I have a 4 month old chihuahua. He will not eat at his bowl. Instead he takes each piece and goes to a corner?

Question

to eat it. How can I get him to stay at his bowl until he is finished eating? I do not leave the bowl for longer than 10-15 minutes even if he is not finished. Can someone please suggest something to help keep him at his bowl.

Answer 1

Its perfectly normal at first for small dogs. Especially when they are young. Don't worry about it, he will grow out of that phase in a few months

Answer 2

Gosh! My dog does the same thing. I found that the teeny tiny kibbles of the Royal Canin small breed puppy food she's eaten since the breeder, are readily consumed AT the bowl. However, since about 2 weeks ago I started switching her over to Merrick's Puppy Plate. With larger kibbles than the Royal Canin.

These kibbles, i notice, Zoey takes to the hallway just outside the kitchen to consume. I thought maybe she was having a harder time chewing the larger morsels, and so to remedy this, I lessened the amount of Merrick's that is in her bowl.

But I then noticed that all the Royal Canin's tiny morsels were gone, and the larger pieces of Merrick's left over. When she came to eat those only, she went into the hallway to chew.

So instead of 'mixing' the food, I feed her meals of each food at different times during the day. Merrick's has a built in gravy of sorts, which you can activate with a few tablespoons of warm water. You don't have to add the water, as the food is readily edible dry. But I added the water to her breakfast meal, and since the kibbles are just a wee bit moist, they are easier for her to chew.

It was clear to me that the Merrick's kibble size was just difficult for her to chew, and that was why she took it into the hallway, to sort of relax her body and take her time chewing it.

Try a smaller kibble food, since your dog breed is very small and has a small mouth. This could be the problem. A small chi will need a teeny tiny kibble. Royal Canin is quite small, but make sure you introduce it gradually. Try giving her a small amount every other meal. Observe her to see if she eats at the bowl, or takes her meal 'on the run'-

As she is very tiny, you might want to make sure if you use an elevated feeding dish- which is recommended for digestion- (imagine if you had to eat with your head and chest bent over a bowl- doesn't go down so easy!)- that you have her at a proper height to eat comfortably.

Good luck, and let me know how it works out!

Answer 3

My dog is 8 years old. I give her the amount of food she is supposed to have for the day and just leave her bowl out and let her eat when she wants. She likes to take a piece and walk over to the carpet and eat it there. Then she goes back to her bowl and gets another piece. I dont know why she does it but its never bothered me.

Answer 4

Two of my Brussels Griffons do this. It doesn't bother me and I really don't know why they do it. I have never tried to stop them from doing it since it seems harmless. If this is a problem for you I would suggest clicker training. Just watch and everytime he eats from his bowl, click, then give a treat. If he takes his food somewhere else, no click and no treat. After a few days of this -watch him, and if he takes his food to another place to eat, click, and he should go back to the bowl. You can buy a clicker and a book on clicker training at Petco or some other pet supply store. Good luck!

Answer 5

Is there a particular reason this bothers you. I have a dog that is a "grazer". She doesn't eat when I put her food down, instead she eats during the day when she is hungry. She is 6 years old and she still doesn't really like anyone watching her eat. But if I put a "yummy" on top of her food, she will usually eat the whole bowl right then.

Answer 6

I have a 7 year old chihuahua that does the exact same thing. She never eats directly at her bowl, she puts a few pieces in her mouth, and climbs up on the couch with me and eats by me and my mom. I guess she is just affectionate in that sorta way.

Maybe your dog feels uncomfortable with the surroundings of his eating area?

Answer 7

Try getting a plastic mat and see if he eats off of it. If he does, in a couple of weeks you can try the bowl again. It usually works once the puppy is a little older.

Answer 8

you might try leaving him alone to eat...or put the bowl where no one else can see it...he may have problems with others watching him eat (he doesn't want his food taken away). He's just a baby...maybe if you talk to him while he's eating, get down on his level pet him, it might put him at ease...(sometimes animals will hoard food, because they think they'll never eat again...it's instinct and you can't really stop it.)

Answer 9

sounds like he is afraid someone is going to take his food away. Are you hovering over him when he's eating? Leave him alone and see what he does. Otherwise, put his bowl in the corner and don't worry!

Answer 10

my ferret does the same thing... she takes the food out of her bowl and goes to the other side of the cage and eats it! i would by a little cage and put him and his bowl in there so he has to eat at the bowl.

Answer 11

This is quite normal behavior for a chihuahua. They are such funny little dogs. You should leave the food down for your pup all day because of the likelihood of hypoglycemia(low blood sugar).