# keeps pushing food bowl away



## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

i dnuo what my pups deal is, but since yesterday evening when i try to feed him he keeps trying to push his food bowl away when his food is in there...he keeps nudging it away with his head. if i take small amounts of food and put it on the floor he eats it just fine! ive tried changing bowls same problem. if i put all the food on the floor, he nudges that away. any ideas?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Use his food while you train him...that way it is utilized in the best way possible. What are you feeding? It may be rancid. Dogs have much better instinctive olfactory senses and do know if something is off.
Or if he's teething and in pain, the food is relative to the pain. Maybe soak the kibble so it is easier on his gums.


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

hes a lil over 8 months old so i dont think hes teething anymore...im feeding him Acana Grasslands and been using this bag for over 2 weeks now, dont think its off...


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

He'll eat it from your hand or on the floor, just not from the dish? I don't feed kibble but would think it is hard on the nose to eat from a bowl, vs picking it up from a flat 'lick'. Odd that he just started it...and yes, teething isn't an issue at this age.


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

he'll only eat small amounts from my hand, like 2 or 3 pieces at a time, if i have more in my hand he nudges my hand away...i might try soaking it in warm water and see what happens


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Sage almost always dumps her food in the floor when she eats. It's aggravating to have kibble skitter all over the place, but that's just her. Maybe your guy just doesn't like bowls!


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## Raintheshepherd (Jan 8, 2013)

I had the exact same problem with my 8month old. Turned out it was a massive attention thing and her trying to see if she could get something else to eat if she refused. I left her in her pen with the food for 15minutes, when I returned she ate only a small amount. So I would take it off her. I did this everyday for a week. I feed her raw food and high quality dog biscuits. 
But I just let her go hungry, and I tell you what, she eats every last bit now, because she knows if she doesn't eat it, she won't be offered anything else. Also we have 3 outdoor dogs, so they all have individual pens and are fed side by side, it really encouraged her too eat. Seeing the others eat convinced her she has too  


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

so should i just pick it up and try again in the morning? how long should i go before doing something? dont want him to starve lol


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

he won't starve. I'm not a fan of tough-love when it comes to food, but I feed raw, and my dogs seldom, if ever, pass up a meal.
My thing with kibble is knowing a dogs instinct and trusting if there may be an issue with the food. Though they'll eat gamey green raw with out hesitation! Go figure.


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

hmm ok, ill see what happens! tough love it is...hopefully he comes around lol, not in the mood to start changing foods


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Use a different bowl, different material in a different area. Before you put it down put something edible for you to eat in it and let him see that you eat something from the bowl. Then make him sit and wait before you allow him to eat to make him eager. Give it and leave him alone and do something to distract yourself, no attention for him whatsoever. Give him about 15 minutes to eat and remove everything after that.
I had a brief issue with WD after using an interactive feeding cube (to keep him busy) so he had learned that by pushing the cube around it would release kibble. Then he started it with his full regular bowl as well. I took it away a few times and he hasn't done it since, nor has he had the cube again. That whole thing kept me busier than him.


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## ankittanna87 (Nov 20, 2012)

hvtopiwala said:


> hmm ok, ill see what happens! tough love it is...hopefully he comes around lol, not in the mood to start changing foods


Yes.. tough love is the way to go.. Dogs won't starve themselves but since he's acting pricey, I think that's the best option.. I did it with my boy yesterday.. no other treats/food except his meal.. only if he finishes his meal give him a treat (if u do infact give him a treat).. All the best, it'll take some time but he'll know that if he doesn't eat, he ain't getting squat!


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

yeah this morning i gave him a chance, he ate liek 1/8 of a cup and then started pushing his bowl around...i told him no, picked it up and left it on the table for a bit then put it back down, and he pushed it away again...now hes gonna have to wait till dinner. i am just hoping hes not sick or something lol


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## Raintheshepherd (Jan 8, 2013)

Just give it a bit of time, if there are no obvious signs of him being sick (vomiting, excessive drooling etc) I wouldnt worry too much. I was the same when my dog started refusing food, I must admitt, she did find it difficult to pick up wet food out of her deep bowl, so I don't feed it anymore, just biscuits and raw. 
Give him a little bit of time, and after a few days if he still isn't eating, I suggest vet, and trying a different food. 
Just make sure he has plenty of fresh water available, and keep an eye on how much he is drinking also  


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## FirstTimeGSD (Jul 31, 2012)

