It appears I have acquired another dog, at least until I find a good home. Eleventh is an ancient Golden Retriever I found a little over a week ago.
Sweet, happy, & very well trained. But he will not eat out of a bowl, or off a plate. Absolutely refuses, backs away, looks nervous. If I hand feed him, or just put food on the floor, he eats as if starved. I even tried putting food on a flat baking pan, but he still won’t eat it.
This is no big deal, but I find it really odd! Any ideas?
PS: Lovely old dog needs a home!
I once picked up a stray from the pound that absolutely refused to eat anything but people food. Called home for expert advice from gramma, who said:
“Don’t worry. If the dog gets hungry enough, she’ll eat.”
She did.
Keep the dog food in the dog bowl; maybe fry up a little ground beef (cool it, of course) to mix with the food to tempt him a little harder.
Perhaps a previous owner had a problem with the dog eating off his (the owner’s) dinner plate, and trained it too well.
I agree with chique.
We had a dog that started doing this, when he was old, in fact. We even gave in and would put his food on the floor. Had enough of that and just put it out in the bowl again. He went about 3 days before finally caving in and eating.
If the dog was malnourished or something, I’d do whatever it takes to get him healthy again, but after that, he can learn to use the bowl. I guess you’ve tried different types of bowls? Maybe, say, a metal bowl spooks him, for instance?
Yep, I’ve tried all sorts of bowls, from metal to glass, “people” plates, and a flat baking sheet. I know he’ll eat eventually out of a bowl. Actually, I don’t care how he eats; he’s been very neglected and if ne wants to eat off the floor, or the back porch or whatever, that’s OK. He wasn’t starving, but filthy, matted, sores, and 2" long toenails making it hard for him to walk. I’ve cleaned him up & he’s doing (and smelling!) a lot better.
I just find it very curious, this weird aversion to any kind of container to eat out of!
You could try setting the bowl a short distance away from his pile of food, as close as he will tolerate it. Then veeeerrrry gradually, day by day, move it a little closer. As it gets closer, you could put something really tempting in it – say, a piece of liver or a dab of peanut butter. See how he does and eventually you might get the food in there.
(I’m suddenly remembering how we used to “salt” Phyllis’s puppy chow with garlic powder and rub the dish with a piece of bologna when we first brought her home, because she hardly seemed to eat. She’s over a year old now, and operating at full strangth! :eek: )
not as bad, but similar. Dog won’t drink water from a normal bowl. Carries it around with her and spills it, and she can carry anything short of a horse trough. Now the bowl is used for kibble, which she doesn’t carry around, and she (bad taste) drinks from the half bathroom off the kitchen - the only bowl she can’t lift.
This is mostly irrelevant, but y’all reminded me of my 10-year-old beagle mix, who’s far away…
When her water dish is empty, she’ll pick it up and flip it right over. Loudly enough for anybody in the kitchen to hear and immediately respond to, of course. Then she stands patiently by the now-upside-down dish, head cocked, tongue out.
Her other quirk is that she has canine ESP. If you just think about taking her on a walk, sometimes she’ll trot up to you with an expectant look. That’s eerie.
I am just amazed by her little thought processes. And I miss her.