Cooper my 9 month old boy has become disinterested in his food. Not only that he also ignores the cucumber treats he used to enjoy and carrot pieces. He has probably eaten about a third of his usual amount, leaving his bowl with food in it. I have noticed that he eats more grass recently. He seems alright in himself, tho he is displaying maybe adolescent traits, whereby he wont come in from the garden when I call him, he pokes his head thru the door and reverses back out if he thinks its going to be closed, and when off lead on the field he's starting to back off when he sees the lead coming out. He did eat the food when I played games with him and rewarded but I have read that hand feeding is not a good idea leading to further problems. I will reduce his feed as mentioned in other posts and remove it if disinterested. Having some worming treatment this week, so will also mention to the vet. Just seemed strange how his food is not an incentive now and the cucumber/carrot treats simultaneously lost interest. Other than that he's a good boy, wanting to play with all other dogs, tho he has started to growl now as people approach, wasn't expecting that. regards Cooper's Dad
My dog completely lost interest in carrots by the time he was about 10 months old having previously loved them. He still eats them cooked. I think my previous dog ate them enthusiastically til she was about 18 months old then stopped. Not sure about losing interest in his regular food, hopefully just a phase. Are you sure you're not over feeding? Some dogs ( definitely not mine!) self regulate.
Fruit and veg is a very individual thing and many dogs don't like it at all, so I wouldn't be at all concerned by that. They are carnivores, after all! However, I would be very concerned if he showed any lack of interest in his normal food or training treats. For me, that would be an emergency really. Because I can't motivate a dog easily otherwise - or train him, as a result. The other things you describe are just training issues. You need to give the dog a reason to want to come in from the garden (ie food reinforcer) and a reason to enjoy having his leash put on (ie he gets a treat immediately after) and so on. This is basic training 101. Again, you need to be able to have food which will motivate him for those purposes....
vet put him on a bland diet of rice and fish/chicken/turkey/egg. He is fine in himself and now wolfing down his bland food. Not eating so much grass, and will look in a couple of days to start reintroducing kibble to his diet. His poos are smaller and definitely less smelly than on kibble, and polly has firmly remained in prison so that's a bonus !
He is wolfing down his bland food because it is novel and new. You still have the same food motivation issues you had before Your dog is not sick, he lacks food motivation. You are going down the slippery path of changing what you feed him, to get him to eat. That is not the answer.
