# Is it common for poodles to be picky eaters?



## Ranger

Ranger seems to be a picky eater. When I took him to his last vet checkup, the vet thought ranger needed to put on some weight. He was 10 weeks then and weighed 17 pounds. With his puppy fur he didn't look too skinny to me, but the vet said on palpitation his ribs were too prominent. I have him on Fromm large breed puppy food. I can only get him to eat 2 cups a day feeding him three feedings. I was told to only lay Ranger's food down for 20 minutes and then pick it up and wait for the next feeding time so that he doesn't grown bored with his food. Ranger will act all excited and follow me while I get his food; He will wag his tail then sit really pretty for it, but when I lay his food down he will sniff it and walk away? He eventually goes back to it like every 20 minutes and eats a little bit. I don't take his food away because I am worried about him not eating. I just change it so it doesn't get stale sitting out. I have tried softening it with water and even broth. whatever I put on it, he still eats 2 cups daily unenthusiastically. 
Someone mentioned to me that he might not like the kibble.
I ordered some grain-free, 4 pound bags of different brands from chewy to mix into his Fromm. 
I got
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe with Red Meat Puppy 
Nulo Freestyle Salmon & Peas Recipe Grain-Free Puppy Dry Dog 

Any one have any experience with their picky eater liking any of these foods? Or maybe another suggestion?


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## fjm

I think if a dog - especially a growing pup - is unwilling to eat a food there is probably a reason. Their sense of smell is so much better than ours that they can undoubtedly smell moulds, ingredients they know will cause them pain, etc, etc. Sophy refused kibble as soon as it became the least bit stale - the main reason I shifted to a home made diet for the animals. I have no experience of the foods you list, but I would definitely shift him onto a new food ASAP.


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## Dechi

Sometimes adding a little water to the kibble will release its smell and make it more tasty. Or maybe he doesn't like his food, but be careful not to change too much or you'll be stuck with a real picky eater problem !

Usually toys are more picky than bigger size dogs. For mine i had to find a kibble he would actually eat, and that wasn't easy. Then to entice him I started adding just a bit of warm water and a tiny scoop of Cesar (bad, i know, but so little doesn't hurt) and mix it all together. He loves it and never skips a meal, almost, anymore. He's a grown dog, not a puppy.


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## Mfmst

I wrote almost the exact same post 2 1/2 years ago. (Buck is 2 1/2.) I seemed to be throwing away more kibble than he was eating, changed kibble with no improvement, fed by hand etc. I was assured by PF members that no dog has ever starved with food available. When I finally left the kibble in the bowl and allowed him to feed with no time limit, he eventually finished most of it. Takes a while for puppies to relax in their new environments and Poodles all come with FOMO (fear of missing out) tendencies. I continue to add different toppings to his original brand of kibble to keep it interesting. Good luck!


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## CharismaticMillie

Well, 2 cups is about right for a 10 week old puppy! How old is he now?


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## lily cd re

Lily was kind of a pilly eater at around Ranger's age or a bit older. My vet suggested free feeding and it worked! Also make sure you use a portion of your kibble for training.


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## nifty

Wow! A 17 pound 10 week old! Sounds like Ranger is going to be a big boy!

Like Mfmst, I could have written your post 2 years ago. Dulcie was an unenthusiastic eater, like your Ranger. The thing I noticed after a while, though, was that she wasn't so much "picky" as she was simply not a typical dog about food. If she was hungry, she would calmly and steadily eat whatever I put down for her. If she was not so hungry, it didn't matter how tempting the dish, she wasn't going to eat much of it, if any. This is still the case. Also, food has never been a good motivator for Dulcie in training either.

So maybe Ranger is not highly motivated by food and also eats to live rather than living to eat!  Over the past two years, I have come to appreciate this characteristic in Dulcie - because she tends to maintain a healthy weight, doesn't wolf down her meals (so I worry less about bloat) and doesn't gobble up anything that falls on the kitchen floor. 

However, I totally understand your concern right now with a young puppy! You need him to gain weight approproately and also to know that he has no other issues going on. Completely understandable.

I agree with fjm that it is also possible that Ranger detects something slightly off in his food and doesn't want to eat it. Again, Dulcie seems to have a highly sensitive nose for slightly off or old food. She has rejected a meal from one bag and then when I open a new bag, she will eat the exact same kibble. So it is definitely something about a certain bag (stale or something).

Is raw feeding an option for you and Ranger? In Dulcie's first few months, I followed my breeder's advice to introduce her to raw meaty bones starting with chicken wings while still feeding primarily kibble. I quickly realized that Dulcie was nearly always far more enthusiastic about her raw meaty bones and so I gradually transitioned her first to half kibble and half raw feeding and later to all raw. 

She is still going to ignore even the tastiest raw meal if she isn't hungry (usually the morning meal) and then in the evening, she is hungry and will polish off her dinner. I have adjusted to giving her a smaller meal i morning and a larger meal at night and this works out well for her. Even so, she is never going to be a ravenous eater. It doesn't matter if I am offering raw filet mignon if she isn't hungry, she will turn politely away. If she IS hungry, I can offer her almost anything (including kibble) and she will eat it. This is why I don't think "picky" is the right word for some of our poodles, because that implies that they will eat certain things at any time but not other things when in fact, it is a matter of appetite and when hungry, they will eat most things and when not hungry they will reject just about anything.


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## Asta's Mom

Asta is what I call a picky eater but I really think it is like the others have said - he will eat when he is hungry and when not rejects his food. I went through several different kibbles to find what he likes best. He is on Nature's Recipes Pure Essentials limited ingredient chicken with a little Ziwipeak mixed in. (the Ziwipeak is too expensive to feed on it's own for a spoo) He seems to prefer poultry above all other types of food so I will sometimes give him raw chicken (wings, legs, thighs) too as others have suggested. Good luck with Ranger.


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## ItzaClip

My silver standard has always been more picky than any other dog I've owned. He even refused raw that was warmed, mushed up, treats put in it. After being raised on raw. At 20 months of age he was neutered and now he is a great eater! Different dog. Had nervous energy before. What worked well as puppy was he loved toys, so he had to take a bite of food from my hand before he got to tug again. 

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## Skylar

I can't help with suggestions......... but my minipoo is not a picky eater and will eat anything and everything put in front of her and will eat far more than the recommended feeding. So not all poodles are picky or problematic eaters.

I hope you figure out what works for Ranger.


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## Michele

I have one who eats anything and everything (JUNE) and one who is picky (AUGUST). I will lay the same food out for both of them. JUNE will inhale anything down. AUGUST will look at it and smell it. He eats what he likes and turns his nose to other things. It is never because he is not hungry, which can easily be tested. Its usually with kibble because he wants wet food or home cooked food. 
Try another food or if you want to finish what you have, get some canned food and mix a couple tablespoons in to the dry. A little soft topper, or some meat or cheese, may make all the difference.


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