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Why won't my dog eat his kibble? He only wants human food!

Updated on September 23, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Irish Setter | Male | neutered | 10 months and 2 days old | 53 lbs

Conan wasn’t food motivated AT ALL as a puppy, so for his training, our trainer said we could use small bit of cheese or meats- people food. The problem is, now he never wants to eat HIS food. He rarely glances at his kibble, but he is constantly interested in human food, sniffing around the kitchen and around anyone with a snack. We’ve tried multiple flavors and brands, and it’s the same with them all. He’s getting a bit too skinny for my comfort. (He also has a worm problem.) Suggestions?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on March 11, 2019

The worms are likely stealing more nutrients than you realize so you do want to make sure to get rid of them. Neutering Conan can help him to gain some weight and feeding him a high calorie and high quality dog food such as Royal Canin or Purina pro plan can also help. You may try adding a few tablespoons of canned food and mixing it in well with the kibble to cook everything so he can’t pick it out. You should also make sure he never received any human food in the kitchen or at any time other than training as this will only enforce the back behavior. Irish setters are a thin breed in general so keep that in mind when evaluating his body condition. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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