I usually only have my fosters a couple of weeks and many of them are still picking at their food (though not dropping weight or losing energy) by the time they go to their adopters. I’ve always given the advice, “just keep putting it down and picking it up 15 min later” and I haven’t heard back that any of them have died of starvation yet, so I assume they all got over it! 
I agree with the food allergy idea too, she might have a good reason to veer away from that particular food.
Last Christmas I got a bag of my usual cat food in a different flavor and none of the cats wanted to eat it. It was over the holidays and I live 50 miles from the nearest store and couldn’t replace it-I figured they didn’t like the other flavor so kept it out so they ended up eating at least a little of it… and they all got very very VERY sick.
Ever since, I trust the critters when they say “no thanks”.
Try the DLG, if it is a better food (I don’t like Nutro for a variety of reasons) why not?
[QUOTE=cowboymom;8388218]
I agree with the food allergy idea too, she might have a good reason to veer away from that particular food.
Last Christmas I got a bag of my usual cat food in a different flavor and none of the cats wanted to eat it. It was over the holidays and I live 50 miles from the nearest store and couldn’t replace it-I figured they didn’t like the other flavor so kept it out so they ended up eating at least a little of it… and they all got very very VERY sick.
Ever since, I trust the critters when they say “no thanks”.[/QUOTE]
My mum had a similar experience with our (now deceased) family dog. Dog went off food, mom & dog had a battle of wills. Dog won. Mom emptied out the dog-food bin so she could pour in the newly purchased stuff and found the bottom of of the bin covered in mold. Mom apologized to dog profusely and dog was fed royally for a week.
I think if I knew this dog better I would trust her more. It’s hard to separate out pickiness from “I’m telling you this isn’t right” as I don’t really have an established status quo. sigh The joys of a new dog!
That’s true. It is a higher grade food and at the same price so it’s not a bad move to switch over regardless of her taste preferences.
If this was a dog that had been eating normally up until this point and suddenly didn’t want to eat or developed physical symptoms of a food allergy I would be singing a VERY different tune. My cat stopped eating and I had her at the vet the same day! (I mean, cats not eating can be much more serious than dogs not eating, but still.)
The reality is, a dog that is new to your home and routine and that has been fed raw meat and yummies like rice and sweet potato is going to be a little “meh” about kibble in many cases. I definitely wouldn’t force a dog into sickness or starvation, but there was one I had at the vet anyway and asked about the pickiness and I got the exact same answer many posters are giving here - keep an eye on the situation but don’t panic.
It sounds like you are thinking various things about why your dog won’t eat.
Why don’t you take one month, and try different foods you think she may prefer, or may or may not be allergic to, or may be disinclined to eat because she is a rescue…then after one month of this, try teaching her to eat?
Many dogs will have GI issues if you’re swapping foods without a gradual introduction–for some, it can even induce pancreatitis. And if there IS an allergy component, you want to maintain some novel proteins because most dogs with protein allergies will develop new ones over time. So I’d be careful about abrupt changes in diet and consult with your vet if you think an allergy is an issue.
Also, most dogs are more interested in things they can smell. So one issue with a smaller dog going “off” their food can be that it’s gotten stale or even gone rancid when owners buy the big bags for cost savings. It’s often better to buy a smaller bag that will give you a 2 week supply or so.
My SP didn’t much care for Nutro either FWIW. I feed Fromm Gold now and have been for about 3 years since the Nutro recalls were screwing up my ability to even get food.
Anyway…I’m also a big proponent of timed feedings vs free feeding for a few reasons. 1) One of the first indications you will often get that a dog is not feeling well is if they don’t eat. Hard to identify how much they’re eating if they’re on free feed schedule. 2) Also makes it harder to medicate them should you need to do that. 3) Also more difficult should you ever have more than one dog in the house OR need to board your pet with a friend or at a facility or host a friend’s pet. Most dogs have a propensity to overeat. But even those who do great on free feeding make for difficult house guests if you have other pets (or small children!) in the home.
Good luck OP!
I do not see anywhere that you have had this dog to a vet for a blood work up (pancreatic issues spring to mind), or had her teeth checked. Last time I had my male dog to the vet, he found a slab fracture. My older female needs her kibble softened bc she has little tooth left.
Before I would be switching to this and then that and something else, I’d make sure there were no medical issues and no teeth issues.
Dog was taken to the vet in the first week of having her. We dewormed her (since she’s coming from a shelter), filled in her vaccination gaps, and did a general exam. Vet said all looked good, but of course we did no major bloodwork or allergy tests as at that point she was still transitioning from raw food to kibble using fresh rice & sweet potato to ease the transition (vet approved).
At this point, I don’t think it’s a major allergy issue but pickiness. She ate the food OK until having access to the friend’s food and then didn’t want to go back on her stuff. It’s possible it’s allergy…but after hearing many of the responses from this thread and thinking through it more, I’m more inclined to believe it’s her being finicky. Going from raw food, to yummy fresh cooked rice & sweet potato, to cheap kibble all in a matter of a month…I would hold out for better options after that much switching around too.
If I was really happy with the composition of the Nutro food (and if it had good reviews from fellow dog owners), I think I would play hard-ball. However, the more I research online (and hear from posters here), the more it sounds like Nutro may not be the best choice. I figure if the price point on the DLG is the same but the ingredient quality is higher (human grade), the meat content is higher, and they don’t use additives and preservatives…I might as well switch her over to that now while she’s in this phase and then play hardball with that. I can then see if teaching her to eat solves the issue, or whether pushing the issue flags more serious concerns.
Of course if I start noticing behavioral or physical changes (loose stool, lower energy, dull coat, etc) then I’ll bring the vet into the equation. But at this point I don’t think there are any red flags large enough to warrant putting her through the stress of a vet work up.
Thanks for all the input and advice CoTH! I think we have a path forward for my girl now 
