Just brought a new puppy home but he won't eat out of his bowl. Any ideas as to why or any suggestions ?

Question

A. He ate out of a bowl with the breeder. B. If I take the food out of the bowl and either feed him by hand or put it on the floor, he'll eat.

Answer 1

Call the breeder and find out if you are doing anything differently, a different kind of food maybe? Maybe the bowl is too big? If nothing is different, give it patience and time.

Answer 2

congratulations... you are training your dog to only eat out of your hand.
1st of all, don't allow your dog to have food readily available 24/7. YOU need to provide food for him as the pack leader, so make it a scheduled time twice a day when the pup GETS to eat. If it doesn't start chowing down as soon as you give it the okay then pick up the bowl calmly and walk away, ignore the dog for awhile and go about your day as usual. Next time, do the same if the little stubborn pup still doesn't want to eat. It shouldn't take more than a couple times before he gets the idea. If he doesn't eat for a day and half then something else may be wrong, take him to the vet.

Answer 3

I agree with "Mynickname" You have to let him get adjusted and ont hand feed him because he will get used to that and may take a lot longer to get him to ever eat from a bowl again! I worked for my local humane society and own 5 dogs of my own so i have a good relationship with the local vet and they all agree, its a good idea if youre having trouble getting a dog to eat leave the bowl out for 15 minutes, if they diddle daddle, pick it up and put it away, bring it back out later in the day. its best to feed dogs on a schedule i feed mine once in the morning and once at night. But if its a puppy never take the food away for too long, they should have food available almost all the time until they are older.

Answer 4

my question to you... is it a NEW bowl? If so, did you wash it thoroughly. Someitmes new bowls, especially metal ones have a strong smell some dogs don't like. Also, some dogs are very picky as to what belongs to them and what doesn't. Sometimes, once they ahve a bowl, they'll refuse to eat out of a new one for a while. My suggestion, fully and completely wash the bowl, then place his food in the bowl. lead him to the bowl and take a few pieces for him to chew on. Lead him into the bowl until he starts smelling and eating the food on his own. If this doesn't work, go out and get some of The Little Champions meals from pedigree and add half to one packet in with his kibble. I have never met a dog that would not eat kibble/wet food mix. Hope this workds.

Answer 5

Hi.

I recently had the same problem with one of my pups.

I tried feeding a little by hand just to encourage her but that didn't work, I left it in the bowl and that didn't work but when my other 2 pups knocked some food out of the bowl onto the floor she would eat it or she would eat out of the bowls with them.

She was quite small when I got her and I phoned the breeder and all of the pups were fed out of the same bowl so I thought maybe what had happened with her being small was that she got pushed out of the bowl and had to eat what was dropped on the floor.

But what I also found out was that she was fed out of a different bowl than the one I was using so I went and got her a bowl the same as she was used too and she still wouldn't eat out of it.

I then cooked her some chicken breasts and some rice to see if that would encourage her to eat and she ate the lot.

Then I suddenly realised what it was, she simply didn't like the food that the breeder had given me to bring home for her.

I had my other 2 pups on Arden Grange as I already had them a couple of weeks before her and had slowly weaned them off of the food their breeders had given me and I was going to do the same with my new puppy once she had settled.

I started trying to wean her off by giving her some of her food and some Arden Grange but she didn't want to know.

So I gave in and just gave her a little Arden Grange and some chicken and rice so as not to upset her tummy with the change of food and she was a different dog and couldn't eat it quick enough.

Now thankfully she is happy eating her Arden Grange and has already started to put on weight.

I am not saying that it is the same with your puppy but it might be worth your while to try a different bowl and give her some chicken and rice and then if she eats it add some of her food and if she doesn't eat it with her food in it then try a different brand.

I hope this is of some help to you.

Good luck with your puppy.

Sandyrarr.

Answer 6

Leave it in the bowl. If he gets hungry, he'll eat it.
Our pup was a little frightened of the change when he first came home and didn't eat for hours afterwards. Then he got more comfortable and ate a little, then a little more, until he was eating normally again.
Just don't get into a habit of letting the dog dictate what goes on.
Leave the food in the bowl.
Good luck!

Answer 7

Dogs are just funny like that sometimes. He is in a new place and needs some extra attention. Papmper him by handfeeding him for a few days, but leave the food out for him in the bowl too. He will start eating from the bowl when he adjusts to his new home. Congrats on the new baby.

Answer 8

my dog had the same exact problem so we tried giving him different food bowls and he found the right one and started eating again, he was just afraid of the bowl from when my cousin decided it would be funny to kick the bowl when the poor puppy was eating.

Answer 9

if he will eat out of your hand and not the bowl, sit next to him and put your hand in the bowl. hes probably just not used to eating alone. dont keep trying different food, or adding things he likes, this will make him picky.

Answer 10

buy a couple of cheap bowls and see which one he likes. He has to like one of them.
If not the he could have a phobia of bowls. this is quite easy to cure. just get him used to the bowl and let him think it is a good thing to eat out of or near his bowl. The vet will give you tips on how to do this.