Does Your Dog Actually Like Their Food?

There is a difference between a dog eating their dinner and a dog actually enjoying it. It sounds obvious, but after 16 years of talking to people about what goes into their dog’s bowl, it’s something we think is worth paying attention to.

Some dogs hear the food cupboard open and arrive in the kitchen before you’ve even found the bowl. Others wander over, have a sniff, look at you, wander away and eventually return ten minutes later when it becomes apparent that nothing better is forthcoming. Then there is the experienced negotiator: the dog who apparently couldn’t possibly manage dinner but miraculously finds room for a piece of chicken five minutes later.

So when we describe a dog as a “fussy eater”, what is actually going on?

Eating it and liking it aren’t quite the same thing

When researchers study how dogs respond to food, there is an important distinction between acceptance and preference. Acceptance is essentially whether a dog will eat a particular food, while preference looks at what a dog chooses when given an alternative. A dog eating the same dinner every evening therefore doesn’t necessarily tell us how much they prefer it; sometimes it simply tells us that this is what was served.

Because dogs can’t tell researchers what they think of dinner, food preference studies look at behaviour instead: which food the dog approaches first, how readily they begin eating and how much they consume. Interestingly, research has found that the initial choice can be a useful indicator of what the dog subsequently eats. In one study comparing foods, dogs consumed more of the food they initially selected in 89% of tests.

That makes sense when you consider just how important smell is to a dog. Long before they’ve properly tasted dinner, its aroma has already given them quite a lot of information. Texture, moisture, temperature and previous experiences with a food can all influence how readily a dog eats too.

It’s one reason two nutritionally similar foods can receive completely different reactions from the same dog. It’s also why adding a little warm water to an appropriate dry food can sometimes increase interest. It doesn’t transform the nutritional quality of the food, but warmth and moisture can release more aroma and change the eating experience.

Sometimes the dog has trained the human

There is another explanation for some apparently fussy dogs, and we see this one quite a lot.

Dinner goes down, the dog sniffs it and walks away. The concerned human adds something more interesting, the dog eats it, and everyone goes to bed happy. Unfortunately, the dog may also have learnt something useful: refusing dinner resulted in an upgrade.

Dogs are very good at learning which behaviours produce worthwhile results. If declining their normal food repeatedly results in chicken, cheese or an increasingly impressive selection of toppers appearing, waiting becomes a perfectly sensible strategy. Before long, what began as a little encouragement can turn into a nightly negotiation.

That doesn’t make toppers a bad thing. Used appropriately, they can introduce different textures, moisture and variety into a dog’s diet. There is simply a difference between choosing to add something useful to the bowl and reaching the point where your dog won’t contemplate dinner until you’ve presented the evening’s garnish.

Treats and chews can have a similar effect. A chew after breakfast, training rewards on the walk, a biscuit during the afternoon and a little something from the kitchen might not look like much individually, but collectively they contribute calories and can make a significant difference to how hungry a dog is by dinnertime. They can also make the contents of the bowl considerably less exciting by comparison.

Before deciding that a dog dislikes their food, it’s therefore worth looking at everything they eat during the day, not simply breakfast and dinner. Portion size matters as well. A dog regularly leaving food behind may not be fussy at all; they may simply be being offered more than they need.

What about variety?

Dogs can certainly develop food preferences, and many show considerable enthusiasm when something new appears. There is even a term used in animal behaviour for an attraction to novelty: neophilia.

That doesn’t mean every dog needs a different menu each evening. Some dogs cope extremely well with variety, while others, particularly those with sensitive digestive systems, are much happier with consistency. Constantly changing foods in pursuit of something increasingly exciting can create its own problems.

There is a sensible middle ground, and it won’t look the same for every dog. One might thrive on a complete raw diet, another on gently cooked food and another on a good high-meat dry food. Some people successfully combine feeding styles, while some dogs are happiest eating essentially the same thing every day and would consider our concern about culinary variety completely unnecessary.

What matters is that the overall diet is nutritionally appropriate, the amount being fed is right for the individual dog, they’re doing well on it and they’re happy to eat it. There isn’t one method of feeding that automatically achieves that for every dog.

Fussy eating or a change in appetite?

This is the distinction we don’t think should ever be overlooked.

A dog who has always been selective about food but maintains a healthy body condition, has good energy, normal stools and is otherwise completely themselves is very different from a dog whose eating habits suddenly change.

If a dog who normally loves their dinner suddenly stops eating, begins eating significantly less, loses weight, seems lethargic, struggles to chew, develops vomiting or diarrhoea, or simply isn’t behaving normally, don’t assume they’ve become bored with their food. Changes in appetite can be associated with dental pain, digestive problems, stress, pain elsewhere in the body and many different illnesses, so an unexplained change needs veterinary advice rather than another topper.

For an otherwise healthy dog who is simply rather particular, however, it can be useful to stop concentrating solely on whether the bowl eventually becomes empty and watch what happens around the meal instead. Do they show interest while it’s being prepared? Do they approach the bowl willingly? Do they begin eating without encouragement? Do they regularly walk away and return later? What happens if nothing more exciting is added?

Then look beyond the bowl. Their body condition, stools, coat, energy and general wellbeing all contribute to the picture of whether a particular way of feeding is working for them.

After feeding dogs and talking about dog food since 2010, one thing we’ve learnt is that dogs are remarkably good at communicating their opinions. Sometimes they’re telling us that something genuinely isn’t working for them. Occasionally they’re telling us that they’ve discovered refusing dinner gets them chicken.

Knowing the difference is the useful bit.

If something about your dog’s food isn’t working, come and have a chat with us in Chorlton or Handforth. Tell us what they’re eating, what they enjoy, what they refuse and what you’re trying to achieve. Bring a photo of the ingredient panel if that helps. We can talk through raw, fresh and gently cooked food, high-meat dry food and mixed feeding, and help you work out what makes sense for your dog.

No insistence that there’s one “right” way to feed every dog, because there isn’t.

Wellness Begins in the Bowl.