I was never any good at Tamagochi-like games even back in the day, and that hasn't changed. My poor Doggo died even though its Need bars looked pretty high. Just that little angry face and no clue how to fix it. "Please, don't die," I say, as the Doggo dies. Again.
I think perhaps the needs continue to decrease while you're playing the minigames, so while you're feeding the Doggo its other needs are going down? Regardless, I love its little happy face and the simple art. It brings a smile to my face. Especially the rocket!