Plenty of dogs dive into raw food from the very first bowl, but not all of them. Some sniff it and walk away, and some eat happily for a week and then lose interest. The good news is that a fussy eater can usually be won over with a bit of patience, a set routine and the right food in the bowl.
Are you offering too much? A dog who is given more than they need will often leave some. Our raw feeding calculator shows how many grams a day your dog needs, so you can check the portion before you change anything else.
Fussy or unwell?
Before you try any tricks, make sure it really is fussiness. A dog who suddenly goes off their food, or who is also losing weight, being sick, has diarrhoea, seems tired or struggles to chew, should see a vet first. Sore teeth and gums are a common reason for an older dog to leave their dinner, and our guide to raw feeding older dogs has more on that.
If your dog is bright, full of energy and happy to take treats but turns their nose up at dinner, you are most likely dealing with a fussy eater.
Why some dogs are fussy about raw
- It is new: raw food smells, feels and tastes nothing like kibble, and some dogs are simply wary of anything new.
- It is too cold: food straight from the fridge has much less smell than food that has had a little time to warm up.
- Too many extras: if treats, chews and scraps fill them up during the day, there is less room for dinner.
- They have learned a trick: if leaving food has been rewarded with something tastier in the past, some dogs will hold out for it.
Simple tricks that work
Take the chill off
Thaw each meal in the fridge overnight, then take it out a little while before dinner so it is not fridge cold. Never warm raw food in the microwave, as it can start to cook it, and cooked bone is not safe for dogs. Once thawed, use it within 48 hours and never refreeze it.
Set mealtimes
Put the bowl down, give your dog around 15 minutes, then pick up anything left and put it back in the fridge until the next meal. Leaving raw food down all day is not a good idea anyway, as our guide on raw food safety explains. A healthy adult dog who skips the odd meal will usually eat well at the next one. With puppies, toy breeds or dogs with health problems, talk to your vet before letting meals go.
Cut back on treats
For a week or two, keep treats to a minimum and take them out of the daily allowance. A hungry dog is a much less fussy dog.
Add a tripe topper
Green tripe is the classic way to tempt a picky raw feeder. It smells strong to us, but most dogs love it. A spoonful of Raw Pet Treat Tripe or Stobart Just Tripe stirred over a complete meal is often all it takes. Plain tripe is not a complete meal on its own, so keep it as a topper rather than the whole dinner.
Try a tripe based complete food
If the topper works, a complete food with tripe already mixed in saves you the extra step. The Supreme Raw Tripe Mixed Flavour Variety Box and the Stobart Tripe Mixed Flavour Variety Box both give you a mix of tripe recipes in complete 80/10/10 rolls.
Keep it calm
Try not to hover, coax or make a fuss over the bowl. Put it down, walk away and let your dog get on with it. Some nervous dogs eat better in a quiet spot away from other pets.
Find the protein they love
Sometimes a dog is not fussy about raw at all, just about one particular meat. Rather than buying a freezer full of one flavour, start with a mix.
- Try Me Variety Box: five packs each of Stobart, K9 Raw and Raw Pet Treat, so you can see which brand and flavours your dog likes best. It costs £28.47 at the time of writing. Flavours vary by box, and if your dog has allergies you can add them to your order notes.
- Mixed boxes from one brand: once you know the brand that suits, the Stobart Mixed Flavour Variety Box, K9 Raw Mixed Flavour Box, Supreme Raw Variety Bundle Box and Reggie's Mix Box keep things interesting.
Bring in one new flavour at a time and keep a note of which ones get eaten and which get left. If your dog cannot have chicken, our chicken allergy guide lists the chicken free boxes. You can see all of our mixed boxes in the bundles collection.
Still switching from kibble?
If your dog is new to raw and will not touch it, slow things down. Our 10 day switching plan takes you through the change step by step, and there is no harm in staying on each stage for a few extra days. Our feeding guide will help you get the amount right once they are eating well.
What not to do
- Do not swap the food at every meal. Changing it each time your dog hesitates can teach them that waiting brings something better.
- Do not pile on extras. Lots of toppers, sauces and scraps can make the plain meal seem dull.
- Do not leave food out. Pick up what is not eaten and keep it in the fridge.
Ready to start?
Check your dog's daily amount with our feeding calculator, then pick up a Try Me Variety Box to find their favourite. Browse Stobart, K9 Raw, Supreme Raw, Reggie's and Raw Pet Treat for tripe toppers and tripe based complete foods. Delivery is free on orders over £70 (£3.95 below that), and you can choose Subscribe and Save to get 5 percent off every order and never run out.
This guide is general advice. If your dog suddenly stops eating, is losing weight or seems unwell, please speak to your vet before changing their diet.