How to Train Your Dog to Only Eat from His Bowl

Hello Stephanie, I would start by speaking with your vet. I would have your vet check his weight and see if he is being overfed or loosing weight with the pickiness. If he is being overfed, that could be why he is picky. If pup is loosing weight, I would look into a medical reason for why he won't eat. Parasites, a food allergy ingredient, nutritional imbalance, bacterial imbalance, infection (even an ear infection or tooth infection that causes pain while chewing or swallowing), or multiple other illnesses or injuries could be related to picky eating. I am not a vet though, so speak with your vet. Some dogs will eat even when not feeling great when you hand feed because that can give the extra motivation he needs to eat despite the discomfort. In those cases the medical reason needs to be addressed. Some dogs have learned that if they hold out, you will hand feed, and its a learned behavior. If there isn't anything medically wrong, I would try making the food more fun by using puzzle toy type feeders that pup has to hunt the food in. I suggest mixing her food with something he likes the night before feeding him. Start with a higher quantity of food he likes and a bit of dog food, then gradually increase the dog food and decrease the food he likes overtime. For example, test out freeze dried meat dog food toppers, like stella and chewy or nature's variety first. If he likes those, crush them into a powder in a ziplock bag, then place that and some of him dog food in the bag overnight to flavor and scent the food. Feed that regularly if he will eat it, then gradually decrease how much powder you use and increase the dog food slowly in place of it - go slow so that eating the new food has become habit and he doesn't think about it changing gradually so keeps eating it. If he likes the kibble topper, you can also feed something like Ziwi peak or nature's variety raw boost long term - which is composed of freeze dried food or has it mixed in, if that's in your budget. If pup doesn't like the freeze dried stuff, then do the same thing but use things like minced chicken, liver paste, or goats milk mixed with the dog food and refrigerated overnight (you may want to do the goats milk last minute because it will get soggy though). Another option, is to have pup work for all of their kibble. Have pup perform commands and tricks and use the dog food that has been mixed with freeze dried powder from a ziplock bag, as rewards for pup obeying commands. Many dogs are actually more enthusiastic about their food if they have to earn it and consider it a treat. Feed pup entire meal amounts this way so that he is hungry during training in place of the bowl for a while. When you do so, act like the food is treats - you should act like you have a great prize not like you have to temp pup to eat. It may seem opposite but what a dog can't have without working for it, often makes it even more appealing. Once pup is doing well with that I like to use things like Kong wobbles, to put the food into for pup to work for. When pup is working for the food in the wobble well instead of having to take it from you, you can transition back to the bowl by unscrewing the top of the wobble, which leaves the bottom that's shaped like a bowl, and pup now associates with fun and enjoyment. I would also ask your vet how long pup is okay to go without eating. Sometimes you will need to offer the food three times a day, taking the food up after an hour each time if pup doesn't touch it. Often, pup won't eat the first couple of meals, but will then get hungry enough to eat the next ones if they see that you aren't going to handfeed or give table scraps instead. If you are using a bowl that is reflective, makes the food move, or pup's dog collar is clinking on the bowl, I would switch out your bowl and put a plastic dog collar tag cover over pup's tag to keep it quiet. Some puppies are scared of bowls that reflect, move or make noise. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

May 24, 2022

Hello! Your best bet is to teach him leave it. I will give you instructions for leave it. Leave it is great for anything you want your dog to not get into/go after, or in your case eat. Also, try your best to not give him access to anything but his food while you're going through the process to break this habit. Teaching “leave it” is not difficult. Begin the lessons inside your home or in an area with very few distractions. Here are the steps for teaching “leave it”: Make sure you have two different types of treats. One type can be fairly boring to the dog, but the other type should be a high-value treat that he finds pretty delicious. You will also want to make sure that the treats are broken up into pea-sized pieces so it won’t take him too long to eat them. Put one type of treat in each hand. If you like to train with a clicker as your marker, you can also hold a clicker in the same hand that holds the high-value treat. Then, place both of your hands behind your back. Make a fist with the hand that is holding the treat of lower value and present your fist to your dog, letting him sniff. Say “leave it” and wait until he finishes sniffing your fist. As soon as your dog is done sniffing, you can either click with the clicker or say “yes.” Then offer him the higher-value treat in your other hand. Repeat until your dog immediately stops sniffing your hand when you say “leave it.” When you say “leave it” and he stops sniffing right away, leash your dog and then toss a low-value treat outside of his reach. Wait until he stops sniffing and pulling toward the treat. As soon as he does, either say “yes” or click and then give him a high-value treat from your hand. Practice this exercise a number of times. Over time, by practicing “leave it,” your dog should stop pulling as soon as you give the cue. When rewarding him with a treat, make sure that it is something good, not plain old kibble. By doing so, you are teaching him that asking him to leave some food doesn’t mean he won’t get anything, but that in fact he might get something even more delicious. When your dog is reliably responding to the cue, you can teach him that “leave it” can apply to other things as well, not just food on the floor. Repeat the exercise with five different items that are fairly boring to your dog. After using five different “boring” items, start using slightly more exciting items. You know your dog, so you alone know what items he would consider more interesting, but don’t jump to high-value items right away. To increase his chances of success at learning the cue, you want to work up to high-value items gradually. If Kleenex or a piece of plastic, for instance, would attract your dog on a walk, don’t start with those. Choose the items based on your ultimate goal: Anytime you say “leave it,” you want to be confident that your dog will indeed leave whatever you are asking him to leave. . The reward he receives when he leaves an item can change as well. If your dog has a favorite toy, squeak it and play for a moment when he comes running to you after leaving the other item of interest. Most dogs love interacting with us, so a moment of praise or play with a toy can be just as effective as a treat. Keep it fun Even though you’re practicing “leave it” as a way to keep your dog safe, you want him to see it as a fun game you play. When your dog is proficient at the game in your home, start practicing in a variety of locations with more distractions.

Aug. 24, 2020