How do I get my dog to eat?

What usually works for me is to warm up the food to entice the dog to eat. I add some warm water or stock and mix it up with the dry food - works almost every time.

As long as the dog is drinking, showing interest in treats, and being active/acting normally otherwise, I woudn't worry so much about it. If the dog was sick, you would know - no interest in any food, no interest in playing, possibly vomiting or having diarrhea. (These symptoms can also happen with extremely stressed dogs, FYI.) Considering that it's already a stressful situation and GSDs have a tendancy to be anxious dogs, I say give it time. I would also let the owner know. They may already know their dog gets nervous and have tips for you or it will be good information to have the next time they go out of town.

Some appropriate responses have already been noted. The exception is using peanut butter other then for pill usage. One other trick I use if a well dog has refused more then two meals is using an unwashed plate of mine to serve the food. They start to lick my food and wind up eating all of theirs.

I dog sit a lot of different breeds... A LOT of dogs are "social eaters" and will only eat if you keep them company, lol. I sit a puggle who actually sits on his own dining room chair when the family eats, lol. Another elderly dog has to be Hand Fed her kibble, yes, one bit at a time, sigh. One of the catahoula leopard dogs has her own "song" I sing to encourage her to eat...she had a ton of allergies until the right food was found...now she expects her song during meal times. Yes I know....IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DOG, LOL.

Literally had the same problem last night and this morning. Mixing in some peanut butter into the food (so all the food is coated) or breaking up a treat they're really into and throwing that into the food did the trick for the little one I'm watching.

My dog will not eat if I'm not home. I'm not sure how long he can go without it but I figure he'll eat when he's really hungry.

His bowl of food sits there all day if I'm gone. He even hides his treats and waits till I'm back to eat them on my lap (yes, gross).

I wouldn't worry overly much. Just sounds like a dog who loves his family. :)

One of my favorite tricks to help get dogs to eat is to add rice to their food with some carrots. It gives them some new flavors and makes the meal more exciting. Remember to get it okayed by the owner! Nerves are probably a key factor into why he isn't eating all that much.

Nerves are probably playing a big part in him not eating. You could let the client know and suggest offering him some boiled chicken and rice to see if he will eat it, but I think that if he does not seem lethargic, dehydrated, or is having any diarrhea/vomiting that he will probably eat in the near future after he feels settled in your home. The fact that he is taking treats is good, as well. Have you tried refreshing his food? Some dogs are picky about their food being fresh, so that it is not stale from sitting out for a while.

The dog is either a picky eater or feels uncomfortable. Either way you should stop giving him treats for a while. If the normal food is the only food he will get, then there's no room for being a picky eater or uncomfortable.

It usually helps to not give the dog any kind of treats; the dog will eventually pick up that even if he doesn't eat his kibble he'll still get other (delicious) treats to fill him up. Additionally, don't leave the food out all day, and put it away if he doesn't touch the food after 10 to 15 mins. He will eventually realize food won't always be accessible to him, so he needs to eat when the caretaker prepares it. Hope this helps at least a little. :)