If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what is the best dog food for picky eaters? Then we recommend the Merrick Grain-Free Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food Recipe as the best one.
Almost everyone knows of a dog, whether their own or a friend’s, that inhales their food before it can even be fully put into their bowl. What about one that turns their nose up at almost everything you put in front of them?
Oh, you know when you have a picky eater, and sometimes it can be a frustrating ordeal. I, however, hope to make it a bit easier on you with a selection of best testing dog foods for picky eaters.
In this article, we’re going to review the following picky dog foods :
- Rachael Ray Nutrish Real Chicken & Veggies Recipe Dry Dog Food
- The Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Grain Free Base Mix Dog Recipe
- Merrick Grain-Free Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food Recipe
- NUTRO Kitchen Classics Wet Dog Food With Lamb and Vegetables
- Instinct Freeze Dried Raw Boost Mixers All Natural Dog Food Toppers
- Fromms Four Star Lamb And Lentil
- Purina Pro Plan SAVOR Shredded Blend With Probiotics Dry Dog Food
- Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Dry Dog Food with Smoked Salmon
- TruDog: Feed Me Freeze-Dried Raw Superfood – Real Meat Dog Food
- ORIJEN Dry Dog Food, Original, Biologically Appropriate & Grain Free
- Wellness Core Natural Grain-Free Dry Dog Food with Turkey & Chicken
The Best Dog Food For Picky Eater Pups
#1 Rachel Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Dog Food
Rachel Ray’s Nutrish formula is really beneficial for picky eaters. Rachel Ray herself designed the meals from home-inspired recipes and made it just for dogs with the same wholesome ingredients. It is known to be a delicious meal for many fussy pups. It is made with real chicken, beef, venison, and turkey so you don’t have to worry about by-products.
It is also free of unneeded fillers like wheat or wheat gluten. Not to mention it has no artificial flavors or preservatives. With great carbs like brown rice and peas, your dog will have great energy throughout the day with little problem.
Antioxidants like cranberries and carrots are also included as a high source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Pros:
- Made with real meat.
- Has probiotics for digestion.
- Great vitamins like B12, D3, C, E, K, folic acid, niacin, and even calcium.
- Plenty of variety in flavors.
- A portion of sales is donated to Rachel Ray Foundation for animals in need.
Cons:
- Online retailer quality varies
- Contains some allergens that may affect some dogs
- Not the highest in quality
#2 The Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Dog Food
Honest Kitchen is a great quality brand known for their human-grade food for dogs. The food is made grain-free so your dog has less filler and more antioxidant-rich ingredients. It is made easy for home cooking and raw feeding. With this brand toom, you can pick your protein of choice from the many flavor options.
Not to mention all the ingredients are natural, so there are no by-products, preservatives, or GMO ingredients. The human-grade quality of the food makes it very digestible and packed with nutrition. The best thing is too that since it is dehydrated, all you have to do for mealtime is add some water and serve.
Pros:
- A 10-pound bag makes 40 pounds of fresh food
- Packed with nutrition
- Human grade quality
- Grain-free
- No preservatives or GMO ingredients
Cons:
- Contains some allergens that may affect some dogs
- Online retailers vary in quality
#3 Merrick Grain Free Healthy Weight Recipe
Merrick is another known brand that brings a quality meal to many dogs. It has no fillers or low-quality ingredients, only giving your dogs the best. There are no grains, soy, wheat, gluten, corn, or any allergens that upset a dog’s stomach. It even has glucosamine and chondroitin for support for your dog’s joints.
The top ingredient though is the deboned beef, meaning the food has an amazing flavor that would interest almost all picky eaters. Not only are you giving your picky eater a great-tasting food, but you are also maintaining their weight and health with this food.
It also has a great percentage of protein and fiber without any extra fat or calories that make dogs pack on the pounds.
Pros:
- No primary allergens
- High in protein and low in fat
- No grains
Cons:
- Does contain chicken meat in some formulas
- Online retailers vary in quality
#4 Nutro Kitchen Classics Adult Wet Dog Food
Nutro Kitchen Classics brings a wet variety of food to your picky eater. It goes down better than any kibble with premium recipes and ingredients. There is no chicken by-product meal, artificial preservatives, corn or soy, or even artificial flavors.
Since wet food often cures most picky eaters since it is a change in texture, your dog may enjoy this one. Especially adding it as a topper for their current kibble. With different flavors as well, if your dog turns their nose up at this, they may enjoy another type.
Pros:
- No artificial flavors or preservatives
- No by-products
- No fillers
- Quality ingredients
Cons:
- It doesn’t have a pleasant smell
- Online retailers vary in quality
#5 Instinct Freeze Dried Raw Boost Mixers
The Instinct came out with a mixer that adds rich flavor to your dog’s normal meal. You can think of it like granola on yogurt, it just makes it taste better. It is made from all-natural beef and is completely grain-free. It comes as freeze-dried so it not only locks in the flavor, it keeps all the nutrients as well. There are no grains, potato, corn, wheat, soy, or by-product meal. Also, it is free of artificial colors and preservatives.
