Buddy and eating

Wonder if any one has any advice on Buddy and food -

when we got Buddy at 10 weeks he was on pedigree chum tin meat and mixer - I weaned him off this to wainwrights puppy dried food and a little of their meat mixed in and by the time he was 4 months he was eating just the dry food . He then started being a bit fussy so I changed flavours and he was picky but eating.. then suddenly he would not eat at all unless the food was on the floor not in a bowl - I changed the bowl in case it was that but would only eat if I fed it to him and brought my hand closer to the bowl and finally he would eat out of the bowl. he would just circle the bowl grunting at it ..
He went to kennels for two weeks in August and he ate well even put weight on - came home and was great eating out of his bowl- bigger portions all was good - then since Sunday just gone he has gone back to not eating out of the bowl- have put the food on the floor and he eats some of it but then just walks away - if I put it in my hand he eats it..I have tried adding some wet food to it again but will only eat if I hold it and then gradually will eat out of the bowl as I put my hand over it .. I do not want to get in the habit of feeding him .. and I didn't really want to try and cook pasta or chicken to encourage him to eat in case he then expects this every day -

I have put his bowl down and then taken it back up after ten mins in the hope he realises he will be hungry but he doesn't seem to care - he is hungry because he gulps it when I feed him but if I don't he just wont eat and goes off to play ..

Any idea how I break the cycle and get him back eating out of a bowl..he will eat the cats food no problem

Not sure if this will help and maybe you tried this already but when my Henry was a puppy I had to place my hand into the bowl and have him eat out of it and then slowly remove my hand out of the bowl. Not sure why he needed my hand there but now he eats just fine without me near the bowl

I can't offer any advice, except to say that I have having similar issues with Betty (11 weeks). She will grudgingly eat out of my hand, but turns her nose up at anything in her bowl.

Like you she goes mad for the cat's food!

Honestly you were on the right track with picking the food up after 10 minutes. They will not let themselves starve and should eat at the next opportunity. Sounds a bit harsh I know and I've honestly never had a dog that would not eat so I'm not speaking from personal experience. Mine have always ate anything they were offered.

Gizmo did this, he was just trying his luck to see what new exciting food we'd provide him. The difficult part is not giving in to The Eyes of Tragic Puppy Hunger he throws you.

sounds like your dogs testing to see what he can get away with if you have already visted the vet id take the food away after 10 minutes of putting the food down might seem harsh but after 2 days of no eating he will want to eat just means he won't have you eating out the palm of his hand (pardon the expression).

I did read somewhere, on this forum i think, that, although it sounds disgusting, mix the food with your hands in the bowl. If i remember correctly, by doing that you are putting your scent on the dogs food,and therefore showing you as the dominant one.

A bit like what would happen with a wild pack of dogs at feeding time. I know it sounds a crappy way of feeding, but it may just work. Good luck

thanks for all your comments - sounds like its a common issue.. as you all say I think he is trying it on - I also think he may be teething again- I put his food down this morning and he walked away and sat on the sofa -I ate my breakfast and picked his plate up and he didn't stir - I sat with him and he climbed on my lap and curled up -I started stroking him and when I got to his head he let out a few moans and pushed his face into me I checked his mouth and I can feel a back tooth very close to the top of the gum to break through .. but I am going to try mixing his food with my hands that might help .. oh the fun of having a puppy

If he is dry fed have you tried softening the food a little with warm water? Could be hes unable to chew his food if hes dry fed.

yes I tried softening the food and he looked at me in disgust and walked away .. he prefers a bit of wet food mixed in - my husband put some grated cheese on it this morning after I left and he ate the lot... pushing his luck, I think

Ah sounds that way people say a dogs stupid but theyre anything but

Marley is exactly the same coral! He is so fussy and bored and won't eat his biscuits unless we add something into it! But I've been ignoring it lately because I can't keep adding different things in to make him eat it, and he's now got the idea that if he doesn't eat what's in his bowl he has nothing else, he still doesn't eat a full bowl but he will go bk and clear it when he's ready, I've stopped everyone in the house giving him any of their food too and that's also helped

I dnt give mia human food for the reason she would rather eat my food than her own i reckon no tidbits stops begging too i hate begging.

Exactly! My daughter it is mun! She always sneakily drops something for him and the only thing I ever give him is her left over boiled egg in the morning because she only likes the dip for her toast and I hate waste haha, but stopping her from doing that has got him to eat his own food now, he just seems bored all the time of dry food on its own!

