# My Dog Only Eats When Hand-Fed?



## Dach66 (Jan 16, 2013)

So I have an about 1 year old Dachshund who doesn't want to eat food. Before, we gave him dog food which he used to eat but now he only eats human food. We leave the food in a bowl next to his water bowl but if we put him next to the food he gives a quick sniff then walks away. Sometimes he eats out of the bowl but most of the time we have HAND-FEED him tiny pieces bit by bit. I'm not sure what's causing this but my younger sister will usually feed him scraps at the dinner table (which I constantly tell her to not do) and I think this is doing something. Another thing I notice but not sure of is that when he does eat out of the bowl, he looks at the people who pass-by like he doesn't want to be seen eating. We feed him at around 2:30 and after dinner (around 6-7) but for some reason he never eats during the day. Also he drinks water whenever he's tired but I don't think he cares about being seen then.


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## MimiAzura (Jan 5, 2013)

umm.. what :/ 

Just because you don't see him eating doesn't mean he isn't eating.. 

Stop hand feeding him and leave his food in the bowl.
Being fed scraps means he probably isn't hungry when you feed him. 

as an example on the rare occasions my boy gets scraps, he rarely eats his dinner, because he is already full.


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## frillint (Jul 12, 2009)

Stop any and all scraps. I have a dog that used to only eat when hand fed to and I did it every time, but I got tired of it. Put the food down 15 or 20 minutes then pick it back up. It may take a few days of him not eating, but he WILL eat. I dog will not starve him self. When he gets hungry enough he will eat. I fed my dog twice a day offered it left it down 15 minutes he would sniff it then go lay down did this for about 4 days then on the 5 day he ate the entire bowl then he didn't a few of the next feedings then did. It was off and on for a little bit, but now he knows when that food is down he better eat before its gets picked back up.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

frillint said:


> Stop any and all scraps. I have a dog that used to only eat when hand fed to and I did it every time, but I got tired of it. Put the food down 15 or 20 minutes then pick it back up. It may take a few days of him not eating, but he WILL eat. I dog will not starve him self. When he gets hungry enough he will eat. I fed my dog twice a day offered it left it down 15 minutes he would sniff it then go lay down did this for about 4 days then on the 5 day he ate the entire bowl then he didn't a few of the next feedings then did. It was off and on for a little bit, but now he knows when that food is down he better eat before its gets picked back up.


This.

But I also wanted to add.... have you checked his teeth/mouth? When we first got Snowball he would only eat out of our hands.... but he also split an incisor when he tripped down the bottom couple steps, which probably made it pretty painful for him to pick up food with his teeth. Probably unlikely, but something to keep in mind in case Tough Love doesn't work.


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## Dach66 (Jan 16, 2013)

Alright so I'm going to try out what frillint said though I have another question. Is it healthy to be feeding a dog human food? I haven't been feeding him too much dog food since he ate less and I want to be sure he's eating what he needs to eat.


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## deege39 (Dec 29, 2008)

10 "People" Foods Safe for Dogs- The list doesn't stop there.

Foods That Can Be Poisonous- The list doesn't stop there.

There are a lot of "people" food that you can give dogs; but the thing is, it's better to give them fresh meats and veggies before cooking them with salts, spices, and seasonings.

Too much sugars, and sodium can be just as unhealthy for your dogs as it can be for us. 

To add to your original question, also keep in mind your small Dachshund has a tiny stomach, his tummy doesn't have the room to eat as much as you might think he should be. I have a 20lb Chi-mix, and he only gets about 1/2c _once_ a day, and I beg to ask if he could still lose a little weight.


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## frillint (Jul 12, 2009)

Just quit feeding him all human food. Stick to his dog food. If you are trying to out wait him on the dog food he wont much care as other said his stomach is a lot smaller and he will know if he waits long enough he will get some human food, so the waiting him out wont really work, because he just wont be hungry.

Feed only the dog food at his scheduled feedings. Don't feel bad when he doesn't eat for a few days and don't slip and just give him a little something. Then you will have to do the waiting all over again. I know I felt bad when my dog didn't eat for 4 days, but at least you gave him the chance to eat. He is the one that chose not to. Stick to the plan.

Go based on what the dog food bag says to feed him. Keep in mind that only is a guideline. He may need more. If he still seem hungry after doing the waiting game ad a little bit more to each meal. Most likely he wont eat the rest if he is full if you put to much in the bowl.


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

First, a trip to the vet to make sure there isnt a medical reason for him refusing to eat. Assuming everything is fine medically, wait him out. Put food down at specific times for a set amount of time and then remove it until the next meal. Dog learns to eat when food is provided or he'll be hungry. No people food, no treats. 

I have a dog that will go off his food for days at a time. A few times per year he drops down to about half of his normal food intake for up to 3 weeks. I dont baby him to get him to eat, I dont add anything special to his bowl to entice him. Food is put down at its usual time and if he chooses to refuse he goes hungry until the next meal. It sounds harsh but Ive tried it the other way...adding extra goodies, hand feeding...and created an even worse situation.


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

Exactly what everyone has said. STOP hand feeding and human food. SOME human food is safe, but should be fed as treats only - not as his meals.. its not balanced enough, unless you're thoughfully putting the effort into ensuring the dog is getting the proper amount of vitamins and minerals with cooked human food. This is A LOT of work. Dog foods are designed to be balanced, quality and ingredients are questionable and vary from brands, but they are, at the very least, somewhat balanced. Supplementing dog food with healthy human food is acceptable, but first.. focus on getting your dog to eat its own food, and start with eliminating all human food.

This is what happens to spoiled dogs who get fed table scraps regularily, small ones especially who don't need a lot of food.. they refuse their own food because they know if they wait long enough they'll get fed something tastier. I'm guessing that if he has no problems eating human food, its unlikely he has a medical problem, but be wary of this anyway, if he has a dental problem he might have a tough time chewing up kibble, so keep an eye on it and take him to the vet if this seem like it may be an issue.

Put half of his food down in the morning and leave for 15 minutes. If he doesn't eat, take it away and put it down again in the evening and wait 15 minutes. And so on. DO NOT feel bad for the dog.. like everyone else mentioned, a dog will not starve itself. They are very smart, and they can most definitely be stubborn when it comes to food, if you let your dog win the waiting game and you sneak him a treat from the table, you will never get him to eat his food. My Shiba plays this game with me sometimes, its a timing thing. He LOVES cheese, and I do normally give him a little peice when I have the cheese out, but if I happen to be cutting some cheese before he's eaten dinner, and decide not to give him any until after he's eaten, he won't eat dinner. He'll wait for his piece of cheese first. His peice of cheese and dinner goes into the fridge until the morning.. if he eats the previous nights dinner for breakfast, he gets his cheese LOL. They learn fast, so stick to your guns.

One other thing that comes to mind is expiry date of kibble. Back in the day when I fed kibble, my Shiba also rarely ate his kibble and would wait for his raw meals. He'd only eat kibble if he was absolutely starving, and eventually he'd stopped eating it all together, and I learned that it had gone bad.. so make sure you check the expiry date as well to ensure the food is still fresh.

Good luck!


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