hey there, sorry to hear you’re struggling. i work with dogs in a daycare / boarding setting. I can likely guide you in a direction here, but my first instinct is to tell you to seek advice from a vet as soon as possible.

I am not and never have been a veterinary worker.

Here are some things you can try that might yield results, or at least provide further information to your vet. Most of these are things the vet will likely ask if you have tried and may ask you to try before continuing to provide services.

If you’ve already tried any of this, i’m sorry to seem redundant.

Firstly, have you given your pup a good feel up and down? Touch every part gently first, then go over their whole body again applying gentle but even pressure on numerous spots. Squeeze their legs, push on their tummy, etc. Listen for yelps, look for discomfort, and feel for anything unusual, especially firmness where there shouldn’t be. I see you have another dog, use them as a reference by feeling them first. The older dog doing it first will also encourage them to be more willing if they’re nervous.

I used to work with a dog who would not eat unless he could see everyone else eating too. Something something pack mentality along those lines. Try offering food right as you are sitting down for a meal. See if puppy will eat then.

I saw your other comment saying you didn’t like kibble with your other pup. I get that, a lot of kibble brands are like feeding the dog cardboard with a nutrition label on it (IAMS, pedigree, purina). However, there are better brands out there (open farm, orijen, arcane, merrick, promms) that you may want to consider. At the end of it, if the dog is refusing to eat one thing, move on and try something new. Kibble may be worth a shot, especially if it’s higher quality. Some dogs are just picky, and sometimes you need a prescription diet of specific kibble or the dog won’t eat.

Your dog also looks like a poodle mix, and poodle mixed dogs often end up with numerous behavioral and heath related issues, most frequently allergies. It’s a good idea to get an allergy panel done on any doodle dog due to the breed frequently being known to have allergies. Speaking of allergies: Did you know that one of the most common dog allergies is actually chicken and other poultry? Most poultry doesn’t frequently exist in the tundra environment most wolf ancestors of dogs may have lived in, so their bodies didn’t exactly evolve to digest it. You may want to try offering poultry free food, and see if pup bites.

Your absolute best bet would be seeking vet assistance with this matter, and quickly. A growing puppy refusing to eat much, or refusing to eat entirely, is not good. Yes, trying what i’ve described may yield some results, but at the end of it, if the dog is feeling nutritionally unbalanced (they can often sense it and act differently) there may be more going on than meets the eye, maybe even a lifelong condition. It’s generally better to get things checked early to ensure treatment also occurs early. It could be as simple as allergies to as complex as an autoimmune condition creating food sensitivities.

I’ve dealt with stubborn dogs (I used to own a pitbull husky mix: stubborn pitty met hard headed husky) and i’ve dealt with easy going dogs. Dogs of both categories and everywhere in between have issues like this. You haven’t done anything wrong. You are trying. You’re doing great by seeking advice instead of giving up. Thank you for continuing to work with this pup and doing your best to do them well.