Instructions
Try a different brand of dog food. Often, higher quality foods offer both better taste and nutrition to the dog. Specialty brands sold at pet stores are often higher quality than grocery or general store brands. Dry foods are typically the cheapest and often provide the nutrition needed for a poodle. Sometimes, the change of brands alone may be enough to get a picky poodle to eat.
Mix dry and canned food. Poodles enjoy most types of canned food; however, canned food is more expensive and at times can be too rich for the dog's digestive system to handle. Mixing dry and canned food often provides enough taste from both foods, softens the dry food and gives texture to the canned food.
Add a little bit of water to create a soup in the food. This again softens the food and may change the texture and taste enough to get the dog's attention.
Employ a bit of tough love. If the dog continues to reject its food, or periodically becomes tired of eating what is offered, then it may not be a good practice to reinforce this behavior by adjusting the dog's diet. Instead give the dog some time to eat and if it refuses, take the food away. Do not give treats or snacks until the next meal. Once it learns that it can't choose its own food, the dog will be less picky.
How to Get a Picky Poodle to Eat
Poodles have a reputation of being finicky, high maintenance animals. This breed has a few dietary needs that should be met to keep its curly coat healthy and shiny. Generally poodles should avoid moist foods, as these are high in corn syrup and other sugary substances that, while tasty, offer little in nutrition. Specific feeding demands, such as portion size and frequency, depend on size and age of the dog. As with other picky dogs, a poodle may display poor behavioral traits and may need a little discipline.