How To Get German Shepherds to Eat Their Food? 15 Easy Tips

It is not uncommon for German Shepherds to be picky eaters. According to veterinarian and the author of German Shepherd (Dog Breed Handbook) Dr. Bruce Fogle, “Unlike some breeds that will eat almost anything, Shepherds have a tendency to be fussy with food.”

In this article, we have compiled 15 simple and easy tips for you to encourage your German Shepherd to eat their food. These range from building a set schedule to checking your dog for an upset stomach, and anything in between. Read on if you want to get your German Shepherd to eat his food again.

First thing first, how long can a German Shepherd go without eating? 

An adult German Shepherd dog can go without eating for up to five to seven days.

It doesn’t sound ideal, but he’ll just be fine. Water, however, is essential. So, if your dog hasn’t had anything to drink for 48 hours, you will need to take him to the vet. 

Watch this video for additional information about why German Shepherds stop eating and some tips to get them eating again:

15 Ways to get your German Shepherd to eat 

It’s very common for dogs to be picky eaters.

Allergies, bad smells, and boredom can all cause a dog to turn their nose up at the food they’re supposed to be eating. No matter what the reason is, there are some things you can do to help your dog eat again. Here are a few tips:

#1 Stick to a feeding schedule your German Shepherd can depend on

German Shepherds need discipline for feeding.

Feeding your GSD at a designated time each day in the same place and at the same time. Your dog will come to expect his food during this time. This will encourage his body to become hungry in anticipation of the meal.

#2 Cut down the treats. 

Giving your German Shepherd treats on demand can be problematic.

Treats are important in training your German Shepherd, we get that.

However, dogs sometimes want to replace their meals with the preferred treat. It is a lot like a child wanting candy instead of dinner. 

If your GSD is refusing to eat his dog food, he should not get treats between meals.

Also, you can cut back on how many treats you give him at a time. Over-feeding your GSD with treats is very likely to affect his appetite for dog food.

#3 Don’t give in to begging for table scraps (even if it’s cute)

Giving in for table scrap will only encourage this behavior. by doing so, you are only training your GSD to beg for scraps rather than eat his own food.

It is fine to give your dog some of your food once in a while. In fact, dogs are omnivores and need a varied diet. But, you will want to provide your dog with a balanced diet that catered to his needs. 

Also read: 17 Human Foods That Are Safe For German Shepherds to Eat

#4 Try different dog foods

Sometimes your German Shepherd may just get tired of the dog food you are giving him.

In this case, there are many choices on the market. 

• dry foods
• semi-moist foods
• wet foods
• refrigerated foods

It may take a couple of tries before you find something your GSD will enjoy. Consider the ingredients in each of these options. Quality dog foods without fillers will be more appetizing to your German Shepherd. 

Also read: What to Do if Your German Shepherd Won’t Eat?

#5  Add more natural or raw foods to their diet

If your German Shepherd doesn’t like any commercial dog foods, you may consider a natural or raw food diet. 

In these diets, you plan your GSD’s meals and buy his food at the supermarket along with yours. Then, you provide him with a balanced diet using natural, unprocessed ingredients. 

Also read: The Benefits of Feeding German Shepherds Raw Food

#6 Make sure the dog food is fresh

Dogs have a keen sense of smell, and your German Shepherd may be able to tell the dog food has gone bad before you can. If your GSD is avoiding his dog food, check the expiration date. 

Dogs, like humans, want fresh food. Your dog does not want to eat spoiled or stale food. 

If your dog doesn’t finish all of his food, you need to make sure you take away the remaining food and wash the dish. This will help encourage a healthier feeding environment. 

#7 Let your dog watch you prepare the food

Prepare your dog’s meal in front of him. Your German Shepherd will become hungry with anticipation for his food. This will encourage salivation and help your dog feel hungrier at dinner time. 

You should always prepare the food in the same location. This will build up the expectation. 

#8 Mix your dog’s food with broth

Some German Shepherds don’t enjoy dry food. However, high-quality dry dog food is balanced with all of the nutrients your dog needs to be healthy.

