# Problems feeding 9 month old puppy; please help!



## ahowells (May 9, 2012)

I have a 9 month old Corgi and ever since I got her, feeding her has been difficult. She never 'wants' to eat her food; most of the time, I have to convince her to eat her food, which would sometimes take forever. I have tried all types of food brands and a while ago, she seemed to like the brand Simply Nourished. Even though she liked it, I still had to convince her to eat. If I put the dish down and do nothing, she will not go near it. So I have to convince her (pointing at the food, staying with her). I don't want to stick by her side while she eats; that's no good. 

Last week she got spayed and ever since then, her eating behavior has been weird again. The problem now is that when I make her food and call for her, she runs into her crate and stays there. One time, even though I regret it, I put her dish in her crate and eventually she ate it while in there. That was only because I was desperate for her to eat it. I want her to get use to eating in her 'eating spot,' which she really hasn't learned yet. 

Can anyone explain her behavior issue? Or could this possibly be some kind of illness? I want her to 'want' to eat her food. 

She's pretty small and somewhat skinny for a 9 month old Corgi, however she is the most hyper puppy I have ever seen. She will be running around SO fast, I'll sometimes lose track of her for a moment. Someone please help! 

And just for kicks, I attached a picture of her . And on a side note, does anyone think she looks somewhat mix? My dad says she looks like a deer haha.


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## Jenness (May 7, 2012)

If You are worried that it might be a health issue you should really mention it to your vet. I agree with you that you should not force her to eat. If there is nothing physically wrong with her then I would definitely stop forcing her. Put her food out and leave it in the spot you want her to eat. If after 10 mins she doesn't eat it take it away. Wait a little while 15-20 mins and then put it out again. Only leave it out for 10 mins at a time and keep doing this till she eats. If there is nothing wrong with her she will eventually eat.


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## Nialr35 (May 9, 2012)

Well, one thing to consider is that she just got spayed and that could be a reason why her appettite has changed. Also, you mentioned that she is hyper yet she is just not eating. Well I do not think she is sick, otherwise she would not be hyper. What are you feeding her now? Are you free-feeding? Maybe she does not like the food anymore.....do not force your dog to eat. My pups were not eating all of their TOTW( and I was not overfeeding), then a week later they recalled TOTW. So if she is not eating, there has to be a reason.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

It has been my experience that you wanting her to want her food can cause eating issues (it happened to me and my first dog). I think it's anxiety-based--if you're anxious about her eating habits, she feels that anxiety and knows it's about the food, so she doesn't want to eat, etc. 

So, put her food down in the proper place at the proper time. Try very hard not to care whether she eats it or not. Don't add anything yummy, don't watch her. If she doesn't start eating in 10-20 minutes, pick it up and don't feed her anything until the next meal, then do the same thing. She won't starve (of course, if she loses a significant amount of weight or becomes lethargic, she should see the vet if she still won't eat). But your attitude toward this is important. If you're going to worry about her not eating, it won't work.


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