Homemade Dog Food - Tips to Tempt the Fussy Eater

You've spent hours reading books and articles; you've subscribed to dog food related forums; you've found some recipes that look yummy enough to eat yourself; you've been shopping for beautiful fresh ingredients. Now you are all ready to start feeding homemade dog food. So you cook up a treat that smells delicious, and then you hit a snag: your precious pooch doesn't want to eat it!

Relax: it's not necessarily your cooking that's at fault! If your dog has only ever had kibble, then it may take him a while to get used to homemade dog food. Here are five tips to help him learn to enjoy real food.

Be sneaky: Introduce the new dog food gradually by mixing a little into his normal food, increasing the new food slowly over a period of days. Homemade dog food is a new experience for him in texture as well as flavour, so it's hardly surprising if he takes some time to adjust.

Too hot? Remember to let recently cooked food cool to room temperature before offering it to your dog. Check that there are no "hot spots" in the middle of the meal, especially if you have used the microwave.

Let him get hungry: Remove uneaten food after about ten minutes. Your dog does not need to snack or "graze": he is not a sheep. If you are trying to encourage him to eat something new, he will be much more interested if he has had the chance to actually get hungry. A dog's natural eating pattern is to eat a big meal when the opportunity presents itself, then to rest. Regular meals only became part of canine life after mankind domesticated the first wolf. It is OK to feed your adult dog only once or twice a day.

Boost the flavour: try a sprinkle of grated parmesan, or a drizzle of tasty stock. If it smells delicious, you have the game half won. If you are introducing raw meat and your dog isn't keen, try quickly browning the outside of the meat before you offer it to him, until he gets the idea.

Competition: If you have another dog, or even a cat, try feeding the two of them together: psychology can work wonders. If all else fails, try pretending you are eating some of the dog food yourself. This always works for me. Most dogs seem convinced that if the food is on the human plate it must be something special! The last resort might be to actually share something with him that you really are eating: I never knew a dog that could resist a piece of sausage.

Whatever you do, don't give up. When your dog has been eating homemade dog food for a few weeks and you can see the improvement in his well being, you'll be glad you persisted.

Sue French comes from a family of successful dog breeders and trainers and has been involved with dogs all her life. In 2006, Sue changed her dog's diet to homemade food, which resulted in a miraculous improvement in the dog's health. This inspired Sue's passion for "real food" for dogs. For more information about homemade dog food and dog nutrition, visit Sue's blog at [http://thedogfoodstory.com]
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