If your best friend doesn’t enjoy the taste of his kibble, you can mix their dry food with a little chicken broth to make it tastier. 

There are other tasty toppers you can add to their dry food such as nut butter or cooked eggs to add flavor. 

#9 Heat their meals

Some German Shepherds don’t like cold food. You can warm up their food to make it more appetizing. Dog food should not be cold, but it should also not be hot. So, be careful about the temperature as you warm it. 

Before commercialized dog food comes around, dogs would kill and eat their animals fresh. Warming up your dog’s dish might be reminiscent of a fresh kill. 

Room temperature is usually best. But, heating wet dog food or your dry dog food mixed with broth will increase its scent, which will trigger your dog to salivate. 

#10  Feed your dog with an interactive dog feeder

German Shepherds are energetic dogs. They need mental stimulation every day. This can extend to their meals. There are several interactive dog feeders out there such as this one here. 

You place the kibble inside of the toy which usually looks like a maze or puzzle. Your dog can’t gobble up his food quickly. Instead, he has to work at it and even calculate the angles he needs to get to the food. This can help add interest to dinner time for your German Shepherd. 

#11 Feed your dog in a different bowl

Like human toddlers, sometimes your dog doesn’t like his bowl. Some bowls can be too small; others too large. There are so many options to choose from. 

You can get metal or plastic bowls. You can get different colors and designs. Try a few different options to see what your dog likes.

You can also try putting a non-slip food mat such as this one here to keep their dish from slipping around.

#12 Take away their food bowl after 15 minutes

Many owners leave the dish out all day, so their GSD can eat when he wants. This may make your dog less likely to eat at mealtime. 

You can train your picky German Shepherd to eat by taking away his bowl after letting it out for 15 minutes.

#13 Feed your dog the right amount for their age

How much your German Shepherd eats will change as he grows. As your German Shepherd’s dietary needs change, how much or how little you feed him should change, too.  

Check out the table below for a guide to how much to feed your GSD. 

Age	Weight	Dry Food	Wet Food
2 months	11 lbs (4.5 kg)	11 oz (300 g)	18 oz (500 g)
3 months	30 lbs (9 kg)	16 oz (465 g)	28 oz (780 g)
6 months	49 lbs (22 kg)	23 oz (645 g)	38 oz (1080 g)
Adult	49-95 lbs (22-43 kg)	12o-20 oz (335-555 g)	20-33 oz (555o – 925 g)
Elderly (10+ years)	49- 95 lbs (22-43 kg)	11o-18 oz (300-500 g)	18-30 oz (500-840 g)

Source: Dog Breed Handbooks: German Shepherd by Bruce Fogle, DVM.

Even if your dog cleans his bowl, he should not be given a second dish until the next meal time. This should help you avoid overfeeding your dog. 

#14 Exercise your German Shepherd more

German Shepherds should exercise for about an hour a day. They are large dogs and need to burn a lot of energy. 

If your GSD is not getting this exercise, he may not be working off his food. The more he exercises and burns calories, the hungrier he will be at dinnertime. 

However, note according to Barron’s The German Shepherd by Horst Hegewald-Kawich, “Do not play or work with the dog for two to three hours after it has eaten a large meal, in order to prevent gastric torsion.”

#15 Check to see if your dog has an upset stomach 

German Shepherds are prone to stomach upsets. Your dog’s food may be causing him discomfort. If he is feeling nauseous, he may not be able to eat. 

German Shepherds can develop sensitivities to ingredients inside commercial dog foods.

He may need to switch to a limited-ingredient diet to ease his stomach discomfort.  

Conclusion 

All in all, German Shepherds can be picky eaters, but there are many ways to encourage your dog to eat.

If your dog hasn’t eaten for several days and you’ve tried everything, you may want to check in with the vet. Your vet can determine if something else is keeping your dog from eating.  Otherwise, your German Shepherd should be well on his way to eating his dog food again.