Best Tasting Dog Food for Picky Eaters

If the title compelled you to click on this read, you must be someone who is dying to solve your dog’s pickiness problem when it comes to food, right?

Thank your stars because you have just landed on the right page.

Here we have analyzed some best-tasting dog foods for picky eaters in detail so that dog owners can always have a go-to option available whenever they want to go through the list of reliable and authentic tasting dog foods for their fur babies.

The confusion and annoyance a dog owner has to put up with while searching for a couple of credible dog food options amongst thousands of dog food brands are widely understood.

Reflecting upon this problem, we decided to do a market survey and form a detailed guide about different dog food brands so that the next time you face a problem in decoding your dog’s picky behavior or choosing the best tasting dog food for your fur baby, you will instantly know where to go and what to buy.

After spending hours collecting information related to ingredients, value for money, pros, cons, and prominent features of several dog food brands, we have our most credible picks that dog owners swear upon.

So keep scrolling down because here comes your best-tasting dog food bible.

Just make sure you don’t miss out on any important information.

Best Tasting Dog Food for Picky Eaters: Our Top Picks

☞ Meal Subscription Services

1. Ollie
2. Right Pets

☞ Dry Dog Food

1. Orijen Original
2. The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken Recipe Dehydrated Dog Food
3. Taste of The Wild
4. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw
5. Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
6. Rachael Ray Nutrish Dish Natural Chicken & Brown Rice

☞ Canned Dog Food

1. Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Variety Pack Wet Dog Food
2. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon & Chicken Grill Grain-Free
3. Wellness 95% Natural Wet Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

Is Your Dog a Picky Eater?

If your dog refuses to eat what you serve in the bowl once in a while, this is not an indication of being a picky eater.

Dogs can refuse their food for multiple reasons, be it medical, hormonal, or emotional.

The real problem occurs when the dog happily eats treats and wet snacks but either completely refuses the dry food or only gives the bowl a couple of licks but never finishes it.

The most prominent indication of picky eaters is that they demand more often or only want a certain type of food in every mealtime.

Picky eaters can even go on hunger strikes unless they are served what they want.

This is a serious issue to ponder upon because this can make your dog suffer from malnutrition, appetite loss, and weight problems.

Dog Breeds That Are Known to Be Picky Eaters

Some dog breeds are particularly known as picky eaters, such as:

• Maltese,
• English Cocker Spaniel,
• Bichon Frise,
• Pug,
• Boston Terrier, Greyhound,
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel,
• Poodle,
• Dachshund,
• French Bulldog,
• Pekingese,
• West Highland White Terrier.

However, if your dog does not belong to any of these breeds, it does not mean it will never turn into a picky eater.

Most dogs become finicky about their food at some point in their life, and it could happen due to multiple reasons, from behavioral to medical.

Why Is Your Pet so Picky About Food?

Dogs can start nitpicking about food due to several reasons. You need to rule out these possible issues in the case;

1. Medical Reasons

Irregular bowel movements, constipation, ill gut health, or deteriorating dental health can cause a dog to go nuts and prone to picky eating.

2. Hormonal Changes

Dogs also go through multiple growth stages; therefore, hormonal changes can cause aversions to particular food items in dogs as well.

3. Bad Behavioral Training

As a dog owner, you must discipline your fur baby, and leniency from your side can be manipulated by your dog easily.

For example, if you are accustomed to offering treats whenever your dog refuses to eat, or you serve different kinds of food very often, your dog can learn to make a fuss over a certain food and May demands specific food only.

4. Emotional Reasons

Psychological troubles like stress, anxiety, overexcitement, or grief, can be felt by dogs too and are likely to cause appetite changes in them.

What to Do if Your Dog Do Not Want to Eat

First, you need to stop panicking and calmly think about possible reasons due to which your dog has either refused to eat or has turned into a picky eater.

If you are unable to rule out the root cause, follow these steps.

1. Check With Your Veterinarian First.

Ask your vet to do a complete medical checkup of your dog and find out if any health issue is causing an eating disorder and needs to be sorted out.

