Dog not eating that much

How is his energy level? Does he act sick? If so, yo u may want to take him to the vet to get bloodwork, etc done to make sure there isn't an underlying problem.  Other than that, as long as he's eating it should be fine.  What kind of food do you feed? Maybe he is bored with it and would like some variety?

I use science diet and the breeders recipe. He's still energetic and stuff. Do you think it's because he's older now and doesn't require that much food because he's not growing that much? That's the only thing i can think of.

I think anytime there's a change in appetite it deserves a vet check.
 
That said, my Chow is a very nonchalant eater.  Food just isn't important to him.  Feeding set meals (feed him, wait 15-20 min and then taking it up) never worked for him, as ;he could happily do without food.  And did.  Now I keep food available at all times in an elevated feeder (so my yorkie can't help himself). Even with this feeding system, it's not uncommon for the few cups of food to last a few days.  He's checked out fine at the vets with bloodwork and such and is otherwise healthy, so I don't worry much. He also maintains his weight just fine, which also makes me more at ease.
 
However, I would have your boy checked out before chalking it up to his being an 'easy keeper', as every dog is different.
 
I'd also ask..have you switched food? Have you bought a new bag of his regular food?  Sometimes food is 'off' and dogs do not want to eat it.
 
Good luck with your boy.,

His metabolism may be slowing down, so that can explain eating less (not needing as much food).

I would recommend maybe a food change too-keep him interested.  Plus, Science Diet isn't a very good food (you can read www.dogfoodproject.com to learn more about how to read and interpret dog food labels).  New research has shown that senior dogs need higher protein (while keeping low fat) so they don't lose muscle mass as they get older and it's more difficult for them to absorb dietary protein.  Science Diet hasn't "updated" any of their food to say the least, and their senior formulas are very VERY low protein, with little to no meat sources in them.  This low protein can also cause low energy stores, etc.

A few good ones to try (you may not be able to find them at petsmart/petco, but the websites have store locators:

Innova Senior Plus (www.naturapet.com)
Royal Canin Maxi Mature 26 forumla (can be found at Petsmart and Petco: [linkhttp://www.royalcanin.us/dogfood/maximature.html]http://www.royalcanin.us/dogfood/maximature.html[/link]
California Natural Adult (www.naturapet.com)
Canidae ALS (www.canidae.com)

These are just a few to look at...the most convienient for you may be Royal Canin...hope this helps!

New research has shown that senior dogs need higher protein (while keeping low fat) so they don't lose muscle mass as they get older and it's more difficult for them to absorb dietary protein. Science Diet hasn't "updated" any of their food to say the least, and their senior formulas are very VERY low protein, with little to no meat sources in them.

 
  papi;  I think the chow is only 18 months old. []

justin; Did the change from 3 to 4 cups to 1 cup take place over several months or did his appetite drop off much quicker; a sudden change in appetite definitely warrants a vet visit. Is he getting more treats than he used to; that may effect his appetite. The most nose doesn't mean much and isn't a good way to determine if a dog's healthy. Does he seem to be losing weight; it may be hard to tell under all that hair.  I don't know how many calories are in a cup of the food you give him, but a 50 pound dog should need around 800 calories, so I doubt if he's eating enough for a dog his size.

oh, haha!  I have no idea why I was thinking it was an older dog [8D]

So now that I feel like an idiot (lol), that changes everything!  But I do agree with jessiesmom--a vet visit couldn't hurt, I would take him just to be sure.

Foods I recommend for an 18 month old chow:

Innova Large Breed adult ([linkhttp://www.naturapet.com/]http://www.naturapet.com[/link])
Royal Canin Large Breed adult ([linkhttp://www.royalcanin.us/dogfood/maxiadult.html]http://www.royalcanin.us/dogfood/maxiadult.html[/link]) **Can be found at Petco/Petsmart
California Natural Adult ([linkhttp://www.naturapet.com/]http://www.naturapet.com[/link])
Natural Balance ([linkhttp://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/]http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com[/link]) **Can be found at Petco
Sensible Choice ([linkhttp://www.sensiblechoice.com/]http://www.sensiblechoice.com[/link])
Bil-Jac Large Breed adult ([linkhttp://www.biljac.com/]http://www.biljac.com[/link]) **Can be found at Petsmart/Petco...this is what I feed...others hate it, I have had great results []
Nature's Variety ([linkhttp://www.naturesvariety.com/]http://www.naturesvariety.com[/link])

These are just a few...there are other great ones out there that I'm sure others will add, but this is a great place to start.  Again, I apologize for my earlier mistake...I would say that it's been a long day, but I haven't really done much since I had the day off [8D]

hey guys...thanks for all the help. for food what do you guys think about nutrience? thats the type my cousin uses and i think its mostly good. no biproducts or anything. and ya you're right its hard to tell if hes losing weight cuz of all the hair. and on top of that hes a rough chow not smooth.  and it happened over a few weeks maybe a month?  maybe its cuz of all the new toys that hes distracted? what do you guys think about that?

I'm having a real hard time understanding your problem.

What is it you're seeking advice for?

Weight loss? Not liking its food? Not eating?

Justin,  If he were my dog, I'd have the vet check him over to make sure there isn't a health problem causing this lack of appetite; going from eating 3 to 4 cups a day to 1 is quite a difference. That's my [sm=2cents.gif] worth.