We've all noticed that when we offer a child porridge, they refuse to eat it, or at best, eat it reluctantly. At the same time, if you provide them pizza, they'll happily eat a few slices.
The same situation can happen with dogs! We often hear from our subscribers and clients that their dogs refuse to eat, for example, fish or a chicken set. Sometimes, they even refuse a meat set. The dog starts to be picky if it contains pieces of kidneys or liver. It only eats the meat and leaves the rest. Dogs can be as picky as children.
Most of these food preferences in dogs begin around the second or third week of feeding them a natural diet. Based on our observations, dogs tend to become picky when a complete diet is available. You've probably also noticed how children manipulate us. For example, if someone offers me fish, and I refuse to eat it, then in 5 minutes, my mom will offer me meat. She won't let me go hungry. The same principle applies to dogs, who eat only meat and vegetables.
Dogs are very good at sensing their owners on a verbal level, and in most cases, they manipulate them. We want to emphasize that if you give in to your pet's whims, they will continue to behave the same way, not only in food but also in their behavior. This is what dog trainers always say.
Most owners fall into the trap at this stage and start reducing ingredients or sets, only giving fish or chicken. They may choose to give only what the dog likes.
You can read our articles regarding the beneficial properties of fish, beef heart, and tripe. On our website, each set briefly describes the beneficial properties of the products included in the diet.
Our sets are carefully designed, considering the content of vitamins, minerals, acids, and their beneficial properties. The presence or exclusion of specific products is not random. So, it's desirable for your pet to eat a complete diet, provided they have no allergies or intolerances to certain foods.
So, how can you deal with your pet's pickiness?
Options:
Starve them: This is a widely practiced method, but not in the literal sense. It's essential to know that dogs can comfortably go without food for 2-3 days and remain active. However, in most cases, the owner gives in to the pet's demands. It's tough to resist the pleading look of your beloved pet. But it's worth noting that this method works in practice, and many dog owners and trainers achieve success by sticking to it. In the end, the dog gets a complete diet.
Keep feeding as usual and let them be picky: This option doesn't solve anything, so there's no point in continuing this feeding approach.
Give in and only provide the food they like: Unfortunately, many owners do this, even though they understand it's wrong, using emotional or subjective arguments to justify their actions.
We recommend a more systematic approach to feeding:
Option a) Gradually reduce the usual portion size over the week and feed them what your pet prefers. In this case, your dog won't hold a grudge against you for not feeding them. After reducing the portion size, your pet will feel a sense of not eating enough. After a week, add some pieces of the product they previously refused to eat and observe their reaction. If they eat it, that's great. You can continue gradually increasing the portion size to the norm.
Option b) Try to feed your pet while playing with them. Instead of treats during training sessions, offer them the same products they previously refused. In most cases, this approach works for fish and chicken sets. We understand that feeding them fresh products during training is inconvenient, but believe us, it works. After a few such training sessions, your pet will get used to the product's taste, and in 90% of cases, dogs start accepting a complete diet."
Please note that this translation has been converted to spoken English and may not be a perfect transcription of spoken language.