The vet will also give you insight into your dog’s height and weight which will further help you in designing a perfect meal plan for your fur baby. 

2. Other Reasons Your Dog May Not Want to Eat

Like humans, dogs can also have palate preference, and they develop likings and disliking towards food. Your dog may slurp up a whole bowl in a blink of an eye but might take hours to finish the other, which indicates its preference.

Dogs need variety in food items as well, and they become bored if you keep stirring up the same ingredients, so offer a different kind of food until you find the best tasting dog food according to your pal’s preference.

Do not overdo the variety, and always remember that moderation is the key.

Frequent changes in dog foods and formulas can also be one of the reasons your dog may not want to eat what you offer and becomes habitual of juggling between different flavors.

3. Tips for Encouraging Your Dog to Eat

Besides looking for the best dog food for your dog, you can also try these tips and tricks to encourage your dog to eat;

Reward The Desirable Behavior

Give your dog a treat only when it finishes the food that has been served.

This way, your dog will learn to differentiate between unwanted and wanted behavior.

Instead of serving the food in a plain old bowl, make mealtime fun, get your dog some interesting and colorful bowl.

Also, introducing fun activities such as hunting food and getting rewarded will encourage the dog to eat.

Monitor Emotional Changes

Stay connected with your fur buddy and pay close attention to its emotional needs.

For example, your dog may stop eating due to stress or anxiety, so give it more love and provide a comfortable environment.

Top 11 Best Tasting Dog Food for Picky Eaters – Review

After thorough research, we have reviewed the best-tasting dog foods. Go through the features of each and pick one according to your dog’s taste.

Best of The Best: Cooking Yourself for Your Dog

Nothing beats the nutritional value of a freshly prepared organic home-cooked meal. It is best to buy raw ingredients from nearby markets and serve your healthy dog meals prepared at home.

Home-cooked meals are free from any type of preservatives, ensuring long-term health benefits and reducing the risk of digestive disorders.

But if you do not have time to cook fresh meals at home, worry no more.

You can buy any of the meal subscriptions, and you will get the best-tasting dog food served at your doorstep. 

Meal Subscription Services

The two most trustworthy meal subscription services include;

1. Best Overall: My Ollie

If you do not have time to cook fresh food for your dog, you can opt for Ollie meal subscription services.

They will deliver two weeks’ worth of packs to your doorstep.

Their meals include delicious recipes of beef, chicken, turkey, and goat meat that your fur baby would happily gobble down.

Features:

• Custom feeding guides are given according to your dog’s profile
• Nutritious recipes for dogs that include meat, fruits, vegetables, and plant-based proteins
• Recipes have been formulated by canine nutritionists
• The subscription box comes with a detailed guide and food container
• Subscription can be canceled any time without additional cost

Pros:

• They use quality ingredients
• Your dog will get well-balanced customized food bowls
• Small batches will be delivered to your place because they cook fresh food
• Four recipes to choose from
• Trusted worldwide

Cons:

• You may find it a bit on the expensive side
• They do not deliver daily (would be the best of the best!); hence you will have to serve your dog frozen food.

2. Runner Up: Raised Right Meal Service

Another tasting dog food meal subscription service that is trusted by thousands of dog owners is raised right.

Features:

• Human-grade food. Every recipe includes ingredients that are even safe for human consumption, making them one of the most reliable services.
• Every batch goes through strict lab testing to ensure safe and healthy meal
• It vets formulated and recommended by nutritionists
• High in protein and low in carbs recipes

Pros:

• Nutritious recipes and ingredients that you can trust upon
• Your dog will get well-balanced and healthy meals
• Meals are free of high carbs and preservatives
• Recipes are formulated under the guidelines of famous vets

Cons:

• Your dog will be accustomed to low carb fancy food
• You may find it an expensive option

Dry Dog Food

If you provide well-balanced and nutritious dry dog food to your fur baby, it will thrive. For the best tasting dog food in the dry food category, the most recommended are;

3. Origen Original Dry Dog Food

It is a widely trusted dry dog food brand. You can choose to serve it solely or just sprinkle the dry food over a bowl of wet food, and it will tempt your picky eater into finishing the meal.

