# Dog Won't Anymore Eat Unless We Sit and Pet Him



## Izzywizard (Sep 7, 2013)

*Dog Won't Eat Anymore Unless We Sit and Pet Him*

My dog has a new quirk that has become a little concerning lately. He won't eat unless my boyfriend sits next to him and pets him. He never had this problem before and always ate all his food. The only change we've made is moving his bowl two feet from where it previously was to make room for a shelf. We have another dog also that he's always eaten with and we separate their bowls far enough that they can't see each other. (when they see each other both are too busy protecting their food to eat it) All he will do now if we aren't directly next to him encouraging him to take another bite is lie down and stare at his bowl. His diet has not changed and he eats Taste of the Wild and always has. He's fine according to the vet, all they suggest is keep encouraging but its getting old and if my boyfriends not around he just won't eat. I've tried to sit with him, ignore it, put yummy snacks in it, ect but its pointless for me to try. Even left the food out while we were at work and he wouldn't touch it. He jumps and howls when I'm scooping the food like hes hungry but nothing happens. After 30 minutes if he hasn't eaten I take it away or my other dog will eat it and to show him that when its time to eat he needs to eat. Still not working. please help


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## MafiaPrincess (Jul 1, 2009)

How long have you done the 30 min take away for? One meal, a few days worth a week? Cider was picky when she was younger and it took 2 meals a day for weeks to break her of choosing not to eat when it's food time. I also needed to make sure other people weren't treating her with anything ever so she felt there was nothing to hold out for.


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## Izzywizard (Sep 7, 2013)

we feed him in the morning before work and at night when we get home. Same time every day and has been for a year. I've done the 30 minute and then take away for a year also. He doesn't get treats from anyone besides us and neither have been sneaking him goodies. We are completely lost in the change. Nothing else has changed and he still gets regular exercise and attention like he used to. When he absolutely doesn't feel like eating he will roll over on his belly like he did something wrong and in the end I have to take the food away once we waited long enough.


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## MyCharlie (Nov 4, 2007)

How old is he? Have you tried switching to just feeding once a day? I'd try that for a week or so and see if it makes a difference.


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## Izzywizard (Sep 7, 2013)

hes about 3 i believe and so far I havn't tried the once a day yet. He usually won't eat during both his meals unless hes being held and has gone almost four days before just not caring about the food. Are there any specific times of day that might be better for a dog to eat? Neither of my dogs like to eat in the morning but maybe there is a better time he can eat..


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## MyCharlie (Nov 4, 2007)

When we moved to once a day (I think they was around 2?), we cut out the morning feeding. It was just easier not to worry about feeding them before we left for work. They had been sluggish about eating either meal, but when we switched to just the evening meal (we feed around 6 pm but I don't think it really matters when - whatever works for y'all), they actually ATE the food relatively quickly so it wasn't such an ordeal waiting around or picking it up after not eating it, etc. Might not work for yours, but it might be worth a shot!


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## Izzywizard (Sep 7, 2013)

pretty sure I'm going to just do that. my other dog is still young and growing and would poke me until I fed her so I'll prolly keep her meals the same but I think I'm going to just try an evening meal instead of trying to coax two a day.Hopefully he'll just stop with the needy "hold me" thing he's got going


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## MyCharlie (Nov 4, 2007)

I hope it helps. Keep us posted!


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## MomofBeau (Sep 8, 2013)

Has anything else changed? Maybe he is feeling upset about something and wants to be reassured that everything is ok. I'm sure you talk to him, but just try saying some things like, "we're not upset", "no one is leaving you", "we know you like where your bowl used to be and we know change is hard". I don't know just grasping at straws. I know it's hard to figure them out. I know a couple pet psychics or dog whisperer types if you want that info. 

I would suggest feeding some raw meat but I know that gets expensive and both dogs would want it, LOL

Another friend might have a suggestion too. You can find her at critteroil dot com. Believe her email is listed on the site. She has over 40 years of experience with dogs. She's a groomer, and pet care author.
Best wishes and I am so glad your vet ruled out any health issue!


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## samshine (Mar 11, 2011)

If you really want to teach him to be a good eater, leaving food down for 30 minutes is too long. The goal is to have a dog that eats immediately every time you put the food down. Five minutes is plenty of time, leave it down too long and you are just telling him that he can go away and then come back and the food will still be there. There was a really good article in the AKC Gazette about teaching a dog to be a good eater. The first step was to leave the food down for no more than 5-10 minutes, if they don't eat pick it up and nothing until the next meal time.

The other part of the program is to cut back on the dog's ration for a while. You want to convince him that food is a valuable and limited resource.  They suggested cutting back the dog's food by half for about five to seven days, and then you very gradually increase the amount of food. Once you get to the point where the dog is not eagerly cleaning their bowl without pause, you cut back again just a little. Once the dog's brain has been thoroughly reprogrammed (months not weeks) some dogs that had been picky eaters but had trouble keeping weight on were actually able to increase to a food intake level slightly higher than they were eating before and put on a little more weight.

If you stick with this program, it WILL work. You will feel bad for a few days, but just think of having a lifetime with a dog who eats their food right away every single meal unless they are sick. I always keep my dogs very lean as puppies, and hence they all eat in less than 60 seconds. I've also heard of cases where the person's stress level over the dog's eating actually put the dog off their feed. Just don't stress about it if he doesn't eat. It's his choice. He might lose a few pounds but for most of us that's not a bad thing. Here's something to keep in mind. For 99.5% of dogs that aren't good eaters, they are simply getting too much food.


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## Izzywizard (Sep 7, 2013)

I am going to try the less food and take away sooner idea definitely. I've true it a couple times but not consistently. Also I found that my boyfriend has been slipping people food to him so I stopped that. If all he wants is table scraps he's not going to be eating his own food. I don't think a few pounds off will be bad at all for him and even though I will feel a little bad for not feeding him as much but I'm getting tired of this


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## samshine (Mar 11, 2011)

Izzywizard said:


> I am going to try the less food and take away sooner idea definitely. I've true it a couple times but not consistently. Also I found that my boyfriend has been slipping people food to him so I stopped that. If all he wants is table scraps he's not going to be eating his own food. I don't think a few pounds off will be bad at all for him and even though I will feel a little bad for not feeding him as much but I'm getting tired of this


Good for you! Here's to worry free mealtimes.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

Hamilton went through a phase when he decided he wasn't going to eat anymore. He went from being a super enthusiastic eater who was fed out of feeding toys to slow him down, to refusing to even eat out of a bowl. We never left food out for him, so he had to eat when fed or not eat! We stopped giving him treats (he was more than happy to take them!) and just stuck it out, and eventually he went back to eating, and now is back to eating his meals out of feeding toys to slow him down. I have no explanation for what happened, or why it resolved, but no lasting harm was done from his hunger strike. If everything else seems totally normal with your dog, I would just wait it out a bit and see if he changes his mind!


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