My puppy refuses dry food and will only eat meat

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Hi everyone,

I have a 2-month-old puppy that we brought home at 1 month old, and she won’t eat anything except meat, fish, and bones. I’ve been trying to give her dry food but she won’t touch it. I even tried leaving her with nothing but dry food for two days, thinking she’d eventually get hungry and eat it, but no joy. Since she doesn’t eat much anyway—barely a quarter of her bowl and she never finishes it—I started adding meat to her dry food, along with a bit of veg, some rice, a little oil, and occasionally eggs (basically half home-cooked, half dry food) just to get her to eat something. But she always manages to pick through it, eating the meat and leaving the rest. I’ve even tried blitzing the dry food and veg in a blender and mixing it with tiny bits of meat, but it makes no difference; she just picks out the meat and leaves the rest.

The strange thing is that for a puppy who supposedly isn't a big eater, as soon as I start cooking or open the fridge, she gets super excited. She’s also very interested when we sit down to dinner and whines for us to give her something. Since we only have coffee tables, if I leave anything out, she’ll try to nick it—I even caught her licking the butter the other day!

Anyway, we’ve just come back from the vet who told us she’s in great health and that she’s gained about 4.4lbs in a month (I’ve no idea how!). She weighs 11lbs at 2 months and should be around 3 stone 2lbs as an adult.

How can I get her used to dry food? I don’t mind her eating meat, but not just meat and bones on their own.

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Since I'm cooking large quantities every day anyway—as I mentioned in another post, I run a B&B and cooking is my job—I think she’s really drawn to the smells. As soon as I start cooking, she gets all excited, then watches me from the armchair. When I’m finished, she goes to her bowl, sniffs her dry food, pulls a face, won't touch it, then goes to the fridge, camps out in front of it and gives me a look like, "Can't you give me something else?" It’s actually quite hilarious. Then, more often than not, my husband comes in, nicks a bit of meat I’m preparing and gives it to her. So much for the diet! And there’s me, going to all the trouble of preparing and weighing out her rations, when in reality I don’t really have any control over how much she’s eating. Oh, and on the subject of terrible habits, when we’re eating, my husband sometimes gives her a little bit of meat at the same time. So of course she’s going to be loitering around us at mealtimes! Now, when I’m serving the guests' meals, I can’t leave her in the living room anymore… Lorna, I’m not too worried about the guarding side of things. Actually, the original idea of having a guard dog was more to stop the sheep from getting in and munching on our crops, but we’ve built a wall now… The farm isn't where we're living at the moment; it’s still under construction. We’re in the mountains, but the setting is just as gorgeous. In the future, we’ll be splitting our time between the two. But I think we’ve already grown too attached to Xena in just a month, and she’ll be going wherever we go. She’s definitely in great shape and very resourceful; for a two-month-old, she really amazes me. She charges down the stairs, jumps all over the place… As for meeting as many people as possible, it’s brilliant since we have new visitors at our B&B every day (from all over the world). In one month, she’s probably met over 40 people. I’m lucky that most of them are really lovely; they adore her and everyone wants to play with her. So, basically, she plays almost all day and is the resident clown. (She nicks their shoes and socks—yesterday it was a water bottle belonging to a guy who’d come by bike—but anyway, in the last private feedback I got on Airbnb, the group said "greetings to Princess Xena," so it doesn't seem to bother anyone much.)
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Continuing here as my post was getting too long... If I only put down dry food in the morning, she won't touch it. Lorna, you're right, I don't have much choice when it comes to kibble; I looked at the ingredients and, excuse my language, but it looks like absolute crap. Only 22% protein. Xena’s no fool! It’s just some random Spanish brand. At the vet’s they have Royal Canin, I think. I can also find brands like Nutrivet, Ownat, and Pro Plan online, but I’ve no idea if they’re any good. Plus, with the delivery costs it’s really pricey and not very practical; I can't get it delivered here, only to Marrakesh. I’ll try her with Royal Canin, but you might be right Lorna—if she won't eat it, there's no point forcing the issue. I’ll give up on it. If leftovers like couscous and meat are okay, that would be perfect for us! (To be honest, she ate quite a bit of leftover couscous during her first month with us). What really scares me is that my husband gives her cooked chicken bones. I know it’s not good and I try to take out the smaller ones, but so far she’s never had any problems, not even diarrhoea (it’s probably the couscous!), nothing—she seems pretty hardy. Anyway, thanks for the advice. I think I’ll do a mix of raw, cooked, and leftovers, while still being careful about what scraps I give her. I mean, tajine with preserved lemons and olives probably isn't great for a puppy? Also, I cook with a lot of garlic and I read somewhere that it wasn't good for dogs. Are salt and cooked oil okay for her? I tried giving her fruit yesterday, like banana, but she just played with the piece until it ended up squashed on the sofa—so that’s a work in progress. On a side note, are ashes and bits of wood from the fireplace dangerous for a dog? Every morning she heads into the hearth to scoff some.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks for the link, Doudou, I’ll have a look. My only worry about raw feeding is that people here have told me not to give her raw food so that she doesn't end up killing the hare when she’s hunting later on. Sloughis are used for hare hunting, but it’s mainly for the chase... I don't know the first thing about hunting, but apparently the hare is just supposed to be found. You should have seen the vet’s face when I asked if I could give her raw fish and meat, lol! So I’m still in two minds, but I think I’m leaning towards a mix. At the moment, I’m prepping her daily portions with about 0.22 lbs of meat, 0.33 lbs of dry food, 1 oz of veg, and 0.7 oz of starchy sides, plus oil and spices. (I’m not sure if it’s too much; I used some sites to calculate it, and I read that for a puppy it should be 6 to 8% of their body weight). Anyway, she never finishes it all; yesterday she only ate a quarter of that (mind you, she did have a bit of beef rib and some bones...). I make sure to boil the green beans, and I boil the offal and tripe too. If I stop the dry food, will she be okay for calcium if I use eggshells and bones? I know it’s better to feed her at set times—morning, noon, and night—but for now, I just leave her bowl out all day with a third of the food in, and she grazes when she wants. (Her bowl is never empty). Doudou, if I can’t go fully BARF, it’s because I can't follow it strictly. I can't always get meaty bones or fish, and things like rice or spelt flour just aren't available here. I just make do with what I can find. We’re in a tiny mountain village... Oxane is a lucky girl, those homemade biscuits sound lovely!
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Blimey, Juju is really resourceful for a little one taken from her mum at just a month old...