The best thing about the Boost Mixers is that you can use it as a mixer or just as a treat if your dog starts eating more often with less picky tendencies. Plus adding this to your dog’s food gives a great boost of nutrition for better digestion, healthy skin and coat, and even overall energy.
Pros:
- Multi-purpose
- Raw ingredients
- Adds great nutrition for better digestion
- No grain or fillers
Cons:
- Can be expensive since it’s only a topper
- Online retailers vary in quality
- Misleading since it is bites filled with different things, not freeze-dried beef bits
#6 Fromm’s Four Star Lamb and Lentil
Fromm’s Four Star is not really a known brand, however, they do have quality ingredients for your pups. They have many different flavors that are popular among typically picky eaters. Including the Lamb and Lentil formula. It is also grain, poultry, and potato free so you don’t have to worry about the useless fillers and allergen meats that your dog’s stomach may hate.
Packed with viable prebiotics and probiotics, and an optimum omega fatty acid ratio makes for healthy balanced nutrition meant to stimulate a healthy gut. It is even packed with amazing fruits and vegetables to give your dog the best-balanced meal they are less likely to turn their nose up at.
Pros:
- No fillers
- Allergen-free
- Prebiotics and probiotics
- Optimum omega fatty acid ratio
- By-product free
Cons:
- Can be a bit on the expensive side
- Kibble is unusually small for dog food
#7 Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Dry Dog Food
Purina Pro Plan is often a go-to food for dogs with different medical problems. However, the Savor formula is a very tempting meal for most picky eaters. It has shredded beef for a great texture most dogs can’t get enough of. It also comes in different flavors like the shredded chicken blend if the beef doesn’t work. It is a budget-friendly food, so the quality isn’t the best, though it is a sustainable food for dogs.
That being said, it does have live probiotics for a good healthy digestive system as well as easily digested carbs like rice for energy. It has a great balance of nutrition with Vitamin A, linoleic acid, omega-6 fatty acid, and natural prebiotic fiber.
Pros:
- Budget-friendly
- Live probiotics
- Natural prebiotic fiber
- Variety of flavors
Cons:
- Contains allergens and some fillers
- Online retailers vary in quality
Taste of the Wild is a well-known brand that always delivers quality ingredients for dogs. With the Pacific Stream formula, many dogs can’t get enough of the taste. It is a grain-free food packed with healthy salmon and fish meal to give a great taste most picky pooches love. Since this formula is packed with protein, it helps promote strong and lean muscles for any breed.
It is also full of fruits and veggies for hard-working antioxidants and fatty acid blend for a healthy coat and skin. This blend is even highly digestible so not only will your picky eater be happy with the taste, their gut will be thanking you as well. Overall it offers a perfectly balanced and nutritious meal for your dog while tasting amazing.
Pros:
- Filled with fruits and veggies
- Real Salmon as the first ingredient
- Easily digestible
- Balanced and nutritious
- Limited ingredient formulas
Cons:
- Has some allergens in the ingredients
- Online retailers vary in quality
- Too low in fiber
#9 TruDog: Feed Me Freeze-Dried Dog Food
TruDog is a great brand for picky dogs with its great meat-filled freeze-dried food. It has a limited ingredient list so it is a great food for those with sensitive stomachs. It is free of grains, fillers, preservatives, and coloring so you don’t have to worry about anything bad going into your dog’s system.
Plus, this food gives your dog a new texture since you add some water to it. However, this surprisingly doesn’t get rid of any crunchies your dog may enjoy. Also since it is a limited ingredient food, your dog will be able to digest it easier and even feel better with clean breath to match.
Plus if the food is not the route you want to go, TruDog also has simple toppers to get your dog going on your brand of choice.
Pros:
- No fillers or grains
- No preservatives or coloring
- Limited ingredient list
- Packed with protein
- Also as toppers
Cons:
- The price is on the expensive side
- Online retailers vary in quality
- Not very balanced with it mostly being protein
#10 Orijen Dry Dog Food
Orijen is a well-known quality brand and their original formula is what most dogs love. It is made just like Taste of the Wild where it targets what dogs would naturally eat, so it contains a wide range of proteins like poultry, fish, eggs, etc. It even has a great balance of essential vitamins and minerals your dog needs for a healthy system.
Not to mention it is a grain-free food so your dog will be able to digest it easier. Plus the food has about 15 percent of fruits and veggies for a more rounded diet.
Most owners find their picky eaters diving in, but if they don’t a simple remedy is to just add water. It seems most dogs adore it when the texture changes as well.
Pros:
- Rich in protein
- Balanced diet
- Grain-free
- Most picky dogs enjoy it
Cons:
- Online retailers vary in quality
- A bit on the expensive side
#11 Wellness Core Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food
Wellness Core is one of the top-rated foods on the market due to its quality and variety for all ages and sizes. This specific brand uses turkey and chicken as the protein source, but there is a fish-based formula for poultry sensitive dogs. Though all the protein in their products is high quality and boosted with real veggies. This makes for a flavorful and nutritious meal for your dog to adore.
