Before giving your dog some food to eat, give him food for thought.

by Jodi Anderson

Copyright the American Kennel Club, Inc., 2005. No portion of this article may be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder. Reprinted with permission from AKC Family Dog, July/August 2005. To subscribe: http://www.akc.org

Get in the zone: Daily exercise and training will give your dog a healthy appetite.

Does your dog play with more of his food than he eats? Does he snatch a piece or two of kibble from his dish, then deposit it to an undisclosed location (like under a coffee table) before appearing to secretly consume it? Or, does he sit up and beg while you're preparing his meal, only to turn up his nose once it's down on the floor? Is he enthusiastic about treats yet uninterested in meals? Do you (in a desperate attempt to keep your pooch from starving) find yourself playing musical foods, with the hope that you can get him to chow down at least one full meal a day? If any of the above rings true in your house-and you've checked with your veterinarian to be sure the problem isn't physical-it's more than likely that your dog is hungrier for thought than for food.
Dogs are pack animals, whose behavior (for the most part) is dictated by the hierarchy of the immediate family they live with. Eating is a necessary, daily, pack ritual that works best when done (according to pack dynamics) in order of strongest to weakest. Dogs whose jobs include carrying out tasks (i.e., sit, down, stay, and so on) for the people they live with become secure, working members of the family and eat well when food is used as a reward for carrying out one of these tasks. Dogs who are not required to work for their food, however, tend to become insecure about their own pack status and, therefore, become confused about when they may or even should eat. Because the mind (as well as food) can be a terrible thing to waste, the key to keeping a dog from going on a hunger strike can be as easy as giving him a little F-O-O-D for thought.

Feed meals as a reward for a job well done.

Feeding a meal to a dog for a job well done, such as sit, down, stay, helps your dog feel that he has earned the meal, thereby entitling him to eat it.

On the other hand, if you give food to your dog for free, or leave it on the floor (for him to eat when he pleases), you are not only promoting confusion, you might also, inadvertently, be fostering territorial as well as assertive behaviors in a dog that would otherwise be respectful and friendly. It's vital to the success of the human-dog relationship to remind your dog that you are in fact the hand that feeds. If your dog chooses (after a reasonable few minutes) not to eat what he is served when you choose to serve it, pick up the food and offer it later as a reward for completing yet another task. Domesticated dogs would rather sing for their supper anyway, so even a task as simple as a sit can help put your finicky eater back on the gravy train in no time.

Only feed dog food at mealtime.

Most dog foods are nutritionally complete ' and there are dozens to choose from; at least one is bound to be the perfect fit for your own dog's needs. Peppering the food with gastronomic goodies will only ensure your dog's eventual disinterest in plain old dog food. Because we (their people) sometimes spike a finicky dog's food with our own calorie preferences (teaching them to only eat what we eat), nutrition then becomes as much a concern as hunger. If you feel you simply must modify the recipe, raw vegetables and some fruits make wonderful, healthful treats and won't spoil your dog's appetite.

Overfeeding can cause dogs to become disinterested in food altogether.

If your dog starts a meal but rarely finishes, it's probably time for some portion control. Dogs do not equate indulgence (of food) with love. So, although you might be feeding your dog more, he isn't feeling more loved. Ask your veterinarian for a healthy portion formula (as each dog has different feeding requirements) and try to stick to it. Dogs should never be allowed to become overweight, as it is as unhealthy for their bones and organs as it is for ours. If your dog is already overweight, try splitting the large meals into smaller ones and ask the dog to work for his food, not once or twice, but several times a day. Also add a daily aerobic walk that will burn calories. The work will help to polish his basic obedience skills, and the walk will help him slim down at the same time.

Don't serve a meal to your dog just before you leave the house.

Dogs often feel stressed about being left behind. So, if a meal is offered just before you head out the door, the dog learns to treat the meal as a sure signal for your departure. If this is the case in your house, your dog is likely to be spending his days not only anxiously awaiting your return, but also staring (hungrily) at his full bowl, only to hysterically gobble down the food, the moment you return-talk about fast food!

Instead, try to begin each day with a long walk, then mix things up a bit with some obedience commands before feeding. Allow ample time for him to finish the meal before you dash off for the day. Your dog will become more enthusiastic about his well-earned meals and (as a result of the walk) he'll be too tired to stress about you leaving.
Thankfully, most dogs will eat without incident. But for those of us who do have dogs with eating issues, keep in mind that a dog's hunger rarely waxes into starvation.

So, if your pick of the litter is turning out to be the pickiest of the pack, stop worrying about what you're serving and, instead, try dishing out some food for thought. A dash less fretting and a pinch more working should help get your dog eating out of his own dish in no time.
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Jodi Andersen, a New York-based professional trainer, is the founder of TrainingkVorks for Dogs and the author of The Latchkey Dog.