When we first got her, she was perfectly fine eating out of her bowl. But I think after we started training her and feeding her treats out of our own hands, she has stopped eating out of her bowl. We leave her food and leave her alone for an hour, and when we come back, she still hasn't eaten anything. We've kept her on a feeding schedule (she's 4 months now), but we're worried about starving her.
Do we hand feed her so she doesn't starve, or do we starve her for a day so she realizes the bowl is the only option? These are just guesses, I have no idea why she is doing this. Help is appreciated!
2006-09-15 01:30:22 · 19 answers · asked by nornnyweb 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Meal time is served at set times during the day. You put her bowl with her food down for her. If she hasn't eaten it within an hour, pick it up and put it away until the next meal time.
No treats until she learns to eat when it's meal time!
And don't worry, you won't starve her.
2006-09-15 01:33:41 · answer #1 · answered by kja63 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
A dog will not starve if there is food around so just wait. Some people take the bowl away until the next day to teach a dog to eat at a certain hour (like a person). When you do this the dog gets greedy when it sees it's bowl and gobbles it all dowm in 2 seconds. I always leave the food down until my dog eats . Puppies get side tracked with things and may forget to eat at times so leave out her food and let her find it later and eat it.
2006-09-15 01:41:45 · answer #2 · answered by Gone fishin' 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My wife thought it would be sweet to hand feed our puppy. Things went south for the little guy when she had to go out of town for 2 weeks. I refused to feed from my hand.
I put his food in the bowl and held the bowl at first, gradually getting it to the floor by the end of the meal. If he didn't want to eat then I didn't force him. I would just leave the food in the bowl on the floor. I also cut out all treats until after he ate (kinda like your parents did you when you were young!). After a week I had him eating out of the bowl and not my hands. My wife continues to hand feed him now, but he knows if she isn't home that I will not do it.
Hope this helps!
2006-09-15 03:44:06 · answer #3 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any more treats have to be placed in her bowl until she starts eating her food.
Buy a new bowl for her and don't put her on any schedule for feeding, that's a stupid idea anyway to have her on a schedule for eating anyway. Do you want to be placed on a schedule now and not be able to eat until someone says it's time to eat and then if you don't eat right then your food will be taken away until the next 4 hours has come up?
Keep her food out at all times and to hell with any feeding schedule.
She's a puppy who needs her food their at all times and who ever did you get the idea of a schedule anyway? Dumb, dumb and even dumber then I thought. We have had many puppies over the years and not once did we ever put one on any schedule for feeding because we wanted happy healthy well manners puppies and not any that would starve because of any schedule, understand!!
Think about what you want, a well fed puppy or not!
2006-09-15 01:46:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My dogs simply don't eat when Im not home. Bowl is filled in the morning some like to eat then then refilled on second morning potty before I leave. They will drink water during the day but they don't eat. I have one that will grab a mouthful and bring it into whatever room I am in eat it and go get more. Some will only eat if Im in the kitchen. No need to hand feed her she will eat. She is still young don't make her too dependant on you by hand feeding her. She will end up starving if she ends up in the hospital or someone else has to watch her if your not there to hand feed her.
2006-09-15 01:36:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
She is not going to starve herself to death because you are not hand feeding her treats. She just has more will power than you do.
Stop feeding her treats and use a clicker to train her. No table food either.
Fill her bowl and in a day or two it will be eaten up. It takes a while for a dog to starve to death and they are not doing it on their own.
2006-09-15 02:32:42 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have 2 dogs, one is 3 yeards and the other 18 months, neither of them eat or drink when we go out (it can be sepearation anxiety) and when we get back slowly they start eating and drinking....my shar-pei (the youngest) is a very fussy eater and he has 3 bowls (depending on his mood) and I usually feed hima bit first and then drop it back in his bowl to encourage him to eat.
I agree that dogs aren't stupid and If they are hungry they will eat....perhaps try changing the food...or add Doggy Gravy! Works a treat!
2006-09-15 01:50:06 · answer #7 · answered by Kicking K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take control back. Put the food in a bowl, she will eat when she is hungry enough. She won't starve. Nature will take over.
2006-09-15 02:03:31 · answer #8 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just leave food in her bowl for her and stop hand feeding. She will eat when she gets hungry.
2006-09-15 01:33:57 · answer #9 · answered by credo quia est absurdum 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She will not starve. She will eat out of the bowl. Just leave it there for as long as it takes. She is just not hungry enough yet.
2006-09-15 02:48:45 · answer #10 · answered by jen 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