Hi, I've read a few posts/threads about some of you mixing foods for your dogs.
After getting my JWB samples last week, I put some in with my fussy 6 month old cavvie's burns puppy bites...and he ate the lot!!! Best he's eaten - EVER!!
I decided to continue with this - as I have a 7kg bag of burns!! So I bought a 2kg JWB turkey and rice and carried on mixing.
However - as the days are going on - the little minx has started picking out the JWB and leaving more and more of the Burns!
I'm starting to wonder if it's worth mixing - or just forgetting the Burns and going with the JWB!!!!! - Which is what common sense tells me to do.
But just wondered, Is there any benefit to mixing, or is just the choice of those of you who do?? (Apart from getting rid of opened, barely touched bags of food!!)
Knowing my pup - he'll go off the JWB in a few weeks anyway and want the Burns back!! :rolleyes:

Mellywelly, I gave you advice on your other thread on this subject.

You decide what you want your dog to eat.

Do not feed your dog other things.

Do not mix other things into your dog's food.

Keep putting down the same food and taking it away until the dog has eaten it.

If you think your dog doesn't like a food and you genuinely want to change to give him something he finds tastier, be warned because often the novelty factor plays a part and soon your dog will be rejecting the new food just as much as the old and you will then find yourself changing to another...and another..and another and so on, at the whim of your dog.

But if you still decide to change, personally I would want my dog to finish the Burns so as not to waste good food or money, and I would keep putting the Burns down and taking it away again and I would not feed the JWB until all the Burns had gone.  But, there again, that's exactly what I said on your other thread...

I didn't see your earlier post so may be repeating things that others have already said.  I don't see harm in trying to find a food your dog likes best BUT if you keep chopping and changing to please him, he will just become even more fussy!  I would say give the JW alone if the dog seems happy with that but if he decides to stop eating it after a while, I think you are going to have to dig your heels in and just refuse to substitute.  I don't think he will willingly starve himself.  Don't leave uneaten food down for long periods either - give him a short period to eat it and then take it away until the next scheduled meal time.  By the way, I've donated unwanted dry dog food to animal charities before and they are always grateful for it.

Hi

Confused as to why you are continuing to give your dog a food he obviously doesnt like. Make up your mind which one you want to feed him and feed it.

My GSD was a fussy B and it was my fault. I pandered to him, for 4 years. I have finally found a diet that suits him and he will eat. Raw. But I am blooming sure that if  I put my foot down 4 years ago I wouldnt of had the worry I have had.

I have never had a fussy dog before and  let him dictate to me what he wanted to eat. I was convinced he would starve himself as he wouldnt eat for 4 days. I gave in beforehe did becasue he was so thin.

Wendy

Hi there

If your dog clearly doesn't like Burns (and none of mine did unless I mixed it through with something!) then I wouldn't feed him it.  If he is eating the JWB and you feel he is enjoying it, you can feed him that.  I would rather feed my dogs on something they enjoy than try to force them to eat something they didn't!  But that's just me!!!  Definitely the way to ensure no fussiness is to put the food down and leave it for a short period of time and if its not eaten then take it away but, to be honest, I want my dog's to enjoy their food so always tend to get them something they really like.  I have mine on a home-prepared diet now and they love it but have used all the others and still have 2 15k bags of Arden Grange in my store cupboard which will have to be used but I'll just mix a little in with their food each day.  It won't take long to get rid of but then I have 4 dogs - all of whom love their food!!!

Hope this helps
Annie

I would feed him the JWB and when/if he gets sick of that give him the rest of the burns,if he stops eating that switch back to the jwb :)

That's EXACTLY what I had decided I would do last night!!

My sister's Cairn also refuses to eat the same food indefinitely.  She does as you are going to do - when he goes off one food she switches him to another.  Problem solved. 

My dogs aren't picky eaters and they get lots of different foods - even on the same day.   They are as happy to eat a piece of steak or chicken as they are JWB or Naturediet.  

I do not think switching foods makes for picky eaters, quite the opposite.  I think changing what your dog eats frequently makes for a dog that will eat just about anything. 

The only problem with doing that is that eventually, he will stop eating both and want something else and so on and so forth! :)  Sooner or later, you are going to have to dig your heels in.

The Burns samples arrived,he hasn't eaten one piece,even put it in a treat ball,he sniffs and thats it.

I will wait for other samples.

I don't think Burns has a smell really????
I don't think it smells enough for dogs??
Maybe that's half the problem?

burns is the only food my dogs have not stopped eating once bored.
they seem to really enjoy eating it. - maybe they know its good for them :) LOL
anna

Some dogs appreciate variety,other dogs EXPECT it! The latter are the ones who turn fussy :(

Locking this thread as Mellywelly already has an existing active thread on the subject