Most fussy dogs come round with small changes. Take the fridge chill off, add a strong-smelling topper such as green tripe, try a different protein or texture, and keep mealtimes to 10 to 15 minutes. Change one thing at a time so you know what worked.
Plenty of dogs dive into raw food from the first bowl. A few sniff it, look at you, and walk off. If yours is one of the few, these are the things that tend to win them over, roughly in the order we’d try them. There’s also a simple two-week plan at the end, and what to do with a fussy puppy.
1. Take the chill off
Food straight from the fridge smells of very little. Let the portion sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving, or stand the container in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. Don’t microwave it: cooking any part of a mince with bone in it makes the bone brittle.
2. Add a topper
A spoonful of something strong-smelling on top is often all it takes.
- Green Tripe is the classic. It smells strong to us and wonderful to dogs. Our green tripe guide has more.
- A raw egg cracked over the meal works for a lot of dogs. See can dogs eat raw eggs.
Once your dog is eating well, you can taper the topper down.
Start with a teaspoon or two for a small dog and a tablespoon or two for a big one, stirred through rather than sitting on top, so they can’t just lick it off. Count it as part of the day’s food.
3. Try a different protein
Some dogs simply prefer one meat over another. If chicken isn’t doing it, try beef or veal, and the other way round. Fussy Mix is worth a look: it’s veal and chicken with liver and offal, and it’s one of our five products marked “For Dogs & Cats”.
Fussy Mix is the mix we suggest first for a picky eater, because the liver gives it a rich smell. Lamb & Heart Rolls and Wild Mix are other options if your dog has turned down the usual meats.
4. Change the texture
Some dogs care about how food feels as much as how it smells. If your dog picks at mince, try mixing it with something they already like, or try a roll instead. Our guide to dog roll versus raw mince explains the difference.
A few other texture tricks: press the mince flat on a plate or a lick mat rather than piling it in a bowl, or offer a raw meaty bone, matched to the diet, which some fussy dogs take to straight away.
5. Keep mealtimes short
Put the bowl down for 10 to 15 minutes. If it isn’t eaten, pick it up, cover it and put it back in the fridge for the next meal. Anything that’s sat out longer than that goes in the bin.
Count treats too. A dog who’s had a few snacks between meals won’t be hungry at dinner.
6. Change one thing at a time
It’s tempting to try everything at once. Try one change for a few days before moving on, so you know what actually worked.
Fussy or just full?
Sometimes a dog that leaves food isn’t fussy at all: they’re being given more than they need. Raw food holds a lot of water, so the grams look big next to kibble. Check the amount against our guide to how much raw food to feed: a 20 kg dog with average exercise eats about 500 g a day. If your dog is at a good weight and leaving a little each meal, try a little less and see if the bowl comes back clean.
A two-week plan for a fussy dog
| Days | Try | If it works |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | Take the chill off; short mealtimes; no snacks between meals | Keep it up and stop here |
| 4 to 6 | Add a spoonful of green tripe or an egg, stirred through | Taper the topper over a week or two |
| 7 to 10 | Swap to a different protein, such as Fussy Mix | Stay on it until they’re settled |
| 11 to 14 | Change the texture: flat on a plate, a lick mat, or a roll | Keep the format that works |
Most dogs come round well before the end. Keep a note of what you tried, so you can repeat what works if they get picky again later.
Fussy puppies
Puppies can be choosy too, often because everything is new. The same tricks work: take the chill off, keep meals short, and stir through a little green tripe. Puppies eat several small meals a day, so a meal that’s left after 10 to 15 minutes can go back in the fridge, covered, for the next one. Our guide to how much raw food to feed a puppy has amounts and meals by age, and Puppy Mix is one of the foods our calculator suggests for puppies.
Other things that help
- Same time, same place. A regular routine helps a dog learn that the bowl comes up and goes away again.
- A walk first. A dog that’s had a run is hungrier than one that’s been asleep all afternoon.
- A few bites by hand. Offer the first mouthful or two from your hand, then put the bowl down.
- Feed apart. In a house with more than one dog, a nervous eater often does better in a quiet spot of their own.
- Stay calm about it. Fussing over an untouched bowl can turn it into a game. Pick it up without a word and try again later.
Switching a fussy dog to raw
For a dog that’s new to raw, go slower than usual. Mix a little raw into their current food and increase it over two or three weeks rather than one. Our guide to switching to raw has a day-by-day plan you can stretch out.
If a dog who usually eats well suddenly stops, call your vet.
Common questions
What’s a good food for a fussy dog?
Start with something strong-smelling. Fussy Mix, with veal, chicken, liver and offal, is the one we suggest first, often with a spoonful of green tripe stirred through.
How long should I leave food down?
About 10 to 15 minutes. Pick the bowl up after 10 to 15 minutes. Food that’s only been down that long can go back in the fridge, covered, for the next meal; anything that’s sat out longer goes in the bin. Thawed food keeps two to three days in the fridge.
Can I warm raw food for a fussy dog?
Take the chill off by letting it sit, or stand the container in warm water for a few minutes. Don’t microwave or cook it.
My dog eats the topper and leaves the rest. What now?
Stir the topper right through the meal so there’s nothing to pick out, then use a little less each week.
Should I skip a meal before trying raw?
Many raw feeders skip one meal before the first raw one, so an adult dog comes to the bowl hungry. Don’t do it with very small or young dogs, or a dog with a medical condition. Our switching guide explains.
Will my fussy cat eat the same food?
Fussy Mix is made for dogs and cats. Our guide to feeding cats raw meat has tips for a cautious cat.
More guides
Green tripe for dogs: what it is and how to feed it
What green tripe is, where it fits in a raw diet, and how to live with the smell.
Raw food for Border Collies: how much to feed
Daily amounts for working, sport and city Collies, when to feed around work, and foods that suit them.
Raw food for small dogs: how much to feed
Daily amounts for Poms, Cavoodles and Jack Russells, portioning small meals, and how long a carton lasts.