I am going through pretty much the same thing as you...like even to the same age dog. My dog turned 8 months two days ago. This has been happening with us since right around Xmas time. I've posted a couple different threads and really got about the same feedback as this one...tough love, take bowl away, etc. The only medical thing suggested was that it might be digestion issues but he will eat his treats in a heartbeat. My dog was on the same kibble his whole life until just last weekend when I switched to Orijen (I was feeding Natural Balance), so I think it's just a battle of wills really.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

One thing about the age...the dog is no longer having growth spurts as previously and the teething stage has ended. So the dog doesn't necessarily have the appetite as when growing on a daily basis.
I personally think a dog should have a rotation of good kibble, and not eat the same ol' same ol' day in and day out. That includes different proteins. 
And it should start early, so the digestive system gets use to changing up. 
I feed raw, though, so my opinion is probably not worth reading.


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## Raintheshepherd (Jan 8, 2013)

Totally agree about the growth and teeth, definetly a battle of wills.. 
I mix my biscuits up, she gets a working dog mix, as well as puppy large breed mix with the biscuits. And with my raw, she gets kangaroo, beef, chicken. 
It keeps her interested. She refuses too eat twice a day now, so has one big meal a day. I have tried giving her raw morning and biscuits afternoon, she will even turn her nose up at meat of a morning. So now I just give it to her in one go of an afternoon and she eats the lot. I guess all dogs are individuals. 


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## FirstTimeGSD (Jul 31, 2012)

onyx'girl said:


> One thing about the age...the dog is no longer having growth spurts as previously and the teething stage has ended. So the dog doesn't necessarily have the appetite as when growing on a daily basis.
> I personally think a dog should have a rotation of good kibble, and not eat the same ol' same ol' day in and day out. That includes different proteins.
> And it should start early, so the digestive system gets use to changing up.
> I feed raw, though, so my opinion is probably not worth reading.


That's interesting Onyx, thanks for pointing that out! That had never occurred to me. I am currently giving him 1 cup orijen and 1 cup NB twice a day, but all in all he probably eats only 1/2 to 3/4 of that amount. He is definitely not underweight but was always going to be on the smaller side of the GSD scale. I am seriously considering switching to raw, looking at options there too. Needs to make sense financially, as well as logistically though. If that decision is made I'll be blowing up that particular forum


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

as of right now hes only eating at dinner time and not breakfast time..he is on the underweight side too which is why i want him to gobble it all down! lol, i rotate his foods monthly between different Acana proteins (Grasslands, Ranchlands, Pacifica)....for now i will keep picking up his food if he doesnt eat it, but hopefully after a week he eats it all up, or hes really going to be under weight more!


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

he eats dinner but not breakfast...so shoudl i give him his entire days worth at dinner? is it safe to only feed him once per day?


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## Kdrees (Nov 25, 2012)

Our guy tends to be a picky eater sometimes. Some mornings he is all about his breakfast and other mornings he just sniffs it and looks at us with a "really??" look . We actually don't pick his food up so if he eats it at lunch or any other time during the day it's fine with us. If he eats both portions with dinner - which he sometimes does - that is fine too. 

For awhile we were adding things to his food to get him to eat but figured it real quick that was a very bad idea - plus it was making him chunky . We have cut out all of that stuff and he only gets a few treats now. 

I don't see an issue with your dog eating both meals at once as long as he doesn't eat too much at once and make himself ill.


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

tried to give him his entire days worth of food for dinner....ate half of it and left the rest and starting pushing the bowl around....whats his problem lol. he only wants to eat half a days worth of food!!! what should i do because he is underweight as well..


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## Kdrees (Nov 25, 2012)

How underweight is your pup? I looked at some of your pasts posts and it does seem like this is an on going issue? Are we talking 5 lbs or 15 lbs? 

An idea did come to me - maybe feeding your pup several meals throughout the day instead if just twice - maybe it is just that he can't eat a bunch at once. I would also exercise him prior to each to feeding too.


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

hes about 10 pounds underweight...yeah i always play/exercise him prior to feeding him...in the past he always had diarrhea issues but nothing like this..normally he gobbles up his food before i can even close his food container lol

ill try and do small portions and see what happens!


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

smaller portions was a no-go...looked at it once and just pushed his bowl away again...any more ideas? i usually rotate his food monthly between the different proteins, should i just go ahead and switch it and see if he eats?


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## Raintheshepherd (Jan 8, 2013)

Certainly try some different food, but sounds to me he is having you on too see if he can get something better. 
I have been through this with my girl. She looked underweight, eventually she realised she either eats what she is given, or she goes without. This went on for 2months with my girl, and now she eats everything she is given. 


