Elle is 1yr old tomorrow, I first posted on here when I first got her, she was 6 weeks. I was having a lot of problems feeding her and I know everyone that replied to my posts were concerned that the breeder let her go at 6 weeks. I was a pure novice at owning a CKCS, I had had dogs in the past but heinz 57 variety and they would eat me out of house and home, so all these feeding problems came as a bit of a shock. I was told to cook and give her our food by the breeder, others told me I was a fool. Elle still wouldn't eat, I was coaxing her with everything. I had to hand feed her everything she had it was a nightmare. I tried every dog food going both wet and dry, good ones and cheap ones. I couln't work out if she prefered wet or dry.
One day I had had enough, she hadn't eaten for over a day, I grabbed a box of the only thing I hadn't tried Bakers moist meaty chunks, she aet them herself, that was 3 months ago.
I'd cut her down to one meal a day to see if that made a difference as morning feeds where a nightmare.
I know it is the most rubbish food going because of what came out the other end, but as it was the only thing she would eat herself I just carried on.
Numerous vet checks she was fine, infact my vet said to me at the last visit, go away and stop worrying she is fine.
About 4 weeks ago she started to be a pain again, not eating herself, just lying down I would put a few chunks on the floor and she would eat it, I put it down to the hoy weather. Then about a week ago we got the flat refusal to eat at all. She loves her buiscuts, so I thought o.k. we like to crunch I wonder if I would eat a bit more dry. Not the best food I know but I tried Pedigrre adult for small dogs which has soft meaty chunks as well as dry, and yes she likes it.
I don't know if she is a tipical CKCS as she tends to eat for about 5/6 days and then of her own doing she misses a day. She is only a small dog, and weighed 6.5kgs a month ago.
I have read all the posts on here everyday for the past 12months. I know I have made a lot of mistakes with her but Cavaliers seem to be different from bigger dogs.
Now she is nearly one I feel I have more confidence with her, she is a lovely companian, which is what I got her for, but I must sort out this feeding.
As she has only a small appitite and doesn't like to eat huge amounts I was looking on the Arden Grange websight and decided to ring them about there prestige food which they are sending me a sample of. If Elle eats this then everything will be perfect.
Sorry its been so long I hope I haven't bored anyone. Just had a bit more confidence to post again.

My very healthy nearly 9 year old when young would only eat 4 days out of 7 if she was anywhere near a season, and not much more the rest of the time.

Throughout she was lean and healthy though a little leaner and less coated than would have been ideal for her in the show ring and we got a lot of second prizes  with the comment 'more coat an body' would improve.

I decided to have a litter from her younger than is usual for me (mated two weeks before her second birthday) and she ate well when raising her young, was actually a bit plump.

This all stopped after she had her post whelp moult and she was back in condition.

So from then on in I gave up worrying about it.

She ate what she needed.  The food I chose was a nutrient rich one (Arden Grange Prestige), so I was Happy that she would get as much goodness as possible from the  small amount she chose to eat.

With age her appetite improved, and now I have to watch she doesn't get fat, as she would and has put on weight.

What is your bitches condition like.  Arte her hip bones and vertebrae sticking out prominently?

If not and you can just nicely feel her ribs and backbone, then she is just right.  You should actually be glad, as there are so many fat cavaliers around, and with the breeds predisposition to heart problems staying on the lean side can only be of benefit.  Many people don't actually realise what a dogs shape should be as most pet dogs are overweight.

Also dogs do not need to eat every day, nature has designed them to be able to gorge one day and then go without another, and some of our pets choose to fast the odd day.

My CKCS eats like something starved every night, my Leo is the fussy one and i can't get any weight on him at the moment.  I try not to worry too much when they are hungry they will eat.  Funny how my Cavies is the best eater she leaves nothing, if she can she even jumps up at our boys bowl on the stand to pinch his she is so cheeky. 
I think it is hard but we need to try and relax about their intake of food, they are all so different, just like our kid really.

Nothing sticks out and you can feel her ribs and backbone, I think that she is on the small side of the breed, she only has a small head, her mother was small.
Some days she has seemed extra hungry, but I can count them.
She has a lovely shinny coat, she is a black & tan and is never still, and loves her daily romp accross the fields for about an hour. She has been a bit more tired these past couple of days as she is in her second season.

I found with my picky girl, and to a certain extent the others when young, that seasons do affect their appetite and this is when they are at their worst for not eating.

Sounds like she is a nice weight for her size (they are a toy breed remember )

The breed standard says:

Size
Weight: 5.4-8.2 kgs (12-18 lbs). A small, well balanced dog well within these weights desirable.

At 6.5kgs for a young dog (my 12 month olds are usually only 3/4 their adult weight at 12 months) she is not small but nicely in the middle range for the breed.

Thanks for that, I feel a bit happier now. I know that she will only eat as much as she needs and no more.
I will feel better if I can get her on Arden Grange Prestige as they don't need much of that. I hope she eats it when the sample comes.

Well it was the one that my Kizi ate with the most enthusiasm, or should I say didn't turn her nose straight up at