Picky dogs
Offering liver to a dog that turns treats down
Updated
Liver treats for picky dogs are worth a small, no-pressure test: one tiny piece offered at a quiet moment, a sniff, and the dog's own decision. If it walks away, try again another day rather than coaxing. No treat is a sure thing, and a dog that also skips meals is a question for the vet.
Is your dog picky, or just not hungry right now?
Start with the clock and the room. A dog that has just eaten, or is in a busy place, or is standing somewhere new, will often turn down food it would take happily at home. That is a mood about the moment, not a verdict on the treat.
So pick a quiet spot your dog knows, and a time a good while after a meal. Sit down, keep your voice low, and have the treat ready before the dog is looking. If you have to wave it about or announce it, the dog has already noticed you want something.
Watch what your dog does around other food, too. A dog that takes cheese from the counter but skips a cookie at the vet's office is telling you about the place, not the cookie. Our page on why dogs get so interested in liver covers the owner's side of that attention.
How do you offer liver to a fussy dog the first time?
Break off one piece, and then break it smaller. Pieces are medium sized and break apart by hand, so this takes a second. Offer it flat on your palm, or drop it quietly on the floor near the dog, then look away. A hovering hand is a lot of pressure for something the size of a fingernail.
Keep the first few offers boring. Do not describe the treat, do not ask the dog to sit for it, and do not turn it into a game. This is a taste, not a trick.
The bag has one ingredient, beef liver, and the product data lists no preservatives, fillers or additives. That is the honest case for it, and there is nothing else to say about it. If the dog takes it, say nothing and put the bag away. Save the rest for another day.
What if your dog sniffs the liver and walks away?
Let it go. Leave the piece where it is for a moment, pick it up if it is still there, and try again another day. Next time, make the piece smaller still.
Do not follow the dog around with it. Do not hold it up to the dog's nose, and do not swap in a second treat on the spot. A dog that learns that refusing the first treat brings a better one is learning how to run your kitchen.
A sniff is not a no, and some dogs take a while to decide. Our liver is shelf stable and sealed in a bag, so the only clock is the open bag's: use it within 30 days of opening, and before the best by date printed on the bag.
How do you keep a picky dog from holding out for liver?
By keeping it a treat. The bag says: "Feed as a treat, reward, or topper." It also says it is not intended as a complete and balanced diet, so liver never stands in for a refused meal. If your dog skips its dinner and gets liver later, you have taught it which one to wait for.
Keep the liver inside the treat budget as well. The usual yardstick comes from VCA: treats at no more than 10 percent of daily calories, with 90 percent from a complete and balanced food. Our high value treat guide shows how to rank treats by what one dog wants, which is the real subject here.
Our own rating gives this liver 5 out of 5 for training value. That is our scorecard, not a prediction about your dog.
When is pickiness a question for the vet?
When it is more than treats. A dog that turns down its meals, eats noticeably less than it did, or changes how it eats is a case for your veterinarian, not for a different treat. We cannot diagnose anything from a bag of liver, and neither can a blog.
A refused treat can be about the moment, the place or the piece. A refused meal is a different conversation. If you are unsure which one you are looking at, ask.
The freeze-dried beef liver page has the bag sizes, and the guides hub has more on training treats.
Questions
Why does my dog take treats at home but not outside?
Outside there is more to smell, hear and watch, and a treat is competing with all of it. Plenty of dogs eat less in new or busy places. Try the same liver in a quiet corner of the yard or a quiet stretch of sidewalk, and give the dog some time to settle before you offer it.
Can I put liver on my picky dog's food?
The label calls it a treat, reward or topper, so a topper is one of its stated uses. Break a piece small and sprinkle it on. Mind the treat budget, though, and remember that adding a topper does not turn a skipped meal into a plan.
Should I soak liver treats for a fussy dog?
We would keep it dry. The label does not mention water, and we have not tested soaking, so we have nothing to tell you about how it behaves wet. The pieces are meant to be handled as they come, broken by hand into whatever size your dog will take.
How long should I wait before offering liver again?
Another day is a fair gap. There is no published number, so go by your dog. If it showed no interest after a sniff, the next quiet moment, later that day or the next, is a reasonable time. Make the piece smaller than before and say nothing.
Will liver make my dog snub its regular food?
We cannot promise either way. The way to keep the regular meal as the main event is to keep liver a small part of the treat allowance, give it between meals rather than in place of them, and stay inside the 10 percent that VCA names for treats.
Can a picky puppy have freeze-dried liver?
The liver is listed for adult dogs and puppies. A young dog's diet is a matter for your vet, so check with them before adding a new treat. If the answer is yes, use a very small piece, a quiet moment and the same low-pressure approach as above.