Bad Eating Habit

Hello,

Taylor has been improving tremendously with his potty training.

But he has a bad eating habit...and I don't know how to fix it.

Background, he is a beagle/poodle mix and turned 3 months this week.

He will only eat if I'm sitting right next to him. If I walk away from him while he's eating (to get ready for work, etc), he'll follow me and won't eat until I return him back to his bowl and sit with him. And even still, he won't eat consistently unless I have the food in my hand. I thought this was going to get better as he grows older, but it hasn't improved yet. Also, he seems to be eating a little better if the food is moistened...but isn't he a bit old to have his food moistened?

I tried giving him food in his crate, but he hates it. He just barks endlessly...wanting out.

Any ideas?

I'm no expert, but I'm inclined to believe that he'll eat if he gets hungry enough. Put the food down for a specific length of time (20 minutes or whatever) and then take it away and don't offer more until the next meal time. So long as you continue to sit by him while he eats, he'll continue to demand it.

Of course, I often give bad advice so consider the source.

I moisten Darby's (4 months) food. I started doing it when I was switching her from the frozen that the breeder fed to dry Natural Balance. She seems to like it that way and I don't really see much of a downside. And a little extra fluid certainly doesn't hurt in these summer months.

My dogs are 7, 4, and 3 years. I mix water and whatever appropriate leftovers to make a gravy. I feed them once a day, and they eat it at one setting.

Mixing water with dry helps, I think.

I just mix and serve, I don't let it get soft, because none of my dogs like it that way.