Features:

• A rich protein-packed dietary formula
• Include high-end animal ingredients, both fresh and raw
• It is considered biologically appropriate
• Suitable for all breeds and ages

Pros:

• From 4lbs to 25lbs, six options are available to choose from
• Deboned chicken and turkey is used in the formula along with other sources of proteins like eggs, lentils, pumpkin seeds
• It is a grain-free formula

Cons:

• Preservatives are added to the pack
• A high protein diet affects the kidneys of dogs, so you need to incorporate this dry food with carbs and fats wisely.

4. The Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken Recipe Dehydrated Dog Food

As the name shows, this premium dog food is formulated with fine quality ingredients that are safe for humans as well.

Prominent ingredients include deboned turkey, deboned chicken, dehydrated veggies, cranberries, oats, and organic flax seeds.

Features:

• It is the world’s first human-grade dry food.
• The formula is made in a human food facility, unlike others that are made in pet factories.
• Ingredients are similar to what you can find in a healthy person’s diet
• Packed with antioxidants and vitamins

Pros:

• It is a protein-rich whole grain organic dry food formula
• It can be used as a topper or serve as a whole food by adding warm water
• Free of parabens, preservatives, fillers, and GMO
• Fit for puppies, adult dogs, and lactating or pregnant dogs of all breeds and sizes
• It offers variety and comes in six different flavors

Cons:

• Quickly runs out of the market due to huge demand
• The protein content is higher than fiber

5. Taste of The Wild Dry Dog Food

This is the dog food for you if you are looking for an option to control not only the picky eating behavior of your dog but also improve your dog’s overall immunity and health.

Features:

• Made in a family environment
• It is formulated with roasted bison and roasted venison flavors
• Antioxidants are present in the formulas
• The protein content is higher to gain lean muscles

Pros:

• Rich in antioxidants and vitamins
• It helps in strengthening the muscles and joints of your dog
• Probiotics are also added to promote gut health
• A unique flavor that picky eaters approve easily

Cons:

• High protein content might affect your dog’s kidney in the long term.

6. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw

Another one of the best-tasting dog food is Stella and Chewy’s Freeze-dried food. It is a super beef grain-free formula that even the pickiest eaters tend to approve of, so you can use it either as a whole meal or just as a topping on raw food.

Features:

• Organic food option
• All ingredients are carefully sourced from natural resources
• Made in a hygienic environment
• Cage-free chicken is used

Pros:

• No added flavor or preservatives
• It improves the overall health of your dog and provides a shiny coat to the dog.
• Grain-free, raw, and baked kibbles to choose from
• Safe and sturdy packaging
• Patties are made with chicken and salmon combination

Cons:

• It falls under the frozen food category, so it might not suits your liking if you do not want to serve frozen items daily to your dog.

7. Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

A highly nutritious and well-balanced food option for your picky eater is Instinct Raw boost Grain-free food.

It is packed with the goodness of wholesome ingredients along with raw flavor to give your dog an unstoppable munching experience.

Features:

• The most prominent ingredient is cage-free chicken
• Available in different size bags
• It has the highest advisor’s ratings
• The high-quality protein content is present

Pros:

• Includes probiotics and grain-free high proteins
• Available in four flavors of chicken, beef, lamb, and duck
• Recommended by vets
• Easy-to-digest formula
• Safe for puppies with allergies

Cons:

• Limited amount of preservatives are there in the pack
• High proteins may affect a dog’s health in the long run

8. Rachael Ray Nutrish Dish Premium Natural Dry Dog Food

If your dog is more into fruits and veggies, this tasting dog food is just the right pic for your picky eater. Dog owners claim that it is undoubtedly one of the best options.

