My puppy has started refusing to eat out of her metal food bowl. The only way she'll eat is if I sit on the floor and feed her by hand. How can I get her to eat on her own again?
RULE NO. 1 IN DOG TRAINING: Whenever there's a problem that occurs suddenly, a trip to the vet is necessary to rule out the possibility of an illness. Trying to solve a behavioral problem that has its roots in a medical issue is futile, at best. Just ask one of my students, who tried unsuccessfully to housebreak her puppy while it had an undiagnosed bladder infection!
RULE NO. 2: Sudden behavioral changes require you to do a bit of detective work. Was there some sort of trauma that may have happened near your dog's food bowl? A chair falling over, a smoke alarm going off, even a teakettle whistling can undo some nervous dogs, causing them to associate eating from the bowl with the trauma.
If you even remotely suspect that something could have happened, relocate the bowl to another area of the room. Sometimes a dog's fear is so strong, she needs a drastic change of scenery. In that case, changing her feeding area to a completely different room might solve the problem.
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Also consider purchasing a new ceramic or stainless food dish, which will give her mealtime a complete makeover. Avoid plastic, which scratches easily and can absorb bacteria and odors. By adding random, special treats like small pieces of grilled chicken to her new bowl during the day, she'll find her new dinnerware pretty irresistible.
And don't forget that at six months, dogs normally receive their rabies shots and, consequently, are registered with their local municipality. This rite of passage earns your puppy two metal tags for her collar, which can clank against the metal bowl while she eats. While annoying to any dog remember their hearing is way better than ours the noise is extremely intolerable for an ultra-sensitive one.
I've heard the arguments for jingling tags being a way to know where the dog is in the house, but let me state the obvious: She's a dog, not a cow. Taping her tags together will silence the noise while she eats, which hopefully gets her back into her bowl and also gets you up off the floor!
My Akita is easily distracted during mealtimes. He takes a few kibbles, then wanders off until we call him to return. Standing around him and praising him gets him to eat. The vet says he's perfectly healthy. What's wrong?
For starters, when everyone gathers around a dog to watch him eat, they're inadvertently playing the role of the submissive pack members, awaiting a scrap of food from the leader. That's a great way to create a false sense of leadership for your dog! Instead, when it's time to eat, put him in his crate or in a small, confined area. Eliminating potential distractions will help him focus on his meal. Also try setting a timer for 20 minutes (small breeds are exempt from this) and pick up what hasn't been eaten during that time period. When the next meal rolls around, your dog should have an increased interest in his food even without an audience.
A. Behaviourist Claire Arrowsmith says: If your dog previously ate from his bowl, then it sounds as though he has made a negative association that has put him off doing so now.
You need to rule out pain and discomfort, so check his teeth are in good condition and that he isn't having difficulty bending or leaning into the bowl.
Sensitive dogs can be worried by the noise their ID tag makes as it taps against their bowl. Removing your dog's collar during feeding times, or choosing a different tag, can help - but it won't necessarily change the associations he has made in the short-term, so that will need addressing separately. Try moving your dog's bowl to a quiet area for him to eat, away from other pets or children.
If you are using a shiny metal dog bowl, try a plastic or ceramic version. A larger than necessary dog bowl can help, as can a dog bowl with lower sides. Some dogs who display fear of a bowl respond well to a flat plate or even a tray.
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In the short-term you could continue placing your dog's regular kibble on the floor or in activity toys.
When he is hungry, begin by placing high-value treats into his bowl and leaving them for him to find and be tempted by.
Over several sessions add in a couple of pieces of kibble alongside the treats and see how much he is willing to consume.
Take your time and avoid placing any pressure on him. Waiting around watching him to see if he will eat will make it more likely that he will remain cautious.