My 3-month-old puppy won't eat when left alone. Is this normal?

This is normal, and I would be thankful that she does not seem to have separation anxiety or destructive tendencies when left alone. You sound like an an extremely caring and attentive owner as well. At 3 months of age she should still be fed 3 times a day and/or have food available for her all day to prevent hypoglycemia or low blood sugar which can happen fairly easily with small breed puppies. Congratulations and good luck!

Some dogs are not vocal due to their personalities. Others will take time to adjust and get comfortable in their new environment. It can be very stressful and scary for little ones to go to a new home, so it takes some time for their personality to shine. At 3 pounds, his stomach is not big enough to hold a lot of food. He should be feed 3-4 times a day to maintain the blood sugar. Once he is bigger you can decrease it back to twice a day. Stress and anxiety can also affect the appetite. Not every dog goes to the bathroom on that schedule. Take him out after he eats, then every 30 minutes to an hour until he gets good control and the concept of house training. If he is playing and stops to sniff and circle, then he needs to go. If you notice any bloody diarrhea or vomiting or he does not eat at all and seems weak, then i would get him checked right away

It is ok if your puppy does not eat all in the first days at its new home. This is a very stressful time. I suggest , since you only just got your puppy, to take him to a vet next week for a wellness check to make sure he is healthy. You can then also schedule the remaining vaccinations and worming and make sure he has no congenital defects or other health problems. Should your puppy still not eat properly by then, you can address that with your vet.

At this age it is expected for your puppy to eat less. Usually between 6-8 months of age puppies have less calorie requirement and will go from needing three meals daily to two meals daily. As long as she continues to eat dualy, act normal and is playful there likely isn’t anything to worry about. Best wishes and take care.

Hi, I think Lola is not 100% if she is refusing to eat and just wanting to sit on your lap. I would recommend that you have her checked over as puppies are quite delicate and need to be eating regularly. She could have parasites or just a little temperature for example, it could be something quite simple but obviously that could cause her to feel poorly. Have her seen by your vet so that she can get any necessary treatment. Hope she gets better soon !

It is possible she may have a urinary tract issue with frequent urinating, a simple test by your own vet can help check this. Reduced appetite may be due to this, but many pups which are weaned early lack the skills and confidence to eat when not directly supervised. Dislike of being left alone is also very common and can lead to separation anxiety issues if not approached sensitively but consistently by providing comforting toys and treats and slowly increasing the times she is left to build confidence and independence

This can be a normal behavior for many dogs. It is a form of resource guarding. As long as Rocky resumes eating when your sister returns, it is not a concern. We suspect it is due to their concern that the primary caregiver may not return to feed them.