Features:

• The prominent ingredient is farm-raised chicken.
• Dry food with chunks of fruits. Veggies and chicken
• Fishes are also included with chicken
• Neat and sturdy packaging

Pros:

• Available in chicken and brown rice flavor
• It has great customer reviews
• Fillers and artificial flavors are not added
• Cooked safely under hygienic environment

Cons:

• Flavors are limited
• Only recommended for adult dogs

Canned Dog Food

In case you are busy and cannot stir food bowls for your fur baby, you can serve canned food. High-quality tasting dog food in cans is also available in the market to serve your picky eater’s appetite.

9. Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Variety Pack Wet Dog Food

No matter which breeds and size your dog is off, you can trust this brand when it comes to serving a nutritious meal.

Features:

• It’s an all-natural wet dog food
• Food tubs are available in three different sizes
• Slightly mushy, so it is easier to digest it for the pup
• Improves overall health of your dog

Pros:

• Three delicious flavors of chicken, beef, and lamb
• Free from corn, wheat, or soy, add on
• Vet recommended and has excellent customer reviews
• Poultry by-products are not added
• Wheat and soy are also not included

Cons:

• Some dog owners complaints regarding portion size

10. Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon & Chicken Grill Grain-Free

This is a good option for those dog owners whose fur babies like to eat seafood and chicken.

Features:

• It can be served as a treat, as a whole meal, or only as a raw food topping
• Original chicken and salmon are used
• No added fillers or artificial flavors
• The organic choice for picky eaters

Pros:

• Meat by-products, preservatives, and artificial flavors are not added
• It’s an all-natural healthy dietary option for picky eaters
• It is grain-free
• It comes in a safe packaging

Cons:

• Flavors are limited

11. Wellness 95% Natural Wet Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

This is another of the best-tasting canned dog food made up of premium quality chicken and high-end proteins.

Features:

• It is best to even for dogs who have allergies or sensitivities
• Vitamins and minerals goodness is added
• Artificial flavors and fillers are not added
• Packaging is very neat

Pros:

• It has a savory taste that your dog will adore
• Recipes are crafted under the care of well-known vets and nutritionists
• Supports gut health
• Improves dog’s skin and coat

Cons:

• Preservatives are added in very limited quantity

Buying Guide: Best Dog Food for Picky Eaters

Make sure you are serving your dog a well-balanced diet, including meat, fiber, carbs, veggies, and fruits.

Dog food formulation is always according to the developmental stage of your dog. Therefore, consider this buying guide as per your dog’s age. 

• Puppy food (below one-year-old) – A well-balanced protein to fat ratio is recommended for proper bone and joint development in growing puppies.
• Adult (1-6 years old) – For this age group, obesity is a considerable risk; therefore, choose a protein to fat ratio according to your dog’s size and daily activities.
• Athletic/Active dogs – Need additional proteins, fats, carbs, and antioxidants to keep them going, so pick formula accordingly.
• Senior (6+years) – Since the metabolism slows down with age, select a meal plan that is high on fiber and low on proteins to ensure maximum health benefits.

What to Look for in Foods for Picky Eaters

Do you like your leafy greens more than meat, but your family members prefer fried chicken wings every other day?

Similarly, dogs have their preferences as well, and for picky eaters, you need to incorporate flavors that entice dogs, such as:

1. Citrus Fruits- Serve them berries, cranberries, bananas, and other sour foods that are flavorsome.
2. Leafy Greens- Some dogs prefer spinach, sprouts, beans, and carrots over meat
3. Meaty treat- Most of the picky eaters surrender when they are served meat like beef, deboned turkey, dehydrated chicken, or minced meat bowl
4. Wet food- Picky eaters are prone to prefer gravies and broths over dry food, so try that and have your dog slurping up the bowl in one go.

Frequently Asked Questions About Picky Eaters

Conclusion: Our Top Pick

Ollie is one of the best-tasting dog food services and has great customer reviews. Most Dog owners are highly satisfied with their services.

How often does it happen that a dog’s food is safe enough to consume for humans? Not very often. We know.

Ollie dog food is one-of-its-kind and offers authentic recipes with all human-grade ingredients.

So look no further and buy only the best dog food, aka Ollie, for your precious fur-baby. 

Checkout My Ollie Website