Is Your Corgi A Picky Eater? Try This Now.
Struggling to get your corgi to eat their food? You’ve come to the right place.
Most corgis have big appetites and aren’t fussy about the food they eat. If your corgi is a picky eater, it may be because they’ve learned this behavior or they dislike food that’s previously made them unwell.
After my own experience with a picky eater, I decided to ask two other corgi owners what they did to solve this problem.
Let’s take a look at their responses. Plus 10 tips to help your corgi fall back in love with eating!
Reasons why your corgi is a picky eater
It’s a question I get all the time: are corgis stubborn eaters?
Generally, no they’re not. If anything, corgis are the opposite of stubborn eaters. They’re pigs with an appetite for anything!
If you’ve got a picky eater on your hands, here are some reasons why your corgi might be off their food.
- They’re anxious
- Meal times are inconsistent
- They have an underlying health issue
- Their environment is too distracting
- They’ve gone off the taste of their usual food
If your corgi suddenly goes off their food and displays signs of ill health like vomiting, diarrhea or lethargy, contact your vet immediately.
But if your corgi is their usual, bubbly self and just seems to have gone off their food temporarily, keep reading to find a possible solution.
What kind of food is best for corgis?
Here are 5 dog foods I recommend for corgis.
Dog food | Ideal for… |
 | Corgis with sensitive tummies and allergies |
 | Corgi puppies |
 | Adult corgis (1+) |
 | Senior corgis |
 | Corgis that want to try wet food |
Picky corgis: 10 tips from three owners that solved the problem
I asked two other corgi owners their best advice to deal with a picky eater. Together the three of us compiled these 10 tips to help your corgi fall back in love with their food.
1. Stick to a consistent mealtime schedule
It’s important you stick to consistent meal times so that your corgi knows when they’re due to eat.
Like all dogs, corgis thrive on structure. It builds confidence and minimizes anxiety. It also helps to build trust between the two of you because your corgi knows what to expect and when.
Structure and routine is fundamental to your corgi’s overall health and happiness, so find one that works for you and stick with it. I feed Winston at 7am and 4pm every single day. If I’m a few minutes late, I get a nudge to remind me!
If your corgi becomes picky, don’t waver from consistent mealtimes. Serve them their food at the designated time and if they don’t eat, remove the food after 15 minutes.
2. Only leave food out for 15-20 minutes maximum
I don’t recommend you ‘free feed’ your corgi—i.e. leave a bowl of food out for them to graze from all day.
Stick to consistent mealtimes and only leave food down for 15-20 minutes maximum. Leaving food out for long periods of time risks contamination and bad odors developing. It also teaches your corgi that food will be available to him at any time, whether he’s “in the mood” or not.
Removing unfinished food from your corgi might feel cruel. However, it can be an effective way to stop finicky eating behavior.
3. Don’t be worried about your corgi missing one or two meals
Don’t worry if you have to remove unfinished dog food from your corgi on more than one occasion.
They may look disappointed, but it’s absolutely fine for your corgi to miss a couple of meals. One owner recommended removing the food if it’s not readily eaten and offering it again later, but this time in a smaller quantity.
Dogs will not starve to death with food readily available. It may be a case of waiting it out, just until you get back into a consistent mealtime routine.
4. Avoid treats between scheduled meal times
Though it may be tempting, don’t give your corgi treats between mealtimes because you’re worried that they’re going hungry.
This only encourages picky eating behavior. And, it teaches your corgi that if they turn their nose up at breakfast or dinner, they’ll be rewarded with yummy treats throughout the day.
5. Monitor other changes to your corgi’s health
If your corgi starts developing picky eating habits, make sure you monitor their behavior the rest of the time.
There may be valid reasons for your corgi’s lack of appetite. They may have picked up a bug from the park. They may have an underlying health issue. Or, like my corgi Winston, they may be allergic to certain ingredients in their existing dog food.
When Winston started vomiting intermittently and got more fussy over his food, it took me a few weeks and a trip to the vets to figure out what was going on.
It turned out that he was allergic to grains found in most common dog foods. Once I switched him over to Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin Dog Food, the vomiting stopped and he fell back in love with eating.
