Hi all,

Firstly I am lovin this forum!

My problem is that I have a 4 month old Westie who refuses to eat dry food even if I soften it with water.
He will eat puppy jelly pouches, treats, and tries his darndest if we're eating meat to get some!

But I know dry food is supposed to be best, I've tried not giving him anything but dry food, and he still wont eat it.
Should I resign myself to the fact that I will be mixing wet and dry food together forever?? ( and even then he eats the wet food and hardly touches the dry!)

I boil chicken breasts or some lamb mince and use some of the water it's boiled in to soften the biscuits, as well as adding some of the chicken or lamb.

My pup can be a fussy little brat about food too, but he usually eats his meals like that. It can work out a bit expensive though.

Thakns Michelle, that is a good idea. We usually do a 'proper' meal 4 or 5 times a week, so this should be no problem!

If your puppy is happiest eating wet food, don't try and reverse it, it may be that it adjusts to dry food later on


You could always make him/her feel as if he as won, and add a small amount of dry food every day, upping the amount until it is fully back to dry

I've never had a problem with the dogs, but my old cat decided he preferred dry food in his old age - fussy devils that they are!

I used to try and encourage my dog to have dry food by mixing it with a bit of gravy.

If you are changing a dog's food you should do so gradually to avoid tummy upsets anyway, so you could start by mixing a little dry into the wet then gradually increasing the ratio of dry to wet.

I usually put a little wet food in with the dog's dry anyway, just for a bit of taste.

My dog only has dry food but I think 4 months is a little young.

We were recommended Purina Beta puppy but used to moisten it.

Do you remove the food if he refuses to eat it.

Our vet told us this when he wouldn't eat his food.

What type of dry food are you feeding? When I got my 4 month old pup, he was being fed Eukanuba. He hated it, I think he got bored. I was at my wits end and he was hardly eating. I've changed to James Wellbeloved, it comes in different flavours. I guess it is boring eating the same every day. I mix a bit of the new dry food with the old one. Mine loves yoghurt so sometimes I mix the yoghurt right in with the dry food so he has to eat the dry bits if he wants to taste the yoghurt!!

I have found a spoon of natural yoghurt helped, and it's good for them!

Im feeding him Pedgree Puppy Complete, so maybe I'll try a different brand.
I am taking the bowl away after some time.
When I put chicken pieces in it seems to be making a difference.
I think keeping him varied with some wet some dry is ok from what I've heard.

Thanks for all your help guys!

Not the best food for a pup - especially a Westie (prone to allergies as a breed, including food allergies)

Perhaps try James Wellbeloved or Wainrights (Pets at Home own brand) for reasonably priced alternatives, or Burns, Arden Grange or Orijen for more expensive but very good food.

Going to petstop this evening StressMonkey, will try your suggestions, Thanks!

Don't forget to mix it gradually if changing otherwise you may upset his stomach as they need to adjust over a period of time