An egg is ok for marley once a week as is sardines and or tuna you already know he likes eggs thats a good thing

He sure does he won't touch his brekkie till I put that in

Buddy is still playing up food wise .. but I am going to ignore it and just continue feeding him and picking the plate up until he realises - will have to stop his treats too - I think he is starting to be a stroppy teenager he is becoming quite bitey and snappy mainly to my husband - he caught his hand yesterday quite badly - think we need to ascertain our authority a little with him before he thinks he is the boss !

Does your oh play ruff with buddy? Mine does so Marley is ruff back, you id keep picking the plate up! Marley is the same but ignoring and stopping treats helped I honestly think with Marley its boredom! I think if I mixed some wet in he would clear his bowl everytime

yes my oh started playing with him when we first got him by chasing him and crawling on the floor with him- I told him not to but ... you get the picture - now whenever he sits down Buddy wants him to play..and if he doesn't Buddy starts to bite his feet and then his hands - doesn't do it to any one else if I am there I say leave it and he walks away but when OH says it he carries on - I think he thinks he is a littermate rather than someone to respect he is going puppy classes so I am going to get OH to start taking part in them .get Buddy used to being told what to do by him... I have tried everything with Buddy and food - he will eat if I hold it in my hand but otherwise doesn't even go near his bowl.. will have to get tough with the little man... couple of days hungry he will be ok - he was fine at the kennels - no treats I guess, just his meals -I think I have spoilt him .. time for tough love I think...

Yes my oh is the same Marley won't listen to him either only me, so I have to tell him off! Got my oh involved in more training at home now to see if that helps! Aw they are fussy buggers, have u tried putting his food on the floor? To see if it is just the bowl he doesn't like? For the first few weeks I had Marley he wouldn't drink from his bowl so I had to use a tall cup, and feed him from my hand he really didn't like his bowls at first but I started to fill the cup then show him that I was putting in into his bowl for him to drink and he did eventually, and with him only eating out of my hand I just started to hover my hand over his bowl then gradually get lower till he was fine with both (still had to sit next to him for a while tho) but now I think he's just bored of his biccys

Hiya carol what type of bowl does buddy have? Could he doesnt like whatever the bowl is made of eg ceramic plastic metal?

he has a ceramic one now started with a metal one- drinks out of a metal one.. tried moving the bowls so he can see into the room in case he was worried something was going to come up behind him--he just circles it grunting loudly but not attempting to eat -unless I hold the food in my hand

When you put buddys food down have you tried saying excitedly "whats this buddy " your dinner take it lad generally make a fuss . Another thing you can try is both u and hubby pretend to eat his dinner sticking your head in the bowl then just leave the bowl on the floor see how he reacts

Zoey was extremely fussy as a puppy, which was annoying as she needed to gain weight. I'd read in a few puppy training books to use kibble as a training reward - HA! She spat the kibble out, it was no good for training...she didn't find it rewarding at all

We were worried what with her being so small and skinny (even though the vet said she was healthy) so we started adding things to her kibble (wet food, water, yoghurt etc). This would work for between a few days to a few weeks, but after a while she would get bored and refuse it, to see what else we would offer!

We stopped doing anything special, other than soaking the kibble for a while. If she didn't eat it, she had to wait until the next meal. This worked for us, after a worrying few days where she ate just a few mouthfuls - she still doesn't get vastly excited about her meals, but she is much better and eats enough to maintain a good weight now.

Oh also, you could try a kibble dispensing toy? Buster Cube, Kong Wobbler, Treat Tower or a plastic bottle that you've taken the rings and labels off (obviously under close supervision). Sometimes this makes the kibble seem more 'exciting' because they've worked for it

hi thanks for the replies - when I put his food down I make a fuss and he comes running and then when he gets there he just grunts at the bowl and walks off... he has a kibble ball that I have filled in the past - he loves playing with it but when he gets all the kibble out he just chases it all round the room - doesn't eat any of it ! - I am wondering if I should take him off the kibble and try natures own nuggets or Mince - my greyhound only ate this as he had very few teeth and couldn't chew kibble.. kibble is easier but maybe he just doesn't like it ..or he is teething and his mouths sore???

well , we have had two days of putting the food down and taking it back up after tens mins - no treats , other than a little peanut butter on his kong when I leave for work.. his stomach is growling but he will not eat.. I have put cheese on his food I have tried tuna he gets excited runs to his bowl grunts and runs away - this morning I put the food on the floor and he ran over but same reaction I sat next to the food and came and hid behind me grunting - the only time he would eat is if it was in my hand.. I just don't get it he is obviously hungry - and now it is making him very grumpy and his biting of my husband is becoming a little too intense now that last night I had to put him on is lead because I thought he would do some damage.. after five minutes , he settled and I took the lead off and he was ok but every night for ten or fifteen minutes he has a frenzied attack( not aggressive as such gets very bitey if my OH tries to stop him or walk away ) on my husband jumping on the sofa and lunging at him face or arms ..no amount of distraction from my husband works , I have to get involved to stop him, -hunger is now making him even worse .. could it be his teeth??? I am at a bit of a loss now- I have had dogs all my life but never one that wouldn't eat even when hungry !!

