Why is my dog not eating their food but will eat treats?
Updated: 29th May 2025
Every pet parent loves to give their furry friend a few treats – after all, they deserve it! But what happens if your dog is now not eating their food, but will happily gobble up treats?
Well, there’s many reasons why your dog may not be eating their food. Overall, it’s definitely a sign that something is amiss. It could be something as small as them just not liking their food, but it’s important to get to the bottom of the issue so your dog’s diet can get back on track!
That’s why we’re here to help you figure out exactly why your dog won’t eat their food but will eat treats, and what you can do to get your pup loving their doggy dinners once again!
1. They’re feeling under the weather
When we’re feeling poorly, especially when we’re feeling nauseous, we often lose our appetite - this could be exactly what’s happening to your pooch!
If you find your dog’s off their food quite suddenly when they normally have no issues eating their dinners, then it could be a few treats is all they can manage to sustain them through the day. Hopefully, their dicky tum settles in a few days, and they’ll be right back to scoffing everything in sight.
However, if it lasts more than a few days and you’re seeing other strange symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, or fatigue, then it’s best to consult your vet.
2. Their food is spoiled
If your dog has been eating the same food for a while, it’s a good idea to check the packet and see when it expired. Just like humans, dogs will refuse to eat mouldy food – rightly so!
Believe it or not, this applies to dry dog food too. However, this is especially important if you feed raw food as this will harbour bacteria and cause a number of tummy problems if your dog does decide to take a bite of any spoiled raw meat.
3. They don’t like their food
Labradors are often happy to eat whatever food is in their bowl, but notoriously fussy eaters like Frenchies will sometimes turn their nose up at food for seemingly no reason.
If you find your dog won’t eat their food but will eat treats, snacks, human food, or really anything else, then you could simply be dealing with a fussy eater!
4. They’re full up on treats
Are you a sucker for that waggy tail and those puppy dog eyes? Yep, us too. Although it’s great to give your pooch a few treats when they’ve been good (or just because they look super cute), you might be handing out a few too many, causing your dog to go off their food.
This might be especially true if your pooch is in training, as it’s likely you’ll be using lots of treats through the day to help get your pup trained to perfection.
5. They’d rather eat yours
Ever gone out to eat with your friend or partner and found yourself craving their meal as soon as its on the table? Well, dogs do this sometimes too.
If your dog won’t eat their food but will eat human food, then they may just be refusing to eat because your dinner just smells too good (though it likely contains lots of things not suitable for our hounds). They could simply be testing the waters by holding off from their dinner in the hopes you’ll toss them a few scraps.
6. They’re experiencing emotional or behavioural issues
Some dogs refuse to eat their meals if they’re feeling anxious, stressed or fearful, but they might still be able to manage a tasty little treat to keep them going.
This strong emotional response can be triggered by various things, and you may find your dog isn’t eating due to stress or anxiety caused by:
A new pet being brought into the home
Being around people they haven’t met before
People setting off fireworks nearby
A loud environment (loud music, noisy neighbours, street noise filtering indoors)
Another pet in the home intimidating them away from the food (resource guarding)
Hopefully, they’ll continue eating their food once the trigger has gone or they’ve finally adjusted to whatever was bothering them.
7. They have dental problems
Any kind of toothache, ulcer or infection in the mouth can make eating a really painful chore, and it’s just the same for your dog.
Your dog might go off their food when they have dental problems, but as treats are typically smaller and softer, they may still be able to manage one or two (or a packet) of their favourites.
Take a look inside your dog’s mouth and see if there’s anything amiss. If so, get them to the vets to get the problem sorted, so your pooch can continue tucking into their tasty meals.
8. They don’t like their bowl
From picky eaters to fussy fashionistas. That’s right, your dog might not be eating their food because they just don’t like the bowl it’s given to them in.
The material and height of the bowl can turn a dog off their food, even the location of the bowl can cause some dogs to turn their noses up. Try picking up a new bowl or placing their current one in a different location to see if this gets them chowing down again.
9. They have digestive issues
If your dog has a digestive problem such as gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, or inflammatory bowel disease, then eating may be causing some discomfort, leading them to go off their food.
However, dogs still need to eat a proper, nutritious meal and not just rely on softer treats that may be easier to digest. So, if your dog does suffer from digestive issues, then speak to your vet about what you can do to make dinner time easier for them.
10. Their schedule has changed
Dogs thrive off routine and regular schedules. If you’ve recently moved or adjusted their dinner time around a new job, then you may have found the reason why your dog won’t eat their food.
Luckily, if this is the case, then they’re likely to get back to eating when they’ve adjusted to their new schedules. However, if you can, try going back to their old schedule to see if this helps.
How can I make my dog eat their food?
A dog that won’t eat is super stressful for pet parents, so let’s take a look at some tips and tricks on how to get your dog to eat their meals.
1. Try out new food
Sometimes dogs refuse to eat because they don’t like what’s currently on the menu, so now’s the time to try out a new food that’ll tickle your pup’s tastebuds. Also, just make sure to double check that your dog’s bowl is clean from old food and their food is still in date if this is a sudden change of appetite!
2. Stop giving them treats and scraps
You need your pooch to learn they’ll only be able to have treats once they’ve eaten their dinner. If your dog is refusing to eat their dinner, then try to stop giving them treats. Once your pup realises they don’t have them to fall back on, they’ll likely go back to what’s in their bowl.
3. Train them to eat their dinner
The most important thing with this is to be consistent. Put their dinner down and if they don’t eat it within 10 minutes, take it up and don’t put it back down until their next scheduled mealtime - no treats in between. It might be hard to know your pup is missing their mealtimes, but once they realise they get nothing in exchange for their food, they’ll start eating it.
4. Check their environment
If you think your dog’s off their food because of something in their environment, you need to work out what it is and get the issue fixed. However, it’s a good idea to try and desensitise your dog to loud noises and help them deal with things like fireworks, as nobody wants their pooch feeling anxious and fearful.
Feeding your dog with Pure Pet Food
Your picky pooch needs something with delicious, high-quality ingredients that will be almost impossible to resist, putting an end to your dog refusing to eat. Of course, we’d really recommend Pure!
Pure Pet Food is full of real meat, fruit and vibrant veggies to create tasty, balanced dinners that’ll get your pooch’s tail wagging in no time. In fact, we’ve won over tonnes of fussy eaters with our yummy recipes. You can serve it up to your dog as a delicious-smelling, warm dinner that’ll be sure to get them salivating.
We’ve got plenty more tips and tricks to keeping your dog happy and healthy! Whether it’s how often you should feed your dog or what to do for a dog with separation anxiety, head over to our blog.