Puppy was good eater now he gone Fussy????

[smarsden99]

Hi,

We have a 18 week old puppy and ever since we got him from the breeder he has been eating great , he would jump about and be so excited at meal times and eat no problem. In the last week he has become
more fussy , when we feed him he just goes to the bowl sniffs it and walks off then will return a couple of times and eat around half and then leave it.

Iam worried something has changed , has anyone else had this experience?/?

Thanks
Sharon

[Kate H]

I think about 90% of Cavalier puppy owners have this experience! Your little baby is developing the well-known Cavalier skill of manipulating their owners to get attention. He has worked out that if he fusses over his food, you will fuss over him, take notice of what he's doing, perhaps try and coax him to eat... Works every time, Cavaliers aren't stupid! Answer: put his food down, leave it for 10 minutes (don't hover to see whether he's eating), take it up again whether he's eaten it or not. No treats or titbits at all until the next meal, when you do the same thing. It could, of course, be some physical problem, but if he's got plenty of energy and has been eating well, that's unlikely. And he won't starve if he misses a few meals. But unless you nip it in the bud, you could find yourself changing his brand of food every few weeks, cooking special chicken for him, hand feeding, and worrying yourself silly...

Cavaliers haven't lived as companions to humans for several centuries for nothing!

Kate, Oliver and Aled

[Kristy4]

Cavaliers are so smart! I agree with the above poster, put it down for 10-15 mins then take it up until next feeding time. Your little guy will learn to eat when its time eventually. Also I wonder if teething may have anything to do with it. If he has been eating the same food for months and been doing just fine, i wouldn't change his food.

[smarsden99]

Thanks guys,

My first cavalier Scooby was a fussy eater from day one so I know the tricks cavaliers play , at lunchtime I put down his food and walked away , he messed around for a couple of times and then ate it so he didnt get a treat until it had all gone......... We were away at the weekend and my mum looked after him and I suspect been giving him treats.......

[Calandra]

I agree with everyone. Chloe has gone through the same thing. I posted a few weeks ago about it, and Karlin gave the best advice that calmed my nerves -- a puppy won't starve itself.

Chloe, at 25 weeks, is still a finicky eater. Some days she'll eat almost a cup of food (for the day) and others barely 1/3 cup. However, she will chow down on my cat's food which I refuse to let her do! I never realized this could all be for attention...