

Hi and welcome from us and Suki.

Well I did what you all said, put his food down he walked away, after about the third time and him realising I wasn't going to cook for him he has now had around four mouthfuls of dog food, it's a start.
Thanks for all your advice and I will keep you all updated.
If I can figure out how to upload some pictures of my baby's I will.

Glad to hear about the progress. Here is a link that will help with the pics

https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t12017-how-to-post-a-photos-onto-the-forum

https://s1172.photobucket.com/albums/r568/yoda2404/?action=view&current=13fd801b.jpg&mediafilter=noflash

hia from me and sasha
they are crafty little so and so's when they want to be!

Hi & welcome to the forum ><
He is a stunner

Hi and welcome, glad to hear that we are not the only softies guilty of cooking something different!!

just seen the photo of Rio he is a stunner and looks just like my Kia

Yoda2404 wrote:I have also got a four month old bitch who will eat everything and seeks attention, I'm wondering if the male is playing me, since the bitch has been able to scramble onto the settee the male never gets time to relax, as soon as he gets comfy she will run over jump on him, he will give a little grunt or growl out then move somewhere else, could this be contributing to his pickky ness and him knowing that if he refuses his food I will feel sorry for him and cook him a meal, i can feel a trip to the vets coming, any advice from yourselves would be much appreciated, Thanks.

You must stop her from doing this now, he is being very good with her, he warns her but won't continue warn her, he will attack eventually. This is possibly the reason why he isn't eating, he is very unhappy with her jumping over him. He is telling but she is ignoring him, you need to back him up by getting her off him or better still, watch for the signs she is going to do this and distract her, if she won't be distracted you need to stop her before she jumps on him.

I and some tinned mackeral, sardines or tuna to my dogs food when they don't eat, I find that gets them eating again.

Hi and welcome.

Callie does the same thing when we've put too much good stuff in her food (e.g. leftover steak)

Hello and welcome aboard

Just a quick update..rio is slowly getting his appetite back, he has decided to start picking his mixer out piece by piece, so I'm just giving him tinned food at the moment, once again thanks for all your advice