PIDOE Says: The Dog Won't Eat Dog Food

Hi Pidoe! Nice site, very interesting and quite helpful, and I just found out that you are a Filipino too, Kamusta? (How are you?) I’ll talk in English so as to be fair with your foreign readers, lol..anyway, you’re just the right person to seek, since I have an Askal type of breed which you can perfectly relate to when it comes to their characteristics and preferences. My dog’s name is Brutus, he’s already 3 years old, I got him from my uncle who owns lot of dogs, all of them are mix of unknown breeds in short “ASKAL”. But I like Brutus, he’s different from the rest, tri colored, heavy boned, he has the looks and physique of a mastiff and so I took him, the thing is, he’s quite malnourished and needs to gain weight so I tried to feed him with high protein dog food and that’s where the problem comes in, he is not accustomed to eating dog food, he only likes human food, the typical left over foods with the tasty sauces, gravy, rice, etc. and this is what most Filipinos normally feed their ASKAL pets. They said that starving him will surely make him eat anything, so I tried that for a couple of days, but still he won’t eat. I don’t want to prolong the days just to make him starve because I’m afraid that he might get sick.

Is there a chance that Brutus will eat dog food? What will I do to make him eat real dog food?

Thanks and good luck on your blog.

-Michael-

PIDOE K-9 ADVISOR SAYS:

Hi there Michael, and thanks for the compliments. It’s good to hear from a good fellow “kababayan” or Filipino who reads and appreciates my Dog blog. First of all I admire your kindness to Brutus, because, not everyone cares as much about “ASKALS” (An abbreviation for Asong Kalye or Street Mutt translated in English)many rather give most attention to purebred dogs. And by the way they shouldn’t be called Askals in the first place; the best term would be ASPIN (Asong Pinoy or Filipino Native Dog). It’s true that normally, ASPINS, as I prefer to call them are not trained by most Filipino owners in eating commercial dog food. They think that dog food intended for ASPINS is expensive and impractical thus they chose to feed them with human grade left over foods that can be unhealthy and harmful to some dogs as well. But take note that its not always the commercial dog food you can purchase from the pet stores that brings the best nutrition for your dog, in fact it can be contrary to what we believed. Some owners prefer raw food for their pooches, while others consider organic food in their dog’s diet. But still, I would suggest that you consult first your veterinarian regarding the food that’s best for your dog.

So since your dog has mostly been in a diet of human food, it might not be a bad idea to phase it out in your case but this should be done gradually. Start adding a few kibble to his usual diet, and while he gets used to it try adding more and reducing human food at the same time then just follow thru with the program, transition may take long until your dog appreciates 100% kibbles. While dogs are survivors and will go without for a while, they won't starve themselves when they realize that mealtime is when it is and this is what's available to eat. If they do, then there might be a medical problem.

Just don’t rush him and soon Brutus will like it and perhaps beg for it when he’s hungry. Be patient and good luck!