Hi. I am looking after a friends 6 year old mini for 2 weeks while they are on holiday. She arrived with a supermarket dry dog food  which she apparently eats at home. She will not eat it here. She will eat treats so its not a case of not being able to eat. I thought she may sad missing her family and I know that a dog will not starve itself deliberately but I am a bit worried. I have a 20 week old mini  and he is on Royal Canin Junior dry food. Will it hurt to try her with some of that?  Sorry if it sounds a stupid question but its always more worrying when its someone elses beloved pet........

Think I would stick with her food and add a little tinned tuna or pichards in tomato sauce, May be some leftover meat from the family plates.

Thanks Jackie I will try that

They're clever little things, shes probably trying it on to see if she can just get fed treats lol. I think you're being trained

I went away a month ago and left my 2 year old with a dog sitter. I gave her specific instruction re: feeding, sleeping, walking etc. My girl is raw fed.

I came back to find that the sitter had been giving her 'titbits' off her plate whilst she was eating(she felt guilty eating whilst my girl was watching her) and consequently, my very clever girl started to refuse her food. After two days of not eating, the sitter, without even phoning me, went to the supermarket and bought her some small tins of Bakers!!!!!ugg. She happily ate these.

My girl sleeps in the study next to my bedroom but because she whined the first night (she is a good actress) the sitter then allowed her to not only sleep in my bedroom, but also on the bed.

She asked, before I left, if she could take her out in the car at times. I said yes, but she must go in a crate ( prepared one for her). The sitter ignored my wishes and just took her in the footwell after me saying that she is not to travel in the front of the car in the footwell.

I also said, that she has to be kept on her lead at all times and to keep her walking to heel ( it has taken me an age to stop her pulling) She also ignored this and decided to walk her on a 'flexi', which I absolutely abhore (she brought one with her). Told me what a good time she had running here, there and everywhere and having a good sniff.

I have had the devil's own job to correct all the above, so I would go with the advice of the previous posters and feed him what your friend wishes him to be fed even if it is not your choice. As you stated, he is taking treats ok. When he is hungry, he will eat.

I agree with Boo,

Keep to her diet.  But there's nothing wrong with putting a little hot water on the food just to release the aromas and make it more tempting at first ;)

I also wouldn't leave food down for her (if that's what you're doing - not saying you are ;-) )

Give her a reasonable time to eat it, then pick it up.

Once she realises that it isn't going to be available all the time, she may decide to eat it ;-)

I have a picky eater and we often have to play games to get her to eat. Try using her food as rewards for sit, paw, down etc, we also feed her by using it as a treat for bringing the ball back. Sometimes just scattering it into the grass makes her eat it.

Is it possible to contact your friend and ask if it's OK to feed something else ?