How to feed two dogs when one is picky and the other steals food?

Hi there. If Molly isn't underweight and your veterinarian has confirmed that she doesn't have any underlying GI issues that might make her not feel well when she eats, then there's no need to constantly switch foods trying to find something to interest her. Many picky dogs are good at training us to do this. :) Instead, you can just offer her food at her regular mealtimes. Leave the food out for 10-15 minutes, then pick up whatever is left and put it away. Offer it again at the next scheduled mealtime. It might take a few days, but she'll eat when she gets hungry. It's a bit like insisting your child eat his vegetables, when he'd rather have ice cream!

I would recommend separating Cookie from your other animals while they are eating. I would not leave the food out all day, instead I would meal feed them. With regards to the cat food I would recommend keeping the food up high somewhere your cat has to jump to get too. That way Cookie cannot have access to the cat food at all. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would feed them in their crates or in separate areas. That way they both can relax during meals and you will avoid an escalation of dominance over food which could result in aggressive behavior and fights. Also Poli may become more fearful and anxious which is not a good thing. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dogs.

Until you are able to consult with a qualified trainer, I would advise feeding them separately. (Feed them in separate rooms, and pick up the food after 20-30 minutes if they don't eat it right away). Don't leave food out for "fair game" feeding. When the possibility of a fight over food is removed in this manner, it can alleviate stress for everyone. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I think you need to give them more time. Just keep separating them to eat - put them in completely separate rooms with the doors closed. Put the food down and leave the room. Leave the food down for 10 minutes and then go back in the rooms and pick up the food. Do this 3-4 times per day until you can get them eating twice a day. DO NOT say anything to the dogs when you put them in their rooms and give them the food. Anything you say can be construed by the dog as reinforcement for negative behavior. Ignoring the behavior is best. Make sure you give food that they really like - try canned food. NO people food.

I would recommend feeding your cat up high and in a different room then your dog. That way your dog cannot get Tiger's food and Tiger is in a completely different room then your dog. I would also recommend shutting the door of whatever room you feed Tiger in. You can also crate your dog during feeding times. That way he just gets his food. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This is not a terribly uncommon problem and should be somewhat easily resolvable. I would consider feeding the dogs in an area that you can keep them separate but still in visible contact with one another. If you are able to keep the two apart with a baby gate that could probably work fine. Another option would be to feed one of them in a crate, which is actually what I do with one of my own dogs. Another option might be to feed your female with a bowl that requires her to eat more slowly. This might give your other pup some additional time to eat in peace. This has the potential to backfire however, if Xena gets annoyed by the difficult bowl and just decides that her son's is easier to eat from. Hope this helps and at least gives you some ideas about how to resolve the issue. If none of this seems possible, you may need to consider some additional training for Xena including some commands to force her to come to you when she is called, and to divert her attention away from the other food bowl.