Why does my dog only eat when hand-fed? Is it normal or spoiling?

It's very common for some dogs to be more motivated to eat right away when there are other dogs present, since there's an element of competition involved in a multi-dog household - she likely knows that in that environment, if she doesn't eat right away, it may not still be there later! With dogs who are picky eaters, the major question I always ask is - is the dog a normal healthy weight, and acting normal otherwise? If so, then I don't worry about it. Some dogs are naturally "grazers" and may not be all that motivated to eat right away as soon as food is offered. Or you may be feeding more than she really needs, and she may simply not be very hungry sometimes. If the dog is underweight, or showing other symptoms of illness such as vomiting, diarrhea, acting lethargic, etc., then a medical work-up would be indicated to help figure out what the underlying problem is so it can be treated appropriately. But if the dog it not overly thin and otherwise acting normal, then I don't worry too much about it - she'll eat when she's hungry! I'm also not a big fan of dressing up the food with tasty "extras" to entice the dog to eat, since this is generally not necessary and can teach the dog to hold out for better and better things over time if she learns that you'll keep adding extra treats if she doesn't eat right away. So you could certainly take your girl in for a check-up to make sure she's healthy, if you're concerned - but if your vet doesn't feel that there is a genuine medical issue present, I'd just put her food down at her regular mealtime and leave her alone. A healthy dog won't starve themselves, so she'll eat when she wants to. :)

Thank you for your question. There are some dogs that are very picky eaters, including mine. You can approach this a couple of different ways. You can decide to stick to one food and take the approach that Kimi will eat it when he is hungry. If you choose to do this, you need to avoid adding anything to the food, or he will simply wait until you add something to eat it. At his age, I would be comfortable letting him go 48 hours without eating before giving in and adding something to encourage him to eat. The second approach would be to recognize that he gets bored with his food and rotate through foods. You can find a brand with multiple flavors. Or you can change between brands. If you change between brands, I recommend adding some of the new food to the old food for a few days. Lastly, there are some dogs that only eat once a day, and if that is all he is interested in, that is okay too. He will eat when he is hungry, and as long as his weight is stable, and there are no other symptoms (such as vomiting or diarrhea), I wouldn't be concerned. For the barking, I recommend ignoring her when she barks. If she receives attention for this behavior it will continue. Here is a link to an article on barking. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-stop-excessive-barking-in-dogs/ I hope this helps. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Stop hand feeding your puppy, as he might get used to it and then generally refuse any food that is not being fed to him by hand. Depending on what type of bowl you are using, there may be an odor that he does not like. Plastic bowls often emit chemicals which could be uncomfortable for the dog (and also can cause skin problems). Change his food bowl to either ceramics or metal and keep it meticulously clean, ie wash it and rinse it well after each meal. Make sure he is hungry when you feed him, ie feed small amounts more often. Take away any food he has not eaten within ten minutes.

In my opinion, that is not a bad habit so much as it is a serious problem. It's one thing to occasionally have to coax your dog to have to eat. If you find your self having to force feed on a regular basis, my suspicion is that there is something wrong within the gastrointestinal tract. I would recommend a veterinary work up including blood work, x-rays, and ultrasound. This should help reveal any sort of problems within the vital organs, and ideally reveal any sort of possible mechanical abnormality that could explain your dog's inappetance. I understand that he has always been this way, but that doesn't necessarily mean that nothing is the matter. I would also make sure that the teeth are thoroughly examined, as oral issues can be painful and make dogs not want to chew their food. If you haven't already, I would recommend trying to switch to a different food first, just to make sure he isn't just not liking what you are offering. I hope you are able to figure things out with the help of your vet.

Add warm water or a couple teaspoons of baby food to his food to stimulate his appetite. Check his mouth and gums for injury or signs of periodontal disease (redness, swollen gums, bad breath, visible plaque/tartar build up). Discontinue hand feeding. This may worsen his being finicky. Changing the food bowl may reignite interest. Prepare his food at mealtimes and leave it down for 20-30 minutes. Pick it up afterwards whether he has eaten or not. Repeat this at the next mealtime. Do not offer any other food or treats between meals. Zeus will not starve. He will eat when he is hungry as long as you are firm with him. Regular mealtimes are recommended since dogs thrive on routine. If he develops any other symptoms (lethargy, vomiting,diarrhea, loss of appetite), then have him examined by your veterinarian.

This can be a very frustrating problem, but is quite common among small and toy breed dogs. Since you've tried offering timed meal feedings and a variety of different bowls for Snowball, you may need to try a very slow, gradual process to wean her from hand feeding. Start by feeding her from your hand, as usual, but keep your hand over the top of her bowl. The next meal, move your hand closer to the bowl so that it is just above the bowl. Later, put your hand in the bowl while holding kibble. Eventually, move your hand to the edge of the bowl, then out of the bowl altogether. After awhile, try just sitting beside Snowball while she eats from the bowl. It may take days to weeks on each step to gradually wean her from hand feeding, but this typically is successful for most dogs. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Have you tried some other food options? Canned food? Homemade diet? They have now formulated some gravy that you put on the food that may help. Also there is a food enhancer additive: https://www.chewy.com/dr-tims-flavor-booster-genuine-freeze/dp/105062 https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-food/wet-dog-food/dog-food-rolls-toppings Don't stand next to her while she eats, ignore her. She is training you to stand there which is what she wants. That is going to get old for you real soon. If she is not underweight then don't worry about how much she is eating. She will not starve herself. If she is underweight then you should take her to your vet for an exam and some testing.