    She eats like a horse (five bones a day at two months old?!), and she's already burying and digging up her bones in the garden—impressive!

    She seems to be in great shape anyway.

    Doudou and other BARF enthusiasts will be able to give you some advice on raw feeding. If you can't always get hold of meat, I'm sure there's a way to top it up with some veg or a bit of starch?

    I reckon it’s better to give her a good-quality home-cooked diet that she actually enjoys, rather than trying to force her to eat poor-quality dry food if you haven’t got much choice in brands...

    If she's turning her nose up at it, then it probably doesn't suit her. Personally, I think some leftover couscous with a bit of meat is absolutely fine if that's what works best for your lifestyle.

    As for how the little girl is getting on, your husband needn't worry about her ability to act as a watchdog on the farm later on. It’s really beneficial for a puppy to explore and meet as many people and other animals as possible during their first few months; it won't stop her from guarding her patch once she’s grown up! ;-)

    Besides, given how young she is and the fact she was weaned so early, it’s crucial that she spends time with other dogs too, so she can learn some self-control—especially bite inhibition (which you mentioned in another thread the other day).

    I’m a big fan of sighthounds; I grew up around Afghan Hounds and Salukis, and they really are extraordinary dogs. They tend to become quite wary and aloof with strangers once they’re adults, so it’s a good thing your little one sees people every day on the farm. You don’t want a sighthound to become fearful, as they’re naturally quite suspicious anyway (you’ll see the difference when she’s older).

    You live in such a beautiful spot... I saw those photos of the beach the other day! :-)

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    Doudou229
    Doudou229 Icon representing the flag French
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    Oh no, all my text has ended up bunched together

    good luck trying to read it..

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    Doudou229
    Doudou229 Icon representing the flag French
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    The easiest thing would be to head over to the BARF forum (http://www.b-a-r-f.com) to get the puppy guides for her weight. It’s perfectly normal that she prefers meat; if she’s burying it, it might be because she’s already reached her daily limit. For offal, when they're puppies, sometimes you need to quickly sear it in a pan with a bit of water (top tip!). It can help, as they don't always like the soft texture. Xena is still a puppy, but once she’s an adult on raw, I’d recommend having one meat-free day a week (maybe an egg or a bit of fish, and skip the oil in her bowl that day). I’ve got lists for fruit, veg, offal, and meats on my Pinterest link. Regarding her weight, how much are you actually feeding her? There shouldn't be any issues with deficiencies if you're providing variety; I’d be much more worried about home-cooked meals without raw meaty bones (missing out on calcium, phosphorus, etc.). Trying to calculate the portion down to the nearest gram isn't easy and isn't really that useful. She’s going to grow and fill out; she might even put on a bit of 'puppy fat' over her muscles. My vet told me the same when my Labrador, Oxane, was spayed—a little bit of fat is fine... about 2 lbs less than she is now... otherwise, she’s got a lovely shiny coat, plenty of energy, and she’s finally starting to understand the command "gentle". Green beans should always be boiled, never fed raw. As for mixing in dry food, you might find some workarounds, but don't mix it directly with the meat—it’s not great for digestion as dry food takes much longer to digest than raw meat. If you’re doing a mix, it’s better to space out the two or three meals. Maybe dry food in the morning, meat at lunchtime, and raw meaty bones in the evening. Or different combos like meaty bones and veg at lunch, and meat in the evening... the combinations are endless depending on what suits your girl. Or, if she handles it well, you could add a tiny portion of grain depending on her weight (it’s not strictly BARF—some raw feeders are okay with it, others are dead against it, just like with dairy). With my own dogs, I give them some now and then when they’re working hard (swimming or retrieving). For dairy treats, I make my own biscuits using rice or spelt flour. As for your Xena, no, you’re not crazy... or if you are, there are plenty of us "nutters" and eccentrics out there who just want our dogs and animals to be happy. With good food, nice walks, and all the love we can give them. Give your girl Xena some belly rubs from me. Have a lovely evening.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Doudou I’ve just given her some chunks of raw beef; she didn’t just eat them, she absolutely wolfed them down. I also gave her the raw bone end from a leg of lamb; she carefully buried it in the garden and then dug it back up to have a chew. I made her a bowl with green beans, eggshells, raw egg yolk, dry food, oil, ginger and liver, but she’s barely touched it... She’s only eaten meat again today... Cyndy et Oreo, I did go to see the vet, but they aren’t much help around here; as long as the puppy is putting on weight, they’re happy enough... Tania, they didn't try to push their own dry food on us at the vet's. I completely agree with you – she should have meat, but not just meat. I’m going to try to work around Xena's fussiness while making sure she stays healthy. I'll give her the meat she likes but mix it as much as possible with dry food, veg and other things she needs, all mashed together. I'm doing my head in trying to calculate her daily portions, her nutritional requirements and so on, and in the end, she only wants to scoff the meat. People around here think I’m barmy for worrying so much about a puppy’s health; they think as long as she’s eating, it’s fine... Thanks to everyone for your replies. I’m going to do my best for her; whatever she eats, I just want it to be good for her health.
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    Doudou229
    Doudou229 Icon representing the flag French
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    Evening Jujud