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

for the past 2 days now he wont eat breakfast or dinner...i know hes starving himself. hes also puking bile about once a day probably because hes not eating...i have a vet visit scheduled just in case but do you still think hes being stubborn?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I would not let him go without eating any longer. Change the food out. Or top it with sardines, cooked scrambled egg to jumpstart him.


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

ok should i stay with the same brand (Acana) and just switch the type?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Stay with the brand, change the protein/flavor. If that doesn't work,then go w/ a different brand.


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

will do!


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

ok i tried the Pacifica and he ate it all..the real test will be tomorrow monring since he hasnt eaten breakfast for over a week!

btw, how do you feel about adding this to his food: Wellness® Ninety-Five Percent Lamb Recipe Dog Food Mixer or Topper - Food - Dog - PetSmart ?


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

ok breakfast was a no go..he just pushed his bowl away  i even tried using a different food (blue buffalo) and he did the same thing! whats his deal??? the vet said health wise he is fine, but underweight. they prescribed him an appetite stimulant which i am going to try next...


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Are you located in cold temps or is it warm where you are? Some dogs won't have much appetite in the warmer weather. You've looked in his mouth to make sure his dentition is ok? No pain when chewing?


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

im in Florida, weather isnt too bad, my apartment is around 74F. yeah ive checked his mouth out, and so did the doc...didnt notice anything :/


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

should i give those toppers a try?


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

i also tried the appetite stimulant, doc said it should only take an hour to take affect, its been 3 hours and he still wont budge with food...i dontk now what his deal is...vet said health wise hes fine, so is he really just being a punk?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

What is he waiting out for? I doubt if he thinks 'a steak is in my future if I hold out long enough' 
I have no idea why he's not eating what you are offering, the food isn't rancid? Dogs sense of smell is so keen, there may be something off about what you are feeding(storage/mold?) 

Obviously something is going on, but I don't think he's being a punk or stubborn. Cook up a scrambled egg and see if he'll eat that. 
I hope something gives! It must be really frustrating.


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

well i opened a fresh bag of that Pacifica so i know thats not rancid or off...

i mixed some wet dog food into his kibble and he gobbled it up super fast but left behind some kibble just because it wasnt mixed well...so im going to try and mix it a bit better and see what happens...maybe he wants to be a canned food dog??? or maybe since the kibble looks the same hes being a punk? i duno lol...if he does want to be a canned food dog, what food would you recommend?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I feed raw, so have no idea! I would think raw feeding would be cheaper than canned, and healthier. Have you thought about raw?


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

yeah i have, but i travel quite a bit and i stick my guy in a pet hotel, so it gets a bit difficult to get them to make sure they are feeding him correctly, and road trips become a problem :/ i would love to feed raw though.


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

hvtopiwala said:


> yeah i have, but i travel quite a bit and i stick my guy in a pet hotel, so it gets a bit difficult to get them to make sure they are feeding him correctly, and road trips become a problem :/ i would love to feed raw though.


Reading over yor thread and someone touched on the ongoing bowel issues...so I glanced at how many threads you have started regarding, I didn't read them...now I have to say, from the time I got my dog at 1yr. old until 4.25yrs. old, I had this exact recurring problem, he wouldn't eat, he had chronic diarrhea and soft stool...I did the parasite test and the tylan and metradonzole (sp.?), anti-diarrhea shots, appetite stimulents...added in canned food to entice, worked for a bit but made stoools worse....while this goes on and on, the conventional vet said no way - NO human food...

I researched raw, but only knew of the pitcairn way - which was "the WAY too complicated" and I was doubtful I could make it balanced (I think he was trying to make a natural based on kibble formula).

Finally went to a holistic vet and she said dog food? NO way - give him people food - meat...bones, low fat and a pancreatin d-zyme...I made the change abruptly - no topping kibble with raw, next day - best poop he ever had...

You can do honest kitchen dehydrated when on the road, raw at home.
But I would do this sooner then later as malabsorption and not eating is cause for future concerns in all process's of the body - muscle, joint, neuro, heart, all organ systems.

Your dog is pushing the bowl away because he is sick - dogs don't eat when they are sick - there is something wrong with his digestion and he needs natural approach - this he is telling you as much.


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## hvtopiwala (Jul 18, 2012)

hmm can i just use honest kitchen overall?

if he does have a stomach upset, why is he gobbling up canned food? or is he scared that kibble will make him sick again? his stool has been perfect while hes been on Acana, it was only recently he got sick and it was bad...


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