New member here with new pup, questions>

Soaker

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#1
Hi all. Been reading a few posts on this forum and trying to get an idea of where to go with feeding our English Setter pup, 4 months. She has been eating average to low quality dry food until we got her a few days ago. She seems to not be interested in the two dry foods we got her, Canidae and Pet Promise, but will absolutely lap them up if we give her a few things to go with it. So recently I have taken to adding some Applegate (organic) turkey and a raw egg. She is eating every last bit but I am not sure "tricking" her into eating the dry food is what I want to be doing. We would like to feed her two or three times per day, but since she was on "free range" of her food before we got her, she is probably not used to eating all I give her at once...I am just guessing. I have read a lot about raw diets (at this point it's not for us but the door is still open), and I am familiar with some good dry dog food brands, so I am looking for some ideas to provide supplement to her dry food that is easy, healthy, and that is tastey. Or, any recs. on popular dry food that many pups/dogs seem to like would be helpful too. Thanks in advance.
 
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#2
When we first got Honey she was used to free feeding and would not eat what was put in front of her. I finally cracked down and gave her 15 minutes in the crate with the food--whatever was left was taken out and offered at the next meal--she got the idea within a few days that when food is in front of you you need to eat it.

I do like to add plain (no fake sugar) yogurt and raw eggs to her diet now and again though and dont' see any problems with doing anything like that as those supplements are good for dogs.
 

Soaker

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#3
Thanks for the response. I suppose part of the issue may be that we have switched her food and she is not happy with a change in flavor. Any recs on transitioning a dog to a new food, and discerning whether lack of consumption is due to the actual transition or if the dog is just not interested in that new brand...and time to try a different one?
 

ACooper

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#4
My dogs do not care for Canidae if it's just plain old Canidae. If I mix stuff in they will eat it........but otherwise it's just not appetizing to them.

Have you tried Innova Evo RM? That is the only dry dog food my two will eat PLAIN, they gobble it up with or without adding anything to it.

If you want to stick to the Canidae, you might want to try adding things in to make it more appealing as girlbuffalo said. Some eggs, yogurt (plain) some left over meat from your dinner, whatever is healthy that will make the pup more interested. It doesn't take much, just a spoonful stirred around well.

Dogs have amazing sniffers, but taste buds not so much, LOL
 

Hillside

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#5
Even if it was her old food, she may not be eating right now, moving is stressful! I would stop adding anything to her food and just give it to her at set times. Perhaps try sprinkling a tiny bit of hot water over the food to get teh aromas to come up. My Doberman, Saga, didn't really eat for the first couple days she was home, barring the tiny bit of canned that I HAD to give her because it was mixed with some medication she was taking. If you keep adding stuff to it everytime, you are going to have to keep escalating it when she decides that it isn't up to par anymore.
 

Soaker

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#6
It may be the stress as she seems to be trying the food a bit more. I got some Pet Promise puppy food (dry) and she is eating the Canidae mixed with that a bit more. I will also try feeding her only twice per day to help with the hunger component as well. If she has trouble coming around I may try the Evo RM. I won't hurry her though. Thanks.
 

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