top of page

skdt blog

"My dog isn't food-motivated."

Every now and again, I'll visit with a client and hear the phrase, "My dog isn't food-motivated." Now, all dogs need food, obviously, and they're not going to let themselves starve, so they all have some level of "food motivation." When someone says their dog isn't food-motivated, it's most likely they're saying that their dog isn't interested in working for treats or they're struggling to train using food as a reward. We like using food or treats in training because it is a commonly loved reward for dogs and it's easy for average pet pawrents and professionals to use alike! They're not required, but it can make a lot of training a heck of a lot easier!

So, if a client says to me that their dog isn't very interested in food, I'm generally looking to get to the bottom of why that might be! And there are a variety of reasons to consider why treats or food may not seem very interesting:


Medical Issues or Concerns

Almost every time I hear that a dog is suddenly not interested in food (or any time there's a sudden change in behavior), I encourage my clients to, at least, chat with their vet. There could be something underlying their lack of appetite - even something as small as an upset tummy or persistent GI issues. Take a look at and keep an eyeball on your dog's general eating habits to see if there may be something affecting their interest in food during training!


Life Changes and Stress

Like a lot of us, dogs really thrive on routine and predictability! When there are significant changes in their lives and upsets to their daily routines, interest in food can wane. Moving to a new home (whether they've been adopted or the whole family has moved to a new house/neighborhood), the addition of a new family member (human, canine, feline, or other), changes in the family dynamic (separation or divorce, a death in the family, illness or even surgery, etc.), or even some small shifts in the daily routine are all instances where I've seen a doggo experience stress, anxiety, and a loss or change in appetite. Of course, some dogs are much more sensitive than others, so it's worth it to think on what's been going on in your life and your dog's life lately if you see some changes in your dog's appetite!


Stress and Anxiety

In general, stress and anxiety can cause changes in appetite and interest in food. For some dogs, we're talking about generalized anxiety or more specific stressors that a dog may struggle with (because of genetics, temperament, or learning history), such as noise sensitivities or phobias, separation anxiety, stress about visitors to the home, etc. But, especially when thinking about training and behavior modification, we can also encounter more situational stress and anxiety, such as some of the life changes and stress listed above, concern with novelty (environments, items, people, contexts, etc.), trigger stacking - a situation when there are multiple things adding up to bigger concern for a dog, etc.


Food Preferences

Just like us, there are things your dog likes and dislikes! Some dogs are pickier eaters than others, so it doesn't hurt to do some taste-testing with your doggo! If I'm introducing something new to my dogs, I usually give them a bit to see how they like it and what their reaction is (spoiler alert: my food hounds almost always like what I'm offering - unless it's veggies...then they're less likely to care about it). When I'm visiting a client's home, most often, I have a "trail mix" of treats in my treat pouch - a mix of what I consider to be low, medium, and high value treats (usually kibble, a store-bought training treat, and something freeze- or air-dried), so I have a variety to offer the doggo I'll be working with!


Overfeeding and Satiation

In some cases, dogs may be getting more food than they technically need on a regular basis: they're getting extra when we doublecheck the instructions on the back of their food bag; they're getting a variety of snacks throughout the day from the table, the kiddos, or when counter or table surfing (please note, this is absolutely not a knock against "human" food for dogs, but a reminder to make note of caloric intake and how much more nutrients and calories less-processed foods may contain.); like us, dogs metabolisms change as they age, too, so they may not need as much food as they get older; or a dog may not be getting as much exercise as they should or as they used to get and they don't need as much food as they're getting.


Again, looking at the training context, I often tell folks that their dog isn't going to be interested in food as a reward if they're already in a food coma from dinner just before our session or right before you go to class, etc.!


Overall, there are a wide variety of reasons your dog may not seem to be very food motivated, so it's really worth it to take a close look at things! And I encourage my clients to try a wide variety of different treats - from kibble to cheese, biscuits to boiled chicken, training treats from a pet store to homemade training treats even. Bear in mind that your SideKick can like one thing one day and not be so crazy about it later on; something they love at home in the quiet of your living room may not be tempting when out in the big, wide world.


My biggest recommendation? Have fun and experiment with your doggo!


 
 
 

Comentarios


Let's stay in touch! Subscribe to learn first about updates and other fun stuff!

HOURS: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm

Monday through Saturday

SideKick Dog Training Milwaukee

2025 SideKick Dog Training, LLC

Dog Training in Milwaukee & Southeastern WI

bottom of page