My 10-month-old dog always had great food drive but recently, she prefers toys and her appetite has diminished somewhat. Any advice?

My pup is now 10 months old (per DNA testing, 76% German Sheperd and 24% Belgian Malinois, adopted from a shelter at age 3 months). She has always had a great food drive.

Her toy drive has kicked into high gear recently and her food drive and appetite has dropped off.

Sadly, no vet near me has any experience with working dogs. She's not losing weight (just hit 63 pounds) and I don't want to bring up the issue with the vet for fear of the office wanting me to give her some drug to 'stimulate' her appetite. The clinics around me are very pharma-driven.

She just has more fun with her toys, especially now that she's discovered fetch is fun.

Love your educational tips and am sizing her up for a Keeper collar when she gets a little closer to adult size.

Cindy's Answer

This is normal for many high-drive working breed dogs. Her toy drive will likely continue to increase as she matures. As long as she's eating enough to maintain a healthy weight, I would not be concerned.