Are there a "common food taste" for certain breeds of dogs?

If your dog has been refusing various kinds of food for a week, it’s time to get him to the vet asap.

(Have you tried table scraps or bits of cooked meat or eggs?) Most dogs will eat anything edible, including their own poop, birthday cakes. pork chops, bacon, turkey skin, old oatmeal, and the cat.

Is your little guy drinking water, peeing and pooping?

My border collie had this problem. he just decided that he did want to eat premium dog food for a while. we decided to wait him out, until his hunger finally gave in. after two days of no food, we decided he must be on a crash diet. border collies are very intelligent and clever. we knew we had to outsmart him and we did. at the beginning of the third day, we “kick-started” his appetite with a very small bowl of milk. he drank the milk and kicked his bowl for more. instead of milk, we gave him a can of Alpo sliced beef in gravy. he ate it all. your dog may be playing tricks with you, also. try the milk method and see what happens.

yes, he is drinking water, peeing and pooping normally. a lot. and he occasionally eats, but the plate just stays with food for days. One day i tried locking him in the balcony with the food for 2 hours so he would eat out of boredom, and he ate, but little. I’ve spotted him eating, but small portions. He really is playing tricks on us!!!

Or he has a medical problem. Check his weight to make sure that he is not getting thinner.

Our vet said, “No dog ever starved to death when food was available.”

Our dog eats the dry kibble, but waits for SOMETHING special to be added – table scraps, a little milk, some Parmesan cheese. Just enough to make Tuesday’s dinner a little different from Monday’s.

@manuel_alarcon: Maybe the food, having been left in the bowl, is stale or spoiled.

I put a dollop of something wet on top for my ole girl. beneful is yummy and cheaper at the pet supply store. It can last 4 meals or so.

add water and make juice.

No, individual breeds do not have “taste proclivities”. And by the way, if he’s pooping, then he’s eating something.

Unlike cats, dogs will suffer so ill affects from missing a few meals. If you are certain that he’s not ill, that he doesn’t have any bad teeth, etc., and if you are offering a high quality food, then just wait; he’ll eat.

Small breeds often eat a lot less than we assume they need. My mother-in-law’s lhasa-apso eats generally only once every 2–3 days. It’s fairly normal and natural behaviour for wolves and wild dogs too – they will eat well after a kill and then not eat much at all for a few days until the next one. You’ll be able to tell if he’s eating enough by his weight, which should stay constant.