I don't understand this. He won't eat. He's healthy, or seems it, his number 2's are normal. He gets exercised 2 times a day (3-4 times now I've started summer holidays). I take him to a field and kick a ball for him to get for 30-40 mins. So he must get tired and need energy, i.e. food but he won't hardly touch it.

He will eat over food like chicken and other meat but not dry food and he needs the dry food or he gets the runs. Any advice on what to do please?

Sounds like he is trying his luck and being a bit of a fuss pot at the moment

Has he never eaten his dried food or is it something that recently has happened?

Firstly I would be really strict. Leave food down for 10-15 minutes and if not eaten pick up, next meal time do exactly the same but you must not give any treats or titbits in between. A dog will not starve itself, and it will quickly realise that if he doesn't eat thats it till next meal time.

Another possibilty, do you know if there might be a bitch on heat nearby? Is he still entire? Before I boy got neautered he would completely loose his appitite when we had a girl in season on our street.

If their are other symptoms such as lethargy, sickness etc I would give the vets a call for a bit of advice.

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There are 2 girl dogs I know of, maybe 3 but I don't know if it's a boy or a girl and the dogs are on either side of our house, literally.

He's had dry food before, he's had dry food all his life I believe. We don't take his food away we just leave it there for him to eat. I'll be honest, i don't want to take his dry food away incase he starves. But I will try it.

I promise you he will not starve. I think you'll probably find that as the dry food is left down all day he never goes hungry and is used to "grazing" all day. If he is hungry he will eat so I would say feed him 2 meals a day (how old is he? if still a growing pup will need more) and after 15 minutes take the bowl up if not eaten, keep repeating this but stick to the meal time.

I know you will feel guilty and be tempted to give him something. Trust me I had exactly the same problem with my boy. It does work and you have to resist your guilt.

I let my boy be a fussy eater for about 10 months and it became all my life was about. Someone suggested I do what I am suggesting to you and after a day he soon cottoned on. I still use that rule now, if it isn't eaten it gone till next time, and to be honest I very rarely lift a full bowl.

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i dont believe that a dog will not starve itself to death unless it is seriously ill, i would put the food down and after 10 or 15 mins if he has not eaten pick it up till that evening and offer it to him then and do the same again, he will soon get the message and eat, also dont offer him anything in between meals so he realises that he has to eat when given it, as he wont no when the next meal is coming, sometime mine will get fussy and not eat the meal so i pic it up and sometimes they wont get fed till the next day, it will not hurt him to do this it is showing him you are incharge of the food and he should eat when told, if he has food down constantly he will only eat when he wants as he has access to food all the time.

and he must eat as im sure you fill his bowl up everyday so it goes to show he has it when he wants and maybe you dont see him do it, but as i said his bowl must gets refilled

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Ok I'll try that.

Sunny is 2 we feed him on 200grams of food 2 times a day. That's what he's been eating for his life (or 1 year 6 months at blue cross).

I'm a bit wary of taking his food because I will think I'm starving him. There is a reason for this though. I had a pet guinea pig once, chalky, and he died because he couldn't eat and died of starvation because of something in his mouth he refused to eat and would only drink water, he died at the age of 7.

I will try it though.

hi ya....mia and kai my 2 dogs cn be fussy about their food..but i now put it down in the morning for about 30 mins then take it away until about 6pm...some days it all goes, some days it doesnt...

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How about trying to add warm water to the dried, our 2 seem to enjoy it better slightly moist

Could it be the heat? If there are no obvious signs of illness and is in no pain then I wouldn''t worry too much tonight.
regards
DT

your dog will not starve unless you forget to feed him and im sure you wouldnt do that, if you dont want your dog to have food down all day and want to see him eat straight away then it would be a idea to try what has been suggested, if you dont mind the dry sitting there all day then just leave things as they are, as i said before you no he is eating as you refill his bowl,

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