Many Yorkshire terriers are happy to eat anything placed in a bowl in front of them while others start that way but gradually become discriminating nibblers and finicky eaters. If your Yorkie suddenly goes from being a good eater to a very finicky eater, it could be a sign that your Yorkie is ill so be sure to have your veterinarian examine him to rule out medical problems.
Establishing good eating habits helps prevent your Yorkie from becoming a finicky eater or a dog with an appetite problem. Once your Yorkie is no longer a puppy, feed him only one meal or two small ones daily. Feeding your dog continuously or too frequently often results in a pet that becomes a fussy eater or appears to be a finicky eater, when he is really just full. If your Yorkie refuses to eat the meal you just gave him, do not immediately give him something else to eat instead, as this will soon turn into a habit and you will be the one trained, not your dog. Avoid standing and watching your Yorkie to see if he is going to eat his meal because your dog will often think there is some more food coming or he has done something wrong and will refuse to eat. Most dogs kept on a regular feeding schedule have a more dependable appetite. Some Yorkies like to be with the family when they eat so feeding them at breakfast or dinnertime when everyone eats works well with many dogs. Just like children who eat too much candy or junk food and turn their nose up at a proper balanced meal, feeding your pet too many treats or people food often results in a dog that turns up his nose at dinnertime. Giving your pet a treat occasionally or a tiny bit of people food once in a while is not normally harmful but remember that unlike people food or treats, dog food is specially formulated to meet your Yorkies nutritional needs and provides the minerals, vitamins, daily protein, and other nutritional requirements necessary. Feeding them too much people food or treats is unhealthy for your pet and often helps turn him into a finicky eater.
If your Yorkie has turned into a finicky eater and he is physically healthy, you need to work on getting him back on a sensible schedule and proper dog food. A varied diet is fine but if you continuously try different foods because he will not eat or is fussy, this just prolongs the problem. Early in the morning put down your pets food, show him and then leave him to eat. Return after half an hour and check to see if he ate any. If not, remove the food and at the end of the day, put down a new bowl of fresh food. Repeat this and it will not take your dog long to figure out that he needs to eat. Remember that you are not starving your dog but offering him food twice daily and he will soon choose to eat.
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