Got a chihuahua pup... 7 weeks... it won't eat its food we bought for her... we are trying to feed her eukanuba dog food... she will eat if we drop one kibble on the floor at a time... she will stop eating after the 10th kibble... however, she will eat chicken...

She already went to the vet and everything I fine... how do we get her to eat the puppy food... and out of the bowl...

Will power. You should be feeding her 3 times a day and likely 1/4 cup or less each time. At each meal time, put out the 1/4 cup. After 15 minutes, take whatever isn't eaten away and do not give her anything until the next meal. If she doesn't eat much for a day or 2, don't worry. It will not be easy for you, but it won't hurt her. Many puppies come from the breeder too fat. If she doesn't have a waist, now is the time to start developing one. For a good guide to maintaining a healthy, lean dog, see http://www.purina.com/dogs/nutrition.asp?article=292. Kept lean, a Chi could live 20 years.

Also:

Much of housebreaking is not training the puppy, but making it easier for your
Puppy, you, and your carpet while its body to catches up to its instincts. At
Around 8 weeks when the puppy goes to its new home, the time from when it
Realizes it has to go, and when it can't wait any longer is a matter of
Seconds. Only time will fix that. You can hardly be expected to be attentive
Enough to avoid all accidents There is no sense punishing the puppy for your
Inattention. It is not fair to punish you either, but you still have to clean
It up if you didn't have the puppy outside in time.

Housebreaking starts before you get home with the new puppy. If you don't have
A crate, buy one. I prefer the more enclosed, den like plastic ones. Skip the
Bedding. At first it gets wet, and later it can be chewed into choking
Hazards. A wire rack in the bottom will help keep the puppy up out of
Accidents at first. They are available with the crates, but a piece of closely
Spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper. If you
Already have a metal crate, covering it may help. Just make sure you use
Something the puppy can't pull in and chew. Dogs that start in crates as
Little puppies, accept them very well. Never leave an unattended puppy loose
In the house. If nobody can watch it, put it in the crate. I suggest letting
The dog have its crate all its life.

Choose a command and spot you want it to use. The less accessible to strays,
The less chance of serious disease. If it is a female, choosing a
Non grassy spot will avoid brown spots later. When you bring it home, take it
To the spot and give it the command in a firm, but friendly voice. Keep
Repeating the command and let the puppy sniff around. If it does anything,
Praise it. Really let it know what a good dog it is and how much you love it,
And maybe a treat. Note, being out there not only means you can praise it,
But it also keeps it from being snatched by a hawk. If it doesn't go, take it
Inside and give it a drink and any meals scheduled. A young puppy will need to
Go out immediately afterward. Go to the spot and follow the above routine.
Praising it if it goes is extremely important. If it doesn't go, take it back
Inside and put it in its crate and try again soon. Do not let it loose in the
House until it does go.

At first it is your responsibility to know and take the puppy out when it
Needs to go. It needs to go out the first thing in the morning, after eating,
Drinking, and sleeping. If it quits playing, and starts running around
Sniffing, it is looking for a place to go. Take it out quickly. You will just
Have to be what I call puppy broke until it is a little older.

By the time most dogs are about 3 months old, they have figured out that if
They go to the door and stand, you will let them out. The praise slowly shifts
To going to the door. Some people hang a bell there for the dog to paw. If
Your dog doesn't figure this out, try praising it and putting it out if it
Even gets near the door. A stern "Bad dog!" is all the punishment that is
Effective, and only when you catch it in the act and are sure you didn't miss
It going to the door. Clean up accidents promptly. I mostly keep the little
Puppies out of the carpeted rooms. Still I need the can of carpet foam
Sometimes. First blot up all the urine you can with a dry towel. Keep moving
It and stepping on it until a fresh area stays dry. A couple big putty knives
Work well on bowel movements. Just slide one under it while holding it with
The other. This gets it up with a minimum of pushing it down into the carpet.
This works with even relatively soft ones, vomit, dirt from over turned house
Plants, or anything else from solids to thick liquids. Finish up with a good
Shot of carpet foam. Note, do not let the puppy lick up the carpet foam.
Once the dog is reliably housebroken, your carpet may need a good steam cleaning.

Many people strongly strongly push cleaning up all evidence of past accidents. I am slower to suggest that. Dogs will return top the same spot if they can find it. When you see one sniffing the spot, that is your clue to run it out.

OK... I did as you suggested... the dog only eats a little each time... about 1/4 a cup for the whole day... should I just leave a cup of food out for the whole day and just take out the dog four times a day to housebreak?

Irregular eating times complicates housebreaking. A 7 week old likely needs to go out more than 4 times a day. 1/4 cup hardly sounds like enough even for a Chihuahua. Is she gaining weight? If so, everything is OK.

OK lesten up my spelling isn't the best but I know a lot about animals... especially chihuahuas because I own one of my own. I also owen a black lab,mini doberman pincer and two cats. If you baby chihuahua is not eating puppy food it mite be because you deed to mix it ither with water or milk... but to tell you the truth you chihuahua is eating you gust don't know it. Here is an experiment you can try put out a boll of dog food but count the exact number of dog kiblets there is inside the bole leave it out for about 2 days then count them again there will be some missing. I have given my chihuahua ever thing in including supe... and she loves it but I must admit she is sort of spoiled but I like her that way.if you don't want a spoiled chihuahua then I would keep her or him eating kiblets mixed with water or milk but after a while she/he will get used to eating dry kiblets.;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by theb6sh0w

Got a chihuahua pup...7 weeks...it won't eat its food we bought for her...we are trying to feed her eukanuba dog food...she will eat if we drop one kibble on the floor at a time...she will stop eating after the 10th kibble...however, she will eat chicken...

she already went to the vet and everything i fine...how do we get her to eat the puppy food...and out of the bowl...

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Well you might just have one of those snooty doggies.Tell you what I will dog sit for 1 weekend to see what food your dog likes.My dog only likes wet food and people food and only eats dry food if she's starving.

Ummm. Not to burst anyone's bubble here because I know you both are trying to help, but ircha and imthebest, this post is 2 1/2 years old. I hope this puppy is eating by now! :)

Since you both are new to the web site, I hope you take this info in the way it is being offered and intended, as trying to be helpful. Before I answer a post, I always look at the original date and then look to see if the original poster responded. On the dog forum, I usually never answer a post that is over a week old because the problems usually need immediate attention. If you have any questions about using this web site, just PM me. I am always willing to be of help.

A lot happens in 2 1/2 years. The link I gave is out of date. Iamthebest101, ircha, and anybody else with a dog that doesn't eat would be better off going to the ''My dog won't eat.'' section of the sticky at https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/i...tml#post254171 rather than posting poor answers.