It’s important to note that Winston rarely vomited directly after eating, which is why it took me a while to consider that his dog food could be the cause.
If you’ve noticed your corgi behaving strangely or displaying signs of a health issue over the last few weeks, this may be the reason for the picky eating.
Don’t force them to eat food that’s causing them to be unwell or that they may not have an appetite for because there’s something else going on. Book a visit to your vet’s to put your mind at ease.
6. Add something tasty to their kibble
If your corgi is an occasional picky eater, try adding something tasty to their kibble now and then.
While this isn’t a permanent solution to the problem, it’s nice to add variety to your corgi’s mealtimes and should definitely help them finish their food.
You could add some chicken or beef broth, cooked chicken, some peanut butter or even sliced banana.
7. Switch to a different dog food brand
Sometimes, like humans, dogs get bored of eating the same thing day-in and day-out.
If you’ve been feeding your corgi the same dog food brand for the last 1, 2, 5 years and they’ve started to become a bit fussy, it might be time to try something new.
When we first bought Winston home as a 12-month-old corgi, we were told to experiment with a few different dog food brands to find one he really loved.
Below you’ll find a list of dog food I recommend for corgis—take a look through that for inspiration!
8. Check your portion sizes
It’s always worth checking that you’re giving your corgi the right portion of food in the first place and not unintentionally overfeeding them.
Check the packaging of your dog food to see exactly how much food is recommended for the weight of your corgi.
9. Review your corgi’s environment
Does your corgi get left alone for long periods of time each day?
Does your corgi share his home with other animals and children?
If the answer is ‘yes’ to either of those questions, review your corgi’s environment to understand why they’re being picky.
Boredom and/or separation anxiety could be why your corgi doesn’t have an appetite. If you leave them home alone while you work, I highly recommend dropping them at doggy daycare or investing in a dog walker.
Family life—children or other animals running around the home during mealtimes—might be too much of a distraction. Corgis love to be social so if playtime is on the cards, they may skip eating in favor of fun!
Make sure your corgi eats in a calm and quiet place that’s free from distractions. This will help them focus on the task at hand.
10. Be patient
If you’ve monitored your corgi for other health issues and know that this is just a case of fussy eating, then it’s time exercise patience.
Corgis are stubborn little dogs. It may take a bit of time (and some tough love!) to teach them that picky eating isn’t rewarded with treats or extra food next mealtime.
Switch up their food, give them a tasty topping now and then and exercise patience (and discipline). You’ll nip picky eating in the bud in no time.
Dry food vs. wet food: Which is better for your corgi?
There’s no definitive ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ when it comes to which food is better for your corgi. Many corgis do well with a mixture of both. Winston is fed a diet of dry food—Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Skin & Stomach kibble.
When choosing which food to give your corgi, just make sure that it doesn’t have too much grain, preservatives or artificial flavors. Unnatural ingredients like these are more likely to cause an upset tummy, vomiting or erratic behavior (like a child that’s consumed too much sugar). A wholesome, natural diet is better for the long-term health of your corgi.
Dry food is considered to be better for a dog’s dental hygiene and it’s cleaner and easier to handle than wet food. Dry food is generally more calorific per portion than wet food, so you can get away with giving your corgi a bit less compared with wet food.
If you gave your corgi the choice, they would probably choose wet food every day of the week. That’s because wet food is (usually) packed with flavor and smell—more so than kibble! Wet food provides more moisture than dry food, so it’s a good option for corgis that don’t drink as much water as they should and/or that exercise a huge amount each day.
To make your life easier—and to avoid any digestive problems that come about as a result of chopping and changing between dry and wet food—I recommend sticking with one type of food. If that’s kibble, then feel free to spice up your corgi’s mealtimes now and then with some wet food!
Do corgis need special food?
Like other dog breeds, it’s a good idea to get your corgi food that suits their age (puppy, adult, senior) and nutritional needs.
Corgis are energetic little dogs that need healthy, nutritious food that’ll keep them going without piling on excess weight. Avoid dog food brands that are very cheap or packed with grain as this will trigger food sensitivities (and may cause vomiting or diarrhea).
