Tips for pleasing a dog that is a picky eater

Q: We have two rescues, one since she was 9 months and the other my mom rescued and we adopted. After trying every conceivable option to feed the second dog, who is a picky eater, I just started making them chicken with rice. We give them a vitamin every day, but I am constantly worried they need more nutrients. Is what I am doing OK? — Teri Giacini, Las Vegas

A: You really do not need to feel guilty, you are doing nothing wrong. There is no problem with feeding your dog chicken and rice, as long as you are giving the dog a vitamin and mineral supplement as you described.

However, a small dog that is living inside and not really doing any large amount of physical activity should have the protein part of the meal as only a third of the total volume. The other two thirds does not have to be just rice, you can be as creative as you want to be. Most dogs love canned pumpkin, boiled white potatoes and sweet potatoes, or squash. You can make just about any vegetable, except for onions.

Q: Do adult dogs recognize their siblings or, for that matter, their mothers after being separated for some time? Does the mother recognize the grown puppies as her own? — Stan Jones, Las Vegas

A: That is a question I have long wondered about; however, to the best of my knowledge, there are no scientific studies done on whether an animal can recognize a blood relative. All information is only anecdotal.

Everyone has stories about this. I once had a wolf that only liked me and was afraid of all other men. However, one day, when she saw my father for the first time she responded to him as if he were me — was it his mannerisms that matched mine or did she know that we shared the same DNA?

Such a situation is not scientific and so we cannot answer a question based on this or any other experience.

I have watched many animal siblings reunite after a period of time and