There are also no low-grade additives, meat by-products, corn, soy, wheat, or artificial anything, so this offers a healthy option for your picky pooch. Your dog’s stomach will thank you as well with the essential vitamins and minerals added for boosted health.
Pros:
- No artificial anything
- No grains or fillers
- Fish variety for poultry allergic dogs
- Filled with veggies
Cons:
- Online retailers vary in quality
- This formula does have poultry
The Difference Of Regular Food to a Picky Eater
To a picky eater, not all food is to their liking. So for a normal dog, the regular food that you use as a go-to will be eaten in seconds. A picky eater may not even want to touch it for days. You will know if they are picky or not just by how slowly the food is leaving the bowl.
Some dogs may even want to go days without because they despise the food that much.
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What Makes Your Dog A Picky Eater?
There are many reasons as to what made your dog a picky eater. If it has come out of the left field with your typically gluttonous dog, it is always best to see your vet for advice. Though there are some reasons that your pup may be turning their nose up at your offerings. Medical issues such as hormone, digestive, or dental problems may be the cause.
Though on the other hand, it may just be the food you are offering them that they don’t enjoy. Again, it is always best to consult your vet to be sure it’s not medical.
What to Do When Offering Foods to Your Picky Eater Dog?
If it is just your pup having personal preferences with their food, just as we do, there are many things you can do to get them to eat. Try adding some variety.
I know a trick where you add wet food to the kibble, moderately of course, and it always ends with a clean bowl. You can also try a different brand or flavor, honing in on what your pooch really enjoys eating.
Another thing you could try is simply making their mealtime more interesting. I have a friend with a picky dog that refuses to eat until she pretends to cook it in the oven. Even though it sounds silly, it works!
Foods to Avoid If Your Dog Becomes Picky
If your dog is becoming picky, you should stick to the basics. I understand the feeling of wanting to give your dogs treats to supplement them not touching their food. This does no good and simply tells them they can just eat fatty treats all day.
The same goes for table scraps. If your dog is eating from your plate all day, of course, they don’t want the bland food in a bowl.
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Tips & Tricks to Get Your Picky Dog Eating
If the food itself is not the problem, your dog may be picky for other reasons. Here are some tips that may help solve the problem of your picky pooch.
No Table Scraps
It may be tempting to give in to those big puppy eyes, but giving table scraps is not as beneficial to their health. The more food you give them from the table, the less interested they become in their food on the floor.
I mean if I was being fed caviar while I otherwise had spaghetti sitting in a bowl every day, I would want the caviar.
Maintain a Food Schedule
A proper feeding schedule benefits in many ways. It keeps your dog regular, but it also helps keep your dog expecting food at certain times. This ensures you don’t feed them too soon after their last meal.
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Measure Out the Food
Measuring our their food also keeps their meals balanced. You could be feeding your pup way too much for them to digest in a day. Measuring it out keeps them at the proper amount every day.
Keep Track of Treats
Treats may be tempting to give just as table scraps are. However, they are just as bad for your dog.
Giving them once in a while isn’t going to hurt your dog, but if you are supplementing them not eating with these treats, you are just feeding into the problem.
Identify Possible Stressors
Stressors can also be harmful to your dog’s appetite. If your dog is focused on something that may be stressing them out, they may not want to eat in fear of the other thing that may happen.
Figure out your dog’s stressors, if there are any, and begin working to help them through it. You may see them want to eat more the less they have to worry.
Supplements of Human Food
If your dog is refusing to eat, you may worry and try and give your dog absolutely anything for them to just eat. Though the supplement will become expected, and the more you give in, the less they will want their normal food.
Soak the Kibble
Soaking the kibble can give your dog a different texture they may be needing. Sometimes the kibble may be too tough on your dog’s teeth that they need something softer.
Either way, the change may encourage them to eat more.
Try New Foods
Sometimes certain foods may not be up to your dog’s expectations. Changing it around to a different flavor or brand all together may get them excited for mealtime.
Just like we would, your dog may be getting tired of the same food day and night.
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Picky Eater Dogs Foods: FAQs
# Does Picky Eating Indicate Some Medical Problem?
Picky eating can indicate some underlying medical issues. However, to know for sure, always consult your vet.
# Would Making My Own Kibble Help?
Making your own kibble may help since you are giving them something new and interesting. Just make sure to follow the guidelines for your dog’s nutritional needs.
# How Do I Know My Dog is a Picky Eater?
It is easy to find out. If your dog refuses to eat or seems to be waiting for something better, your dog may be a picky eater.
Learn How To: Choose The Right Food For Your Dog
Could you get your Picky Dog’s Food Today?
While I offered here the best dog food for your picky eater, know not everything works for every dog. Each dog has their own preferences as we do. However, out of all the ones I have seen out there, Merrick grain-free dry dog food stands out the most. They are a very quality food for most ages and sizes.
It is also very nutritious and tasty for dogs with its deboned beef. Again, every dog is different. You may have to go through a few brands before you settle on one your dog adores.
Further Readings:
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5. Can Dogs Eat Raw Or Cooked Lobsters?
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8. Best Wet & Dry Dog Foods For Older – Senior Dogs
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