    you just need to take out any COOKED bones as they're really dangerous for your little one..

    I'll be back in a bit to share my lists of veg, fruit, spices..

    and to explain raw feeding a bit better..

    🙂

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi Doudou, Yes, I do live in Morocco, and I think I'm just going to let her eat what she likes—meat. Raw or cooked. But I want to make sure she isn't missing out on anything. Whether it’s chicken, lamb, beef, or mutton, she couldn’t care less—she’ll eat it. Anything else, she just sniffs and won't touch. She scoffs down all the bones and meat, liver, tripe… I try to give her supplements: bananas, yoghurt, oil, all the bits she needs. We don't have access to vitamins or anything like that over here. She loves spices; I Google them to make sure they're safe for her, but she’s obsessed with coriander, ginger, and turmeric—she absolutely loves them. She has more than five bones a day, raw or cooked... which is probably too many. I’m just worried about nutritional deficiencies. I’ve researched the BARF diet online quite a bit; I just don’t want to mess it up, and I can’t get hold of meat every day, which is why I have to mix it with dry food.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Following on...

    I said okay to my husband, we’ll meet her and see. We get to the farm, my husband calls the neighbour, and 20 minutes later the neighbour turns up with his cart. Inside a wheat sack, huddled in some hay, was a tiny puppy. So small. I thought, "Bloody hell, she's too young, she’s like a little twig." Then the neighbour tells me she’s only a month old; I don’t know much about dogs but I knew that was way too young. You might think it’s really daft, but I bonded with her instantly. I said okay, we’re taking her.

    The neighbour told us she only needs to drink milk. I did a bit of research and nope, cow's milk is no good for her. My husband bought some cream cheese portions for the journey, which she ate. She spent the whole trip on my lap, not in that hay sack.

    I knew she wasn’t weaned, so I weaned her myself. I stopped the milk and the cheese after two days, bought some dry food and started cooking for her. She hasn’t touched the dry food once. My cooking, though? She loves it. In Morocco, dogs eat leftovers, scraps from the bins or bones. My husband started giving her our leftovers, even though I know it’s not the best for her health, and he’s giving her loads of bones. After doing some research, I wanted to put her on a healthier diet. But no, she won’t have anything to do with dry food. It’s hardly surprising seeing as she’s scoffing as much meat and bones as she wants.

    She was also supposed to sleep outside—no way as far as I was concerned, it’s too cold out and she’s too tiny. After two days, she was sleeping with us. She’s two months old now and still sleeps with us; I’m a bit embarrassed, but she sleeps so well. All through the night—alright, she’s under the duvet, snuggled against us or on my head, but she sleeps well.

    I thought about BARF, but we can't always get hold of quality meat, and the local hunters who have Sloughis don't give them raw meat so they don't kill the rabbits. And I don't want her to be missing out on anything. Or maybe I should just stop overthinking it and let her eat like the local dogs...

    I’m probably worrying over nothing given that all the dogs here who live on couscous, rubbish and whatever else seem perfectly fine.

    As for the brand of dry food, I didn't have much choice; I just got the only one they had in the village...

    I’ll be able to change it when I go into town...

    But I’ll keep your words in mind, Tania—if dogs can handle all sorts of food, then as long as my puppy is eating, that's fine...

    On a final note: it’s not looking good for her being a guard dog (and I’m thrilled about it!). We have at least 10 new people at the house every day and she loves it; she just wants to play with everyone. And anyway, my husband has gone from "we'll make her sleep outside" to letting her have half the bed!

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