Do they get bored of the same food?

Hello

My little puppy is growing fast and doing really well, we have changed her from Eukanuba to Royal Canin, and she seemed to really like it. Licking the bowl clean several times! The last week or so she just doesnt seem to be very bothered anymore. She gets fed at the same time everyday, but sometimes just looks at the food and walks away. She will eventually eat it, but not always all of it. The other day we had a few bits of grated cheese left from our lunch and so I sprinkled it onto her food, she then ate the whole lot! Yesterday I chopped up a little sausage and again she ate all of her food. I am just wondering if I am making her fussy!??

I would be bored of the same food everyday, and I had asked a friend this and she said, no, they just love to eat!

Advise would be great!

Thanks
JO

No dogs do get bored of the same food, thats why I add sardines, raw mince, raw chicken etc to Icons. He also prefers it if he has his cod liver oil on them too.

We'd get bored....why should our animals be any different? Particularly with Kibble. Icon was on Arden grange, but he got so fed up of it, he's now on Burns and prefers that at the moment, but I'm not buying it a massive sack of the same flavour, I'm buying a few small sacks of different flavours. Once I know it definately agrees with him, I'll buy three sacks of different flavours, the big ones, then at least he has some variation in the tastes everyday

Hi Joanna if you consider left to their own devices dogs would eat any old smelly rotting rubbish, I guess complete food but smell and feel pretty uninteresting in the mouth (smell and texture of food are thought to be more important than taste to dogs).

I am sure if you put the food down and leave it for a short time then remove it you puppy will eventually eat, and adding things to food can make a puppy fussy, and of course the dog food manufacture say you shouldn't add anything to their food because it unbalances the ingredients but that said ..
I have a very fussy stubborn puppy and she would rather starve than eat something she doesn't like You only get one chance to 'grow' a puppy so I think it is important they eat something .I have always added interesting bits (chicken/mince/sardines/cheese/etc) to the food the breeder recommended which is Royal Canine to get Millie to eat . I have tried other complete foods and they are treated with equal disdain by Millie.

Eventually when fully grown she will be on a varied diet of freshly cooked food with the odd bit of dog food .

Added just re read your post Joanna , are you leaving food down all the time? I personally think this is not a good thing to do and can cause all sorts of problems with not eating /house training. I only leave food down for 20 mins then remove it until the next meal is due.

I think that if a dog walks away from food, the dog doesnt really like the food, but puts up with it because its hungry. Dogs eat the strangest stuff. Horse poop, the cut-offs of the hoof (after the farrier has been there) is a delicatessen - even if it makes then puke afterwards. So, by leaving something uneaten, maybe they are trying to send us a message?

Navigator

I've fed the same food for 12 years and not yet had one of my dogs go off it! I also free feed without any problems as well!
Becky

Mahooli:
What does "Free feed" mean?
Sorry if this is OT
Nav

I thought I'd update you all on how Honey is doing....

she is fine, eating her normal food again. Licking the bowl a number of times after each meal!!

Thank you all for your advice. I spoke to some people in the pet store near me, and she said the total opposite! She said, by giving the dogs a variety,we are developing their taste buds and so causing them to be fussy! I was totally confused, I think because she is my first dog, and I want to do everything properly.

She is perfectly happy, gets ever so excited when I give her her food, and eats it all straight away!

Thanks again

JO

I agree with the ppl in the pet store! But what is wrong with a dog being fussy? Why shouldnt they enjoy good food and a variety of foods?
Nav

Food available all the time!

Because it trains them to hold out until something different comes along and that's how they start to be fussy eaters i.e. only eating a brand of food for a few days then holding out until you try something else etc.
Becky

I hope you didn't think I was being offish in my last reply, as I wasn't at all, I really do appreciate everyones advice. It is just hard when you get different things from different people. But one big thing I am learning, is that what works for one dog, is different for another.

For me being a first time owner, if Honey is on a complete food, then at least I know she is getting everything she needs. For me, if Honey was to become fussy, I would worry, that she is not getting everything. I think as well I need to relax about it, as someone said, if they were left to their own devices dogs would eat any old smelly rotting rubbish!

Honey is happy with what I am giving her, (for the moment!) so that makes me happy! (for the moment! )

Thanks again
JO X