Perhaps time for a vet check carol

hi - he has been checked by the vet - we have been going every week for the last six weeks due to his demodex ( which I think may have gone now hooray) and I have mentioned it to them they checked his ears- mouth , throat, every thing.. they have said he is fine , other then him chewing a lot recently all is well, that's why I wonder if it is just him cutting his back teeth all toys or chews are forced right to the back of his teeth ....

Could be the reason carol if all other methods are exhausted and not for a prolonged period of time may be worth contacting a behaviourist as his behaviour may escalate to something else.

hi yes I am going to talk to a behaviourist any way as I am a little concerned at his biting towards my husband - I am not sure if its a dominance thing or a jealous thing- he only has a go at him when I am around - and the only person who can stop him is me...which is concerning - I do tend to do most things for Buddy so I need to get my OH to do more than just play with him .. I am hoping it just the fact Buddy thinks OH is a playmate rather than having a dislike for him

I doubt it's because he doesn't like your oh Marley is the same with mine, because he plays ruff with him on the floor, he thinks he's his playmate, but I think getting your oh involved more will help loads

I hope so Emma, it is not nice to see - he turns from a loving playful little thing to ears back whites of eyes showing and purposely jumping on my oh trying to nip and the more he trys to stop him the more hyper he becomes.. I really had to shout at him last night before he would stop resorted in putting him on a lead haven't done that since he was about 12 weeks old...he was fine after 5 minutes went an got on OH lap and ate his biscuit as if nothing had happened..

Yh I have to step in too, I think getting them involved more and not play fighting as much will improve it all, I tend to put Marley in the kitchen for 5 mins when he's been naughty and nipping my oh, he comes in and just settles down hope it gets better for you both

will keep you updated .. complicated little bugger .. daughter reports he has shaken all my herbs out the pots in garden and is now trying to eat the pots - great news !!"

Sorry carol this made me chuckle typical dog

mmh .. if he wasn't so bloody cute....

well this morning I gave buddy some kibble and some natures own turkey and rice nuggets and he ate two bowls full with no questions asked- was it a one off we will see tonight

Just my personal opinion - I know kibble is complete/convenient, but would you eat dry cereal with enjoyment every day? The only flavouring in kibble is the animal fat that coats it. Otherwise it's just dry and bland. I've never fed it, and never had a problem with Bug eating all of her food.

Rachel - I am starting to think that way about kibble- I used to have a greyhound and he would not eat kibble at all and I used to feed him the natures own slabs of mince - cooked as he wouldn't eat raw either and never had an issue eating and he was one fussy dog! I will try him again with it mixed with kibble and see how he goes - I like the idea of some kibble just to keep his teeth cleaned- what do you give Bug - for his teeth anything in particular ?

smudge95 wrote:Rachel - I am starting to think that way about kibble- I used to have a greyhound and he would not eat kibble at all and I used to feed him the natures own slabs of mince - cooked as he wouldn't eat raw either and never had an issue eating and he was one fussy dog! I will try him again with it mixed with kibble and see how he goes - I like the idea of some kibble just to keep his teeth cleaned- what do you give Bug - for his teeth anything in particular ?

We feed Suki raw and the bones and her toys keep her teeth very clean

Bug is fed nature diet as a staple - but I pick up lamb bones/pig trotters/marrow bones etc from Morrisons and she has these once or twice a week. Her teeth have never been great (they were a state when he came into rescue!) but they're pretty good now.

Alternatively, if you wanted to go raw there's loads of advice in the feeding section. You can buy complete raw mixes or offal/meat/bone if you don't want to DIY it.

I am quite happy with the natures own as there is quite a variety with the mince and the nuggets - I'm not sure about the lamb bones and trotters etc he is 6 months old would they upset his stomach at that age ?not sure the right age to start with bones...I think he has most of his teeth through - he is teething at the minute with the back ones - I give him tripe stick from millies wolfheart and cereal toothbrushes from pets at home..at the minute

well its been a few days and Buddy is eating sort of- still will not eat out of the bowl but has been eating off the floor with a lot of encouragement- I think he is definitely teething and hoping that is what the issue is -his nose is a little dry and he is chewing an old teething ring like mad so will see if he improves over next few days - he is at the vets Tuesday will get them to check his teeth just to be sure all is ok ..hopefully he will get back to normal soon