New here looking for advice Introductions

Hi everyone, I am new here and hoping someone can help me with my 5 year old Westie Roman's diet. He is the fussiest eater and just refuses to eat most dry foods I have tried. He was not like this as a puppy just the opposite, I have tried mixing wet food in it and he will eat for a few weeks then back to not.

We were mixing the stock, skin etc from a cooked chicken and once again he would eat then it stops. I have tried several brands from top end to bottom end but he just picks at them, he always goes off them after a while. We have stopped with the chicken stock/skin as he gained a bit of weight. His reaction to his food is uninterested, has a sniff and creeps up to his dish as if it was poison!!!!

I am at my wits end and desperate for him to eat and enjoy his food, if anyone has any recommendations on food for the fussiest little dog on earth please send it my way!!! Thank you for any advise you can give.

Have you taken him in for a health check up? That would be my first action.

Once you have his health checked and there is nothing wrong, I would say to stand your ground.

Don't give in to his attitude. Put his food down and if he hasn't eaten within about 5-10 minutes (depending on how slow of a normal eater he is), put it away. Try again at the next meal time. When he gets hungry, he will eat even if it's not his favorite at the moment.

No treats or people food until he eats his meal completely. If he didn't eat his meal, he does not get any cookies, chews, etc. If he eats his meal, he can have his usual treats. If he stops eating his meals, the treats stop. He will figure out that treats are not a substitute for meals.

Make sure no one in the household ignores the above. No "feeling sorry" for him and sneaking him a hot dog or such.

Do not add anything into the meal unless you are willing to add it forever. If you put in some egg to get him to eat, you will find yourself putting in egg for the rest of his life. Egg is easy - some add ins are expensive and/or time consuming, so think about it carefully.

My Cat-dog came to me with eating issues. She wanted people food. Her foster home fed her cream cheese and hot dogs and such to get her to eat. All that did was keep her from eating her food and begging to eat mine.

I did the above. Within a couple days, she was very slowly eating her meals (she would graze at the bowl for a couple hours hoping for people food). I held out. When she ate the last of her meal, she could have a treat at bedtime. If anything was left in the bowl, no treat. After a couple weeks, she most always ate her meal.

A year later, she eats her meals in about 15 minutes (she and her baby brother are slow eaters). She only skips eating if the weather gets too hot but will eat once the temps subside at night. She can have her treats and goldfish crackers (her favorite snack) without restriction as she no longers connects "not eating the meal" to "getting people food".

Agree with the above. 100%.