Tips to Transition Your Dog to a New Food

My regular readers know that while we have four people in our family, we really are a family of five — thanks to our Boston Terrier Lucy.

Make no bones about it, she is a bonafide family member as far as we’re concerned.

So we want only the best for her.

Be sure to learn more how to support your pets and how your pets support you.

Lucy is a playful girl.

But don’t let her fool you, she’s a cuddle monster, too.

Dogs are creature of habit… just like us, they become accustomed to a food and might not be thrilled about a new routine.

Start by mixing 25% new food with 75% current food.

Slowly change the proportions over the next three days or so by gradually increasing the new food and lessening the amount of the current food.

This is not the time to show who’s boss.

It’s better to introduce the new food by using a pleasant tone of voice and gently encouraging him to try the new food.

Don’t give up too soon!

Dogs train us as much as we train them.

Giving in to their demands only reinforces refusal behavior and makes it more difficult to make a nutritious dietary change.

And missing a meal or two is perfectly fine for your dog.

Switching diets may be more challenging when changing from a moist food to a dry food.

If your dog continues to resist eating dry food, mix in a little warm water.

You might even want to put the moistened food in the microwave for a few seconds.

(If you mix the food with water, be sure to throw away the uneaten portion after 20 minutes, before the food spoils.)