“How can I get my Papillon to eat more?”
Please believe me. You are feeding your Papillon too much. I can take a good guess that if you are worried about how little your Papillon eats, your dog is probably overweight.
Unless your Papillon is a senior and has gone off of his food, or is unexpectedly dropping weight, or has an underlying health concern, your Papillon is eating enough.
A healthy Papillon eats very little, and a spayed/neutered (altered) Papillon eats even less. An altered Papillon of average size should be eating no more than 1/3 a cup of kibble a day, if not just 1/4 a cup. Whatever the back of the bag recommends, ignore it. Let your hands and eyes be your guide as to whether your dog is overweight. You should easily feel the ribs, but not not the hip bones. If you can’t feel the ribs, feed a little bit less until you can, then slightly increase. You should never just fall into the routine of feeding the same amount of food each day. It should always be tailored to your dog’s body condition.
Many people come to my home and are amazed at how much thinner my dogs look than theirs. But it’s what they should look like! At the same time, I and you should understand that you have a challenge once your Papillon is spayed or neutered. Without the intact hormones, they can become obese in a matter of months with no change in diet. Obesity shortens the lifespan of your dog and reduces his or her quality of life.
”My Papillon is still picky and doesn’t like his food though.”
I have had dozens of Papillons, and none of mine have ever been picky eaters. If you have a picky eater, it’s your feeding routine.
When confronted with a “picky eater” many people make the mistake of switching foods or introducing canned food, which is the bad for the teeth. Now your dog is training you that being picky gets a new exciting food. I have even heard from owners who end up having to hand feed their dogs one morsel at a time, every meal. Over time, these owners almost always run into the issue of a fat dog who they “can’t get to eat anything.”
Here is my routine to solve this problem:
I feed one type of kibble, which currently is Purina Pro Plan shredded chicken. I do not feed canned food, as it is bad for the teeth. I set an amount of kibble out for a dog, and they have around 15-30 minutes to eat it. If they do not eat it, I don’t care. I take it away, and then give them one more chance to eat later in the day. I again set it out for 15-30 minutes, and take it away. I have no picky eaters. My dogs eat at the first opportunity because they they only have a short window to eat, and they know there is nothing better coming.
Do I sometimes give my dogs table scraps? Rarely, but absolutely. They also eat treats during training. Food is one of the best parts of being alive, and I do not want my dogs to miss out on it totally. But it’s also my job as the owner to 1) ensure they consistently eat a nutritious diet and 2) maintain the best body weight I can for their health and quality of life.
If you have a picky eater that you are miserably hand feeding tiny pieces of cooked chicken or filet mignon, regardless of their body weight, please try the above feeding schedule and see if it changes anything for you. Your dog may not eat anything the first day, and I promise you he won’t wither. A particularly stubborn dog may refuse even the second day, and I still promise you he won’t wither. When hungry, dogs will eat.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Even if you don’t have a dog from me, I’m happy to give advice on your situation.