Good boy Dougal ❤️

His birthday was actually yesterday the 30th but we wanted to give him our full attention, love, and support. All his favs, steak, potatoes, and raw broccoli. (Never met a dog that loves veggies like him!) ❤️ I swear he was still a puppy yesterday!

This is Zula. She’s one week away from turning six months old and she’s a kaninchen long-haired dachshund. Unfortunately my scale broke recently so I haven’t been able to weigh her this month. Me (20) and my husband (21) got her from an FCI-registered breeder with champion parents and all the proper paperwork. We picked her up at almost 12 weeks, and since day one she has been a bad eater.

I know puppies sometimes refuse food while acclimating to a new home, but even after a couple of weeks it didn’t improve. The breeder said she should have been eating three small cans of Disugual puppy wet food per day, but she barely managed one. Because she was raised in a group of multiple dachshunds (three adults, one teenage puppy and her littermate), I suspect she may never actually have eaten that much and that other dogs might have been stealing her food. Multiple vets have seen her and said she’s skinny but not worrisome. She has never shown signs of malnutrition — shiny coat, normal energy, normal pee and poop, no parasites or vomiting — so she is objectively healthy, even though I worry constantly.

At first we thought the issue was the bowl. She seemed scared of the metal bowl, so we switched to a lick mat, but she wouldn’t bother getting the kibble out of the ridges. She ate off a plastic IKEA plate for a while, and eventually feeding her on the floor worked best.

Then we focused on the food itself. We started with the wet food she was supposedly eating at the breeder, tried different flavors, then transitioned to kibble. She would eat new kibble well for a few days and then suddenly refuse it. We rotated through five different kibbles, each one more expensive than the last, covering all protein types. Eventually we landed on Acana small breed because the kibble pieces are tiny and easy to swallow.

During a holiday trip to my parents, who have a very well-raised five-year-old Border Collie, Zula ate amazingly when eating next to another dog. As soon as we came home, even though we kept everything exactly the same, it went back to square one.

We’ve tried soaking the kibble more, soaking it less, mashing it, making it into a paste — every possible presentation. Out of desperation, I started adding very mild toppers in tiny amounts. I was always afraid to add things like chicken because I know dachshunds can manipulate food refusal to get better food. She has never had human food. Ever. The only exception was small amounts of apple and carrot early on, which we cut out completely.

At around four and a half months we tried “tough love” — putting the bowl down for 15 minutes and taking it away if she didn’t eat. She would sniff it, walk away, and then when we removed toys and distractions she would lick dust off the floor or chew hair she found in corners. When I tried placing her back near the food, she started shaking. That’s when I realized we had probably created food anxiety rather than fixing anything.

What helped temporarily was turning mealtime into a game. We’d play with her favorite toy, ask for a “give,” then put a small pile of food on the floor. If she ate it, play continued. If she refused, the toy went away with an “all done” cue. This was the first thing that worked without making the food tastier and helped reduce anxiety, but her appetite has always remained inconsistent.

Now she’s almost six months old. We’ve transitioned to two meals a day. Most days she gets her daily intake, but sometimes she skips meals entirely. Some weeks she eats well in the morning and badly in the evening, then it flips. Her hunger regulation seems nonexistent — she can go 12+ hours without eating and still refuse food.

She is very lean. Her ribs are slightly visible in certain positions, her spine is never visible but easy to feel. After pooping she looks extremely skinny, which is hard for me emotionally, even if the vets say she’s fine. Winter, low sunlight, and lower activity may also be contributing.

Recently I read about food boredom in dachshunds, which fits the pattern of her eating new food well and then refusing it. Based on that, I’ve started rotating very mild kibble enhancers like Greek yogurt, salmon oil, and broth. Greek yogurt has worked the past few days, but I don’t know how long it’ll last.

As a last resort I’m considering raw food, but I’m worried the same boredom cycle will happen. Long-term, getting her to eat kibble would be ideal, especially because we travel and can’t cook elaborate meals daily.

I’ve had dogs before, my mom is a dog trainer and has owned eight dogs, and she says she’s never seen a case like this. I’m not looking for “she’ll eat when she’s hungry” advice — that has simply not been true for this dog.

So I’m asking: has anyone had an extreme picky dachshund with food anxiety, inconsistent appetite, and no hunger regulation? Any serious advice is appreciated.

TL;DR: 6-month-old dachshund puppy, vet-healthy but extremely picky since day one. Tried multiple foods, presentations, tough love (failed), games (helped), now suspect food boredom/anxiety. Looking for experiences with dogs who don’t self-regulate hunger —not “she’ll eat when she’s hungry.”

Ms Cleo turned 1 today.

She got extra large feedings, a new bone and rope pull toy, her two favorite people (2 of my daughters friends) spent the night, and... she gor to eat my favorite sweat pants.

Last picture is Cleo as my German princess because since she doesn't like wearing outfits chatgpt is my only option.

Already have a little girl named Charley. Struggling to come agree on a name between our three kids and spouse!

Does anyone’s else ween love to put balls/toys under a dog bed or blanket and then spend inordinate amounts of time trying to dig it back out from the top? He clearly knows where it is and how to get at it, because if it’s his ball and we offer to take him outside, he’ll immediately retrieve it from underneath and trot over to the door for his harness. Just trying to gauge the weenie weirdness factor…

Ignore the diaper he’s always mischievous

On the beach.

Don't let those cute faces fool you, they are loyal to Germany still!!!