# Henry's eating habits.



## Darlin (Jul 2, 2012)

Hey all. 

My little Henry is a bit frustrating when it comes to meal time. I know the little guy is hungry because he watches me prepare his food, runs ahead of me to where his bowl goes, but when it gets there...just sniffs it and stares up at me. I thought at first, well he just doesn't like this food. So I tried something different. Same reaction. THE ONLY TIME he seems to want to eat when I'm around, is if I hand feed him. I have to sit on the floor with him and scoop his food out into my hand and let him eat out of my hand. Now keep in mind, I have been told he eats on his own when I'm NOT around.

Have a created a little monster by hand feeding him when I first brought him home? It's becoming frustrating for me because I know he's hungry but he just won't eat own his own. 

Suggestions? Thank you!


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

I hand fed my Hardy the third fluff to join my family. He was very small, and I was afraid of hypoglycemia. I also would bounce kibble on the floor , like a game to get him to eat. No worries... He eats fine by himself, as a matter if fact he is the biggest fluff that I have. He isn't overweight, just a big boy!


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## Grace'sMom (Feb 22, 2012)

You haven't created a monster 

Hand feeding is okay. He will eat on his own when he is ready.

Try a different dish - Grace prefers a really wide rim bowl or a plate.

But I had fed her for awhile. Still do sometimes... but she eats just fine without me.

I read in a book (can't remember the book title) that hand feeding does not spoil dogs. It is actually recommended to hand feed dogs who are fearful or aggressive. It helps establish you as "giver of all good things".... So it's used as a bonding and training tool.


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## lmillette (Apr 23, 2012)

Opey used to be that way when he was a puppy and I would hand feed him or put the food on the floor which encouraged him to eat. But also think he didn't like the food I was feeding him. He really started to enjoy his food when I switched him to a duck flavored food and he just loves his duck by Fromm. So you may need to find a flavor he really enjoys. Opey can't still be a bit picky but when he is like this now I don't hand feed him I switch out his bowl for a paper plate or I put some on the floor and tell him to go eat and when he goes near it I tell him he is a good boy and he seems to like the praise and scoffs his food!! So maybe try changing his bowl out and coaxing him to eat on his own and possibly finding a good flavor of food he enjoys.


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## Darlin (Jul 2, 2012)

Thanks lovelies!!! 

I honestly kind of like hand feeding him. Gives us a little extra bonding time. :heart:

Also, do you all think maybe he doesn't like his bowl? I'm using a small stainless one now. Should I maybe try ceramic?


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

Darlin said:


> Thanks lovelies!!!
> 
> I honestly kind of like hand feeding him. Gives us a little extra bonding time. :heart:
> 
> Also, do you all think maybe he doesn't like his bowl? I'm using a small stainless one now. Should I maybe try ceramic?


I think stainless is fine , that!s what I use..... I love to be called lovelies!!! LOL


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

Yep, we hand fed Bella quite a bit at first too. She's a Diva, but we love her anyway lol  . You might want to just switch to a plate and see if that works a little better. Bella's not a fan of a bowl either.


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## educ8m (May 19, 2010)

Darlin said:


> Thanks lovelies!!!
> 
> I honestly kind of like hand feeding him. Gives us a little extra bonding time. :heart:
> 
> Also, do you all think maybe he doesn't like his bowl? I'm using a small stainless one now. Should I maybe try ceramic?


I happened to figure out that Ella does not like to eat OR drink out of stainless bowls. She also doesn't like putting her face into the food, so feeding her on a small ceramic plate was like magic...she runs to it as soon as I set it down and gobbles her food up. Very different behavior than when she's face with stainless.


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## Grace'sMom (Feb 22, 2012)

Grace won't use stainless steel, either.

She prefers Corel plates with a design around the edge. If it is a plain white plate she won't eat off it either - I use the small dessert plates, perfect size.

She drinks out of a glass..... yep. Every morning I get a new glass down from the cupboard and pour her bottled water into it. I've even tried washing the one she was using and reusing it - but she KNOWS LOL She sits there and waits so patiently while I get her glass down  But it took forever to get her to drink enough.... giving her a glass that we use (one of the short ones) did the trick... Little princess


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

Grace'sMom said:


> Grace won't use stainless steel, either.
> 
> She prefers Corel plates with a design around the edge. If it is a plain white plate she won't eat off it either - I use the small dessert plates, perfect size.
> 
> She drinks out of a glass..... yep. Every morning I get a new glass down from the cupboard and pour her bottled water into it. I've even tried washing the one she was using and reusing it - but she KNOWS LOL She sits there and waits so patiently while I get her glass down  But it took forever to get her to drink enough.... giving her a glass that we use (one of the short ones) did the trick... Little princess


 
:HistericalSmiley:Too funny! What a smart little girl  .


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

Summergirl73 said:


> :HistericalSmiley:Too funny! What a smart little girl  .


What's wrong with my fluffs??? They would eat out of an old shoe, and drink from the toilet, if they could reach it!!!Such a bunch of roughnecks!!! LOL


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## TLR (Nov 13, 2011)

Ben likes to be hand fed. It started when he was in obedience class. The trainer wanted us to hand feed a week before class. That was 7 months ago and there are still days that he won't eat unless I hand feed him. He also won't eat out of a bowl. It has to be on a plate. Guess they really are spoiled Maltese.


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## spookiesmom (Mar 28, 2010)

Ms Picky Paws doesn't care if it's on 40yo Correlle with a design, a bowl, the floor, al fresco, my hand, if she doesn't want it, she is NOT going to eat. I leave it down. She may eat when she's ready, or I cave. Ugh!


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## lmillette (Apr 23, 2012)

Furbabies mom said:


> What's wrong with my fluffs??? They would eat out of an old shoe, and drink from the toilet, if they could reach it!!!Such a bunch of roughnecks!!! LOL


:HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley:


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## Rocks (Jul 9, 2012)

Grace'sMom said:


> Grace won't use stainless steel, either.
> 
> *She prefers Corel plates with a design around the edge.* If it is a plain white plate she won't eat off it either - I use the small dessert plates, perfect size.
> 
> She drinks out of a glass..... yep. Every morning I get a new glass down from the cupboard and pour her bottled water into it. I've even tried washing the one she was using and reusing it - but she KNOWS LOL She sits there and waits so patiently while I get her glass down  But it took forever to get her to drink enough.... giving her a glass that we use (one of the short ones) did the trick... Little princess



Too funny! Louie has a set of my Corel that he is using as his indoor bowl set. His garage set for when he and I are hanging out in the garage is stainless. He is also a picky eater with his food, deer poop on the other hand he seems to like, anyone make deer poop flavored dog food? :blink:


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## MoonDog (Jun 6, 2011)

I am dog sitting a 35 pound terrier mix who will not touch food in her stainless bowl but she'll gobble it right up when I put in on a paper plate! Very strange!


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