New dog not eating her dog food is just because she is unsettled and still getting used to her new house?

Question

Nope, she is still on the same food as she was in her last house ( my brother in-law had her for 6 years before this)

Answer 1

yes its common especially in the first day
give her time
she will soon settle in, mine was the same

Answer 2

It's all about time! All dogs need time to feel safe enough in the new enviroment to eat properly. Some refuse to eat whilst others gulp anything down as quickly as possible! New territory has to be explored and they have to work out their position in this new pack. It may take her a day or two to settle. You could try feeding her by hand as you would normally give treats I find that works well with a reluctant eater!
Dont worry about it, she'll sense it! The more relaxed everyone is around her the quicker she will start feeling safe! So as much as it's tempting to want to get her to play and make friends let her do things in her own time! Let her decide to come to you and when she does praise her.
I'm sure she'll very quickly become your best friend! Enjoy it!

Answer 3

Two of our dogs are rescue dogs and reacted in different ways when we brought them home. One bolted every food item he could get, the other didn't eat for a good 3 days. Different dogs react in different ways to new surroundings.

I wouldn't advise hand feeding or giving treats though. Feeding by hand may lead to your dog only accepting food this way and giving treats while your dog is not eating 'proper' food will only teach your dog that if it stops eating it will be given nice tasty treats instead! If she is on dry food leave a bowl down all the time. She will start to nibble at it eventually and before you know it you will look at the bowl and realise that she has actually eaten something.

I have an article called 'How To Train Your Owner', written from a dogs perspective and this is what is written about food refusal;

"Much has been written about training with food - the 'gentle' method. Owners will generally offer what they consider to be good for your diet. Give the dish a cursory sniff, then sit back on your haunches and refuse to eat it. A touch of pathos works wonders at this point. Wait until the owner tries to coax you with some of the food from their hand, then disdainfully turn your head away. The moment they offer you something different - preferably from their plate - you have them trained. A repetition of 'food refusal' is bound to have them running from fridge to cupboard for a variety of morsels."

Dogs are very canny creatures and soon learn to wrap you round their little finger (should they have a little finger, lol)

Good luck with your dog, I am sure she will be fine, but any concerns just give the vet a ring.

Answer 4

Yes this is very common. Give her time to settle in. It could also be the change in food so do expect some GI issues if you are not feeding the same brand etc as the previous owners. She may poo more or have loose and smelly stools during the adjustment. Do watch for vomiting or blood in the stool however as those are symptoms of a very serious problem otherwise give her love and patients.

Answer 5

Is it a pup or grown dog (i.e., over a year old)? Did you get it from a shelter or a pet shop or a puppy mill or a friend/relative? Was it maltreated or spoiled rotten?

If it's a pup, then it is very rare that it would refuse food, unless it was vile smelling. If it otherwise seems healthy, then try a little bit of milk by itself, but only for a short time. If it is ailing, then take it to the vet, immediately.

If it's an "adult", then, yes, it is certainly possible that it was used to whatever food it had before you obtained it. Many shelters and legit pet shops usually offer free samples of that food, just to avoid such situations. And, yes, it could be that it needs a little time to get used to her new owners. FWIW, we adopted an abused dog from a shelter, and it took her nearly a month before she felt comfortable being near us! She ate only sparingly, and only if nobody was around. After three months, you'd think she had been born into our family!

In any case, do NOT feed your dog by hand, regardless of the temptation, because it will spoil the dog, and it won't eat unless you so feed it (great if you're a control freak, though!).

Also, keep in mind that dogs are social/pack animals. They may not eat unless the "rest of the pack" (i.e., you!) are eating, too, or at least watching. Another dog that I had (not at the same time as the one, above) refused to eat unless someone was near her! We didn't mind, of course, but we compared her to a kid jumping off a pool's diving board, yelling "MOMMY! DADDY! WATCH ME!!!" ;)

Hunger, if not patience, will eventually win out
(again, assuming that it is healthy to begin with;
you DID take the dog to a vet, right?).

BTW, just a tip: I went to a legit pet shop and bought some man-made, generic dog "bones" that were in a huge barrel. They were put in a clear plastic bag and tied, and I brought it home. Just before I untied the bag, I was stunned to see tiny little bugs crawling all over the bones. They weren't maggots, but they were an unpleasant surprise to say the least. I reported it to the shop, but they said that they knew about it, and there was nothing they could do about it, but they hadn't heard of any complaints (how would pet owners know about it, unless they were as fortunate as I was to detect it??? Also, a lot of people would just throw the stuff out, as I did, but not bother to report it). After that callous response, I reported them to the local health authorities and to the ASPCA, and never went there, again (I don't know what happened after that, but they are still in business). I no longer allow my pet to eat from unsealed packages. (sorry . . . I went on a little bit of a rant, there!)

Answer 6

no, many dogs will not eat when placed in another enviroment. Many dogs I know when taken to a groomer, or to the vet or someones home will not eat even a dog treat much less their food. They are not secure enough or feel comfortable enough. You might begin with hand feeding something moist like a piece of chicken or a soft dog treat.
Pet her when you give this so she knows it is okay to take it from you and eat it.

Answer 7

Once she's more comfortable in her new place, she should come around and start eating. It's a big transition and dogs do not like change when it comes to living arrangements. Give her a day or so. Make sure there is always food accessable to her when she's ready. You can give her treats so she's at least getting something into her system and give her LOTS of praise! This should be a positive transition so you need to reinforce it with positive experiences! Good Luck! and remember LOTS of praise and love!

Answer 8

Yeah, it could be that she's just settling in....she will pine for her old home and surroundings for a while. Try her with a little boiled chicken, or mashed hard boiled eggs and plain rice, just tempt her with something bland, so that you don't upset her tummy, but just a little bit different from the norm. do you have an old sweater, or something that once belonged to her old owner? Something with their scent on it may help her settle in a little bit easier, and help her to feel more at home.

Answer 9

She might be a little shy about things, give her time, but if she doesn't eat by Saturday take her to a vet there also might be something wrong. Try comforting her, give her attention, pet her, and don't scare her with loud noises or fast movement. Also try hand feeding her, take a few pieces of food and put it in front of her mouth, she might eat then. If not contact a vet tonight and set up an appointment.

Answer 10

I think your new dog doesn't like the dog food or is just getting settled.

Answer 11

If it lasts more than a day or two, I'd be concerned. As has been said already, try to find out what she was eating previously.