Puppy wont eat out of her bowl

[Shevelle]

Bella is almost 5 months old and has developed a few MORE habits that are out of this world.. For the last 3 weeks she refuses to eat out of her bowl. I tried a different puppy food (Benuful) and she will eat it like a horse but only if I hand feed her.. I have left the food down for 15 minutes a taken it up to show her the you eat now or not until your next meal.. She doesnt eat.. Ive also left the food out all day and she still refused to eat it and that was for a straight day.. BUT, if I give her the food from my hand she eats it..

Any suggestions? My Vet sys when shes hungry she'll eat.. But she refuses to eat at all from a bowl.. Ive even tried changing it, and that did work either..

I've tried gravies, chicken broth, NOTHING works..

[Zoom]

She's training you.

Continue with only having the food down for 15 minutes at a time. She will eat when she gets hungry, though it may take a whole day or two. Just wait her out.

In the meantime, I would go look around the Dog Food and Recipies forum for ideas on a better food to feed Miss Bella. Beneful ranks at the bottom in terms of quality.

[Shevelle]

Oh my!!! Ranks bottom!! Oh no!! I'll get my butt over to the food forum.. LOL!! Thank you so much!!

[lookin4afurbaby]

This happened to my dog when he was two when we adopted him.. I literally had to sit on the ground with him in my lap and the bowl too trying to show him after a few minutes he started to eat.. Try it it might not work but just hand feeding it to her over the bowl might help.

[Mutt Luv]

I think you should do what Zoom said, just feed her like normal, then take it away in 15min. she WILL eat she wont strave and soon she will get over not eating out of the bowl, babying her only gives her what she wants she IS training you, lol And you dont want to hand feed her all her life do you?

[Spiritus]

I agree with Zoom too. 15 minutes. She doesn't eat, it disappears until the next feeding time (and no treats in between). Some dogs will hold out for a week or more. You must be stronger than the dog. The instinct to survive will kick in sooner or later and she will eat.

Here's a great article for teaching your dog to eat by clicker trainer Sue Ailsby.

[IMG]http://www.dragonflyllama.com/***37;20DOGS/Writing/TeachEat.html[/IMG]

[bubbatd]

Put your hand with the food in the bowl ...after a few bites let the rest fall into bowl and leave it .

[Barb04]

What kind of bowl do you use? My lab would never eat out of a metal dog bowl. I remember when she was very sick and at the vet, the vet said she wouldn't eat. I asked what they put her food in, and he said a metal bowl. I told them to use anything but that. They put her food on a paper plate and she ate. I was just thinking maybe you could try a different type of bowl.