Rupert's strange eating habits - help!

[WendyJ]

Rupert will be 6 months old tomorrow and has turned into a picky eater like Tilly! He's been having half and half Nature Diet wet puppy food and James Wellbeloved dry puppy kibble.

He used to eat his meals OK at set times but has just started to refuse to eat unless he can eat from Tilly's bowl after she's finished even if his food is in his bowl nearby As she eats 99% of her food, I then transfer his food into her bowl. Tilly then thinks she's missing something and sticks her nose in which stops him eating.

I've tried feeding them separately but Rupert just refuses and walks off. I can't leave his food down as Tilly seems keen to eat it!

So, I know it sounds mad, but I've felt I had to hand feed him sometimes because I was shocked when the vet recently told me he was almost verging on underweight and needed more food I have cut down on both their treat intake now that Tilly is scoffing more food than usual.

It's all becoming a stressful event for me at least!

Help...any advice gratefully received.

[Bid]

I try not to push raw feeding because I know it is not everyone's cup of tea, but I have found my dogs eat a ot better since switching. Poppy used to be a picky eater, and she still only eats what she needs, but she is a lot better on raw meat than she was on "dog food".

Other things to try - keep the wet food and the kibble apart - just in case he prefers one to the other, try scattering it on the grass so he has to work for hs food - that might make it more fun, if he hasn't eaten in 5 minutes take the food away, and try again in an hour - repeat a few times.

Is he a poodley doodle? i.e. does he have the tall slim leggy build that a poodle has rathe than the more stocky labrador shape? SOmevets would say Poppy is underweight, but she isn't - she just has a slighter frame.

[WendyJ]

Thanks Bid! Having seen fluffy Rupert wet yesterday in the drizzle, it's reminded me how fine boned he is. He's supposed to be a medium sized Australian Doodle but I would say he's already 16" to the shoulder and his legs now look long!

I also separated his food last night and he ate all the wet portion immediately out of Tilly's bowl after she'd finished her meal and then finished the dry portion overnight.

This morning he ate most of the wet and then wandered off to play but became much more interested and ate the remaininder when I threw it in chunks on the lawn Not interested in the dry portion at the moment.

I will have another look at raw feeding and will report back!

[Bid]

Or you could just feed a wet complete food - they don't need the dry food.