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Picky Eaters

When a Poodle is a Picky Eater

Overview

If your Poodle is a finicky eater, chances are you worry quite a bit at each meal time. Maybe you hover over your Poodle’s bowl, coaxing them to take a bite. Or perhaps you switch to a new food every month, hoping that you’ll finally find the one that they like.

You’ll be happy to know that there are effective ways to resolve picky eating that will remove the stress both you and your Poodle undoubtedly feel. 

This involves first knowing how much your Poodle should be eating, taking steps to ensure that what you offer is both nutritious and well-received, and implementing a feeding plan that you are committed to sticking to. 

This said, some Poodles, particularly toys and puppies of all varieties, may need additional intervention to ensure weight maintenance and blood sugar levels are where they should be.  

This article will cover everything that you need to know to help your picky eater get onto a healthy eating plan. 

Step #1: Know how much your Poodle should be eating. 

Especially with toy Poodles, owners overestimate how much their little guy or gal should be consuming. Because of this, in many cases of a Poodle not seeming to eat enough, the puppy or dog is actually doing just fine.

In essence, if your puppy is gaining as expected or your adult is maintaining, they are indeed eating enough. This is not to say that you should have to plead to make it happen; but, that will be covered as we move forward.  

While it varies quite a bit depending on the brand of dog food, puppies in the 5-pound range may only require about one cup per day (1/3 cup per meal) or less. And, a Poodle 25 pounds or less may need two cups or less of kibble per day. 

So, you will want to know 1) how much your Poodle weighs and 2) the recommended feeding guidelines for the kibble that you are offering. Look to the packaging for this; those numbers you see are not arbitrary and are a very good guideline. 

Also, be sure to properly measure the food as opposed to making an estimate. This should be done with a dry measuring cup that has a flat top and is meant to be leveled off. 

Step #2: Factor in exercise.

Estimated feeding guidelines for dogs assume that a puppy or dog is receiving daily exercise. If your Poodle is not as active as they should be, this means that they will require fewer calories than their active counterparts. 

Many dogs are self-regulating, meaning that they will stop eating when they have had enough; so, a picky eater may simply know when they have taken in what they need for the day. 

This said, daily exercise is vital for good health, so if your Poodle is rather sedentary, it’s time to get them moving (assuming that they are in good enough health to do so). Poodles should be walked at least 20 minutes a day at a pace that is brisk for them, as well as have at least one daily session of free-run cardio, like fetch.  

Step #3: Do not let snacks get in the way of meals.

Estimated feeding guidelines for dogs assume that owners are offering 2 to 3 small snacks per day. So, if you are giving your Poodle 4 or more snacks and/or snacks are quite sizeable, your Poodle may be picky at dinner simply due to having their appetite sated from all of the eating that is happening between meals. 

For this reason, limit snacks (small dry biscuits) to 1 to 3 given 3 per day, maximum. An excellent choice for this is Wellbars Natural Crunchy Dog Treats which come in some fantastic flavors like lamb & apple, chicken & cheddar, peanut butter & honey, and apple, yogurt & banana. 
In regard to training treats, which are vital to reinforcing good behavior and teaching important lessons such as housebreaking and commands, be sure that they are appropriately sized; these should be very small bits simply to offer a quick burst of flavor, not big enough that a dog needs to sit down and chew on them. 

A great choice for this is Zuke's Mini Naturals Dog Training Treats. For toy Poodles, a single treat is appropriate; minis may be given one or two, and adult standards given 3 or 4 for each reward. 

Step #4: Be sure the bowl is conducive to eating.   

Particularly for toy Poodles and for young puppies of all varieties, the bowl may be too deep for them to comfortably eat. Take a good look at your Poodle when they eat to ensure that their forehead is not bumping on the opposite rim and that they do not need to stretch uncomfortably to reach food at the bottom of the bowl. 

Step #5: Choose one high-quality dog food.

