Is It Normal for My Dog Not to Eat Treats?
Three packs bought. Each one sniffed, picked up, carried a step and dropped on the floor. Is something wrong with him?
Usually not. Most of the time, a dog that eats his meals well and turns down treats simply has opinions. The question to answer first is not which treat to buy next. It is whether he is refusing treats, or refusing food.
Treats or food: which is he refusing?
This is the line that separates a preference from a problem. Ask yourself four things:
- Is he finishing his normal meals?
- Is his weight steady?
- Is he playing, walking and sleeping as usual?
- Does he chew his regular food without dropping bits of it?
If the answer to all four is yes, you have a fussy dog. If any of them is no, skip to the section on the vet below.
Why would a dog not want a treat?
Several ordinary reasons, and they often stack.
Not every dog is food-driven. Dogs vary a lot. Researchers who measure food preference never rely on one animal: a review of preference testing in dogs and cats notes that expert panels use at least 30 dogs, and home panels around 100, to get a reliable answer (Tobie et al., Animals, 2015). Your one dog is a panel of one.
The smell sold it; the taste did not. That same review explains that a dog's first choice between two bowls mostly reflects smell, while what it goes on to eat brings in taste and texture too. Sniffing eagerly, picking the treat up and then dropping it fits that pattern: interested by the nose, unconvinced by the mouth.
Novelty. Dogs are often wary of a food they have not had before. In one feeding study, eight adult Beagles were switched between four new diets in 10-day blocks. On the first day of each new diet they ate more slowly and were more distracted than on days eight and nine, and hesitated more than on day nine (Callon et al., Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2017). It was a small study of laboratory Beagles fed complete diets, not treats, and the team did not record days two to seven, so the wariness may well have faded sooner. The pattern still matches what many owners see.
A full stomach. A treat offered just after dinner competes with a full stomach. Plenty of dogs will refuse at 9 pm what they would grab at 7 am.
The piece is wrong. Too big, too hard, too crumbly. Some dogs, especially small ones and seniors, drop anything they cannot manage comfortably.
Stress. VCA lists stress, a changed routine and a changed environment among the reasons for reduced appetite (VCA). A move, a new baby, visitors, or the Diwali weeks can all dull interest in extras before they touch meals.
Could it be his mouth?
This is the reason worth ruling out, because it is easy to miss. VCA describes "pseudo-anorexia": the dog wants to eat but something stops him. Inflamed gums, inflammation of the mouth or throat, advanced periodontal disease and loose teeth are all on its list.
That dog often does exactly what you describe. He is interested, he takes the treat, and then chewing it hurts, so he lets it go. Clues that point this way:
- he drops pieces of his normal food too, or chews on one side;
- his breath has got worse;
- he paws at his face or flinches when you touch his muzzle;
- he prefers soft food to hard.
If any of those fit, a vet visit beats a fourth bag of treats.
What should I try before buying another pack?
Stop rotating. Three kinds in quick succession means every treat he meets is new, which keeps him in the hesitant first-day phase. Pick one and stay with it for a week:
- Offer it before a meal, when he is a little hungry.
- Break it into a piece the size of your fingernail.
- Hold it out once, calmly. If he drops it, pick it up and try again the next day; do not coax, chase or stack more on the floor.
- Give it alongside something he already likes, such as a game or a walk, so it arrives with good news.
It helps to try something familiar too. Plenty of dogs that turn their noses up at a packaged treat will happily take a pea-sized piece of plain boiled chicken or a bit of his own kibble from your hand. Our guide to [human food as treats](/blogs/news/can-dogs-have-human-food-as-treats) covers what is safe.
And consider that he may not need treats at all. WSAVA describes treats as a way to reward, enrich and bond, and also suggests other ways of spending quality time with your dog. Praise, tug, a sniff walk or a ball do the same job for many dogs. If he is not food-driven, that is not a flaw to correct; it is how he is built.
Does it matter for his health?
Not if the rest is normal. Treats should stay under 10% of a dog's daily calories and should never replace a meal, according to WSAVA. Eating none at all costs him nothing nutritional as long as his main food is complete and balanced.
Where it does matter is medicine. Owners often rely on a treat to hide a tablet. If your dog won't take treats, ask your vet whether the tablet can go in a little of his usual food, or read our piece on [dogs that spit out pills](/blogs/the-furry-fix/dog-refuses-to-eat-supplements).
When to see a vet
Go sooner rather than later if:
- he refuses his regular meals, not just treats;
- his weight is dropping;
- he drops food while chewing, has bad breath or seems sore around the mouth;
- poor appetite comes with vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy or drinking much more water;
- a puppy or a senior has gone off food.
VCA's advice is to take changes in eating behaviour seriously and involve your vet early. Our guide on [when to see a vet](/blogs/news/when-to-take-dog-to-vet-digestive-problems) lists the digestive red flags in more detail.
Where ChewCheer fits
It doesn't, really. ChewCheer is a daily soft chew with chicory root fibre and inulin, flavoured with chicken and pumpkin, and it is a treat as far as your dog is concerned. Three refused packs suggest a fourth may go the same way. It contains chicken, so it is not for a dog with a known chicken reaction.
If you do try it, the advice above applies unchanged: one small piece, before a meal, for several days, and judge it after a week rather than after one sniff.
The short version
Eating meals but dropping treats usually means fussy, not ill. New treats are often met with hesitation, the smell can win him over while the taste does not, and a full or stressed dog cares less about extras. Stop rotating packs; give one treat in tiny pieces before meals for a week, and use praise or play if food does not motivate him. Check his mouth, and see a vet if he refuses meals or drops food while chewing.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for a dog not to like treats?
Yes. Some dogs are far less interested in food than others, and many ignore treats they are not used to. If your dog eats his meals well, keeps his weight and behaves normally, a dog who turns down treats is usually a dog with preferences, not a sick dog.
Why does my dog pick up a treat and then drop it?
Usually because the smell got him interested and the taste or texture did not hold him. It can also mean he is not hungry at that moment, the piece is too big or too hard, or he is unsure of a new food. If he drops his regular food while chewing too, have his mouth checked.
Should I keep buying different treats until he likes one?
Not straight away. Rotating through new packs every few days keeps every treat new, and new foods are often eaten with hesitation at first. Pick one, offer a tiny piece calmly once or twice a day for a week, and judge it after that.
Could dental pain stop my dog eating treats?
It can. VCA describes 'pseudo-anorexia', where a dog wants to eat but mouth pain from inflamed gums, periodontal disease or loose teeth gets in the way. A vet can look in his mouth in a few minutes.
What can I use instead of treats for training?
Praise, play, a favourite toy, a game of tug or a short walk all work as rewards for many dogs that are not food-driven. Some dogs will work for pieces of their own kibble or for plain cooked chicken, which is a familiar food rather than a new one.
When should I worry about my dog's appetite?
When it is meals, not just treats. A dog that stops eating his regular food, or refuses food alongside vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy or weight loss, should see a vet. VCA advises taking any change in eating behaviour seriously and involving the vet early.