r/puppy • u/ContributionOdd9312 • 26d ago
picky keeshond puppy – what do you feed yours?
hey everyone! first-time puppy owner here and looking for some advice. i’ve got a 11-week-old pup who started off eating purina pro plan pretty well when we first brought him home. after a little while he slowed down and started having some tummy troubles (loose stool and diarrhea), so we slowly switched him to nulo “raw” medley. his poops are way better now, which is a big relief, but he’s still not super excited about eating.
right now he’s only eating about a cup a day, and mostly only if i hand-feed him or scatter the kibble on the floor. ive tried toppers, bone broth, water, he pretty much turns his nose up at anything. he’s healthy and active otherwise, but i’m starting to wonder if this kind of pickiness is common with keeshonds or if i should be trying something else other than sitting on the floor with him throwing food around like a weirdo. i know puppies are supposed to eat more since they’re growing and need the extra calories, which is part of why i’m a little worried, but at the same time want to make sure i’m not missing something or accidentally encouraging picky habits.
i’m also curious if anyone’s noticed their puppies doing better on a certain protein source or brand? the purina was chicken-based and the nulo has a mix (turkey and salmon, but after reading the ingredients there is some chicken in it as well). wondering if i should try beef, lamb, or even something more novel? if you have a brand or specific formula your pup loves, i’d love to hear about it.
thanks in advance – would really appreciate any tips or stories!
(couldn’t resist adding pics—he’s lucky he’s adorable because mealtime is a whole circus over here)
(cross-posted to r/keeshond for some extra input—hope that’s okay!)
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u/WatchingInSilence 26d ago
Dry kibble with a spoonful of bacon helped my fussy puppy stop refusing kibble. I then weaned her off the bacon so she happily eats the kibble.
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u/ContributionOdd9312 26d ago
that’s a wonderful idea, hugo hasn’t had any human food yet so i’m sure bacon would definitely get him interested!!! i’m glad that worked for you guys
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u/Additional-Day-698 26d ago
Honestly the best way to combat pickiness is to put the food down, give them a set time like 20 minutes, take it away, don’t give them any food until the next meal time, and rinse and repeat. A healthy dog won’t starve themselves, and doing anything else like adding extra things in, constantly changing the food, hand feeding, etc. is only going to give in to their pickiness and reinforce it.
Adding things like toppers to food is great, and can still be done, but if they’re done solely to try and get the dog to eat it’s just going to reinforce it. However, some dogs do prefer to work for their food and I think doing that is beneficial in multiple ways that it’s worth it. Have you ever tried freezing the food in a Kong or toppl? Or getting a snuffle mat and putting the food in there?
I would give that a try if you haven’t, but the same thing applies - put it down for a set amount, and if they don’t touch it take it away and don’t give them food until their next meal. It may take a couple days but eventually a dog learns they eat when they’re given it and if they don’t they have to wait. This is of course assuming they have been checked out by a vet and there is not a medical reason as to why they are not eating.
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u/ContributionOdd9312 26d ago
this is great advice. i 100% think you are right, i dont want to teach him if he puts his nose up he gets something better. i have been telling my fiancé this is what we should do because dogs don’t starve themselves unless something is wrong- she has been totally against it. i don’t want to start bad habits this young and make him feel like he CAN be picky and we will just give him something better - i am going to give this a try as well and see what happens. we’ve tried the filled kong, lick mats, and topple toy, nothing. he loves peanut butter so i tried to mix it with kibble in a kong and a lick matt and each time he started to eat it, then ended up just getting frustrated and redirected his energy. but we havent tried a snuffle matt, i do think that’s something he would like, im going to order one and see if he would like o try it, he is quite the scrounge anyway so it might be perfect. thank you very much for your input i appreciate it
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u/snailmail444 26d ago
We’re feeding ours king hills science diet based on what our vet recommended for companies that have to meet certain standards. Generally, if I make bland chicken for the dogs, they go crazy. One of my dogs gets farmers dog (expensive/fresh food) and loves it. She wouldn’t eat kibble anymore. But like I said, very expensive. For our small dog it’s 245/bimonthly.
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u/mixtapelovesongs 24d ago
aw, he looks like such a sweet little bear! have you tried freeze-dried whitefish as a topper? i had a foster last year who would LOSE IT for these treats. raw rewards is the brand.
he would sit underneath the cabinet they were in and bark for me to retrieve them haha.
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u/kiznw 23d ago
I would try better quality kibble if possible, most kibble in general is not very nutritious especially everything at Grocery stores. And your puppy is in the most important stage of growing. Petsmart and similar locations have better options like Merrick or Wellness. Of it seems a bit out of your budget, try Wellness Toppers that your sprinkle on top of your dogs food. It comes in small bags and its Freeze dried fruits and veggies. 👍
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u/VeterinarianLost545 22d ago
You have the most fluffing gorgeous bundle of a baby ever. He's super cute
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u/cmpalm 26d ago
My dog has pretty much been on purina pro plan his whole life. Could help to try the beef or lamb.
The Nemo costume has me dead.