One of the biggest problems with Poodles that are very finicky is the never-ending carousel of food options. Owners may continually switch brands, praying for the magical one that their puppy or dog finally loves. All this really does is teach a Poodle that if they turn their nose up at a kibble, a new flavor will soon be heading their way. It can become a sort of game; yet for owners, there is nothing fun about it. 

So, while there are other steps to take (more ahead), it is important to choose one dry kibble that you will offer as a base. Commit to sticking with that brand. 

This said, dogs do have varying taste and should be giving a protein that they tolerate and find delicious (at least to the degree that a picky eater will concede to). Many dogs love chicken and/or turkey and this is generally very well tolerated. However, your Poodle may prefer lamb, fish, duck, or bison. 

If you are looking for a kibble to choose, one highly rated brand is Merrick Backcountry. There are several different recipe options; Their Backcountry line consists of a combination of cooked and freeze-dried raw meat and the Lil’ plate line is ideal for small dogs like the toy Poodle. 

Step #6: Make the chosen food more palatable.

1) Add broth or fish oil. Dry kibble is recommended as a base since this is best to help maintain healthy teeth and gums (the Poodle breed is prone to tooth decay) and it helps keep stools firm. However, adding low-sodium chicken or beef broth or fish oil to that kibble can make it more tempting. 
Fish oil is a good option since this supplement helps keep skin and coat healthy, boosts the immune system, is good for heart health, and promotes joint health. In fact, all dogs over the age of 6 should be given fish oil (omega-3) to help ward off osteoarthritis which affects 80% of dogs over the age of 8. 

If you are looking for a good fish oil to add to your Poodle’s meals, Zesty Paws Pure Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil is a fantastic choice. This has zero additives (it is just fish oil and a blend of vitamins which serve as all-natural preservatives – listed as mixed tocopherols) and it comes in a handy pump which makes it very mess-free and easy to add to meals.   
2) Warm the food. Many finicky eaters do better when their food is warmed. You can do this in the microwave once you have mixed in a liquid (broth, fish oil, or even a bit of water), just be sure to mix this again after warming to prevent any hot spots. 

Step #7: And then, step away. 

This is the final, albeit most difficult step to resolving the problem of finicky eating. Most owners fawn over their Poodles, urging them to eat and hovering nearby as their puppy or dog sniffs at the meal. Essentially, the world stops spinning and breath is held. 

And, many owners decide far too quickly that their dog won’t eat the meal; they cave in fast, offering pieces of their own dinner or hand feeding chunks of cheese, deli meats, or other foods that weren’t in the feeding plan. 
But, turning mealtime into this sort of spectacle does not help at all. In fact, many dogs love this sort of attention. Just like the issue of revolving flavors, this can become a game. 

So, you will need to summon up your willpower and place the bowl down and walk away. Do not stand nearby to oversee things; the goal is to give the appearance that the offered meal is not negotiable. 

Once your guy or gal realizes that you are done playing and that what is in the bowl is the only choice, canine survival instinct all but ensures that the food will be eaten.  

If your Poodle has not taken a bite for one hour, remove the bowl by putting it up on the counter for 20 minutes. Then, place it back down again. 

If needed, as each hour passes, repeat this. 

The longest that you’ll want to go is to the point of the next meal. Stubborn dogs may very well hold out that long; but, they typically make up for it at the next meal time.  

A Note of Caution

If your Poodle does not eat whatsoever and continues refusing food at the next planned mealtime, this points to an issue that warrants veterinary intervention. Healthy dogs do not voluntarily starve themselves. The vet should rule out all possible underlying health issues and may recommend a nutritional gel like Tomlyn Nutri-Cal Dietary Supplement or prescribe medication to help stimulate the appetite.

A Final Word

If your Poodle is a finicky eater, most likely both of you are stressed and unhappy. Dogs deserve to look forward to meal times and you deserve to relax while your guy or gal is eating. By reassessing things and making a few changes, there can be improvement. And, if you don't see any positive changes within a week or so, do not hesitate to contact the veterinarian. 
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