I have a Yorkie that is 1.5 years old which I have had about a month. She does not like eating hard dog food and is really picky with even the wet dog food. She was sick when I first got her and needed to make sure she took her antibiotics so I made her ground turkey and rice. Now she is close to refusing dog food all the time. Any ideas or thoughts? How can I get her to eat her dog food? I feel bad when she doesn't eat and don't know if it is safe to keep feeding her ground turkey and rice.

Thanks

ASPCA: Dog Care (http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_dogcare)


If you scroll down it will give you tips on feeding your dog , commercial dog food as well as adding table food.

Have her teeth checked by your vet. Toy dogs often have dental problems, partly because the same number of teeth have to fit in that tiny little mouth.

Wet food can also cause dental issues, you can make home made dog food no problem but look up a recipe and get salmon oil to add to recipe.
If the dog is healthy and being stubburn, this may sound cruel, but I'd just leave the food down and don't worry about it, she'll eat when she's really hungry. My mom spoiled my dog when I was on vaca and this is how I dealt with it.

Terrier type dogs are normally finicky eaters, so I'd suggest wetting his food at times with water, or sprinkling bread crumbs on his food. Stop changing his food though, and soft food is normally bad for their teeth.

You might also try just putting a few bites in the bowl. I haven't tried this myself, but have heard of it working. You want the dog's reaction to be.. "you mean this is ALL I get?"
If he doesn't eat within a few minutes, pick the bowl up and put it back down again in an hour. Don't hover over him and don't make a big deal of mealtime.
Of course there's nothing like a second dog to get the first one eating! A little sense of competition over the food can be a healthy thing!