Royal Canin Mini Exigent Dry Dog Food1–10 kg adult weight · adult

Small dogs are disproportionately fussy, and it's rarely about the food. A dog who gets a bit of toast at breakfast learns quickly that holding out produces something better than kibble, and by the time anyone worries about it the habit is months old.

This is built to win that standoff on palatability. Fat runs at 22% — high, and fat is what dogs actually taste — with an aroma and kibble texture designed for a small mouth that has already turned down several other bags. It's also energy-dense enough that a dog who only ever eats half her bowl still gets what she needs from it, which is the practical point. Protein at 30% holds muscle, and borage oil supports the coat. For adult Mini dogs from ten months.

• Fussy Eaters
• Healthy Skin & Coat
• Complete Nutrition

Ingredients

Dehydrated poultry protein, animal fats, rice, vegetable protein isolate (L.I.P. — protein selected for its very high digestibility), precooked wheat flour, maize flour, hydrolysed animal proteins, vegetable fibres, beet pulp, minerals, fish oil, fructo-oligo-saccharides, borage oil, marigold extract (source of lutein). Additives (per kg) — Nutritional additives: Vitamin A 29,500 IU · Vitamin D3 800 IU · E1 (Iron) 38 mg · E2 (Iodine) 3.9 mg · E4 (Copper) 12 mg · E5 (Manganese) 50 mg · E6 (Zinc) 133 mg · E8 (Selenium) 0.08 mg. Preservatives. Antioxidants.

Looking after it

Store in a cool, dry place, sealed. Use within six weeks of opening — a high-fat food goes stale faster and a fussy dog will notice first. The hard part isn't the food, it's everyone in the house: no toast, no scraps, no hand-feeding, for a fortnight. A dog who genuinely stops eating for more than a day or two needs a vet rather than a different bag; sudden fussiness in a dog who was never fussy is usually dental or nauseous, not stubborn.