Why won't my dog eat kibble from his bowl but eats from my hand?

There are a few things you can try: One is trying a different type of bowl such as ceramic or plastic, or one that is wider or flatter, as sometimes the feel or sides of the bowl can be scary or irritating, especially if Simba is interested in eating still. The other is to start offering a piece of kibble from your hand with the bowl in your lap, and alternate one piece of kibble in hand, one dropped in bowl, back and forth, while praising each time he eats from the bowl. You can also sneak in a few tasty treats to make it extra fun for him. As he gets used to "eating" from the bowl with you there, you can gradually add more to it and then distance yourself from the bowl to encourage him to eat more on his own.

This can become a very frustrating problem! You can try adding a very small amount of low sodium chicken broth (assure that it does not contain onions or garlic) or a tablespoon of canned food to Yahoo's kibble to tempt him to eat. He may simply be trained to eat from your hand and may require a bit of coaxing to eat from the bowl. Start by feeding him from your hand over the food bowl, then gradually move your hand down to the bowl, eventually removing your hand from the bowl altogether, but you may still need to sit with Yahoo while he eats. It may take a week or so to gradually leave Yahoo alone to eat. I hope this helps!

Stop hand feeding your puppy, as he might get used to it and then generally refuse any food that is not being fed to him by hand. Depending on what type of bowl you are using, there may be an odor that he does not like. Plastic bowls often emit chemicals which could be uncomfortable for the dog (and also can cause skin problems). Change his food bowl to either ceramics or metal and keep it meticulously clean, ie wash it and rinse it well after each meal. Make sure he is hungry when you feed him, ie feed small amounts more often. Take away any food he has not eaten within ten minutes.

Discontinue feeding treats and table foods. Try adding warm water or a teaspoon of baby food to Rio's dog food to stimulate her appetite. Leave the food down for 15-20 minutes then pick it up whether she has eaten or not. Repeat this at the next scheduled mealtime. Do not offer any food or treats between meals. Be firm. Do not worry, she will not starve. She will eat when she gets hungry enough.

Given a choice, most dogs will eat table food before dog food. Discontinue feeding cheese. Feed Sultan on a consistent schedule. Dogs thrive on routine. Prepare his dog food and leave it down for 15-20 minutes. Afterwards, pick it up whether he has eaten or not. Repeat at the next scheduled mealtime. Do not offer any other food or treats between meals until Sultan is eating his own food regularly. You can add warm water or a teaspoon of baby food to stimulate his appetite. Mix well to prevent him from picking it out though.

This can be a very frustrating problem, but is quite common among small and toy breed dogs. Since you've tried offering timed meal feedings and a variety of different bowls for Snowball, you may need to try a very slow, gradual process to wean her from hand feeding. Start by feeding her from your hand, as usual, but keep your hand over the top of her bowl. The next meal, move your hand closer to the bowl so that it is just above the bowl. Later, put your hand in the bowl while holding kibble. Eventually, move your hand to the edge of the bowl, then out of the bowl altogether. After awhile, try just sitting beside Snowball while she eats from the bowl. It may take days to weeks on each step to gradually wean her from hand feeding, but this typically is successful for most dogs. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Boiled chicken breast can be fed during times of gastrointestinal upset but it is not a balanced diet for long term use. If Akki is behaving normally, choose a good quality dog food for feeding. Quality brands include Royal Canin, Orijen, Canidae or Acana just to name a few. Discontinue feeding treats and biscuits. Feed him on a schedule. Dogs his age can be fed twice daily. Prepare his food at the scheduled time and leave it down for 15-20 minutes. You can add warm water or a teaspoon of baby food to stimulate his appetite. Pick it up after the time is up whether he has eaten or not. Repeat at the next mealtime. Do not offer any other food or treats between meals. Do not switch diets frequently. Doing so may lead to gastrointestinal upset or can create a finicky eater. Be firm and be consistent. Do not allow him to train you to feed him what he wants, when he wants. If he is exhibiting other symptoms (lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite or abdominal pain) then have him examined by your veterinarian to diagnose illness or injury.