# Pup won't eat out of bowl



## BigHemi45 (May 10, 2016)

So our 11.5 week old puppy won't eat out of his bowl. If he can't knock his bowl over and put his food on the floor, he won't eat. Any suggestions?


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## voodoolamb (Jun 21, 2015)

Feed him off of a cookie tray instead.


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## BigHemi45 (May 10, 2016)

voodoolamb said:


> Feed him off of a cookie tray instead.


I just tried a paper plates to no avail. I'll have to try a cheap cookie sheet.


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

How does he do with a slightly elevated bowl in a stand.


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## BigHemi45 (May 10, 2016)

If I hold it up in my hand, he will eat some.


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

I would try a raised puppy bowl. Could work. Plus They helped to keep my pups from spilling or splashing in their water dish.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I fed Sage's food on a cookie sheet. She never liked eating out of a bowl.


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## Shooter (Nov 19, 2016)

I put Rangers food and water bowl on an oil drip pan I bought from autozone for $10. If/when food or water is spilled or dripped it's no biggie. He will eat off the drip pan and I will wipe the water some days. Sorry for the picture. Its the only one I have of the drip pan on my laptop. (upper right hand corner of picture)


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

Ziva won't eat out of a bowl either. I feed her raw off a plate. When she is in a kibble mood she eats it off a picnic plate that has a small lip around the edge to keep the food from going everywhere. She also likes to eat laying down. 
You could try a glass pie dish. Wider bottom and lower sides.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

It's funny what different eating habits they all have. Russell eats lying down, and in a crate. If he's not crated, he won't eat. He's a weirdo. The 4 month old Scarlet also eats lying down. Carly eats standing up. Sage ate standing up, off a cookie sheet. 

Whatever works!


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## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

He'll eat if that's his only choice.


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## BigHemi45 (May 10, 2016)

I have went back and forth with the give him only one option method but I guess my parental instincts kicked in and you just want them to eat something. I am going to revisit that method as I would prefer for him to just eat from a bowl. I literally had to slowly put all of his food on the floor this morning so he would eat, and he would not eat of a paper plate or a bowl. We are definitely not going to be playing that game.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

it seemed my boy didn't like the taste of metal. I have a ceramic pie plate from the grocery store. He enjoys eating out of that and if I want to mix some kibble with some canned, there is plenty of room to shuffle things around.

my gal also has a ceramic dish, but not as big since she eats in her crate (keeps them from going to each other's dish of one is feeling finicky). 

I have gone to the "15 minutes and it goes away" routine. There have been times I have hand fed my gal since she is thin. But I don't do that often. Usually if I pick up her breakfast and use it as part of her dinner, she eats it up. And if she doesn't finish dinner it becomes her breakfast. 

Funny thing is that their water dishes are stainless steel and they both accept it.  Probably because they have no choice.


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## kshadow (Oct 25, 2015)

I hand feed their meals through training. The power of hand feeding is amazing. I give the last handful in their bowl. If bowl is tipped over the food is removed. They learn quite fast. If the bowl is too big for the pup then I hand feed the whole meal so they don't get to practice tipping the bowl. 
Same with water. Tip the bowl= no more water (10 mins) and repeat. Dyson tipped his water bowl 1x only. He loves water so much he doesn't want his bowl removed.
Oh puppies they are quite a handful..
Good luck and try to laugh your way through it. But don't let the pup see you laugh
I am trying to laugh my way through it right now lol


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## BigHemi45 (May 10, 2016)

car2ner said:


> it seemed my boy didn't like the taste of metal. I have a ceramic pie plate from the grocery store. He enjoys eating out of that and if I want to mix some kibble with some canned, there is plenty of room to shuffle things around.
> 
> my gal also has a ceramic dish, but not as big since she eats in her crate (keeps them from going to each other's dish of one is feeling finicky).
> 
> ...


His bowls are stainless as well, water is no problem. I thought that may have been the issue, so I tried a plastic bowl but he didn't pay much attention to it. I am going to give that a go again tonight and put him back in his crate for feeding which is how he was trained by the breeder, with stainless bowls.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

You may find that he just prefers eating in his crate. 

I fed Russ in his crate when he was a puppy, and at almost 4 years old, he still wants to eat in a crate. I've tried several times to get rid of the crate but he stopped eating. I gave in, gave him his crate back, and he's a happy camper.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

dogfaeries said:


> You may find that he just prefers eating in his crate.
> 
> I fed Russ in his crate when he was a puppy, and at almost 4 years old, he still wants to eat in a crate. I've tried several times to get rid of the crate but he stopped eating. I gave in, gave him his crate back, and he's a happy camper.


I find that once dogs establish a tradition, they really love to stick to them. In my house that is true of more than just eating time.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

car2ner said:


> I find that once dogs establish a tradition, they really love to stick to them. In my house that is true of more than just eating time.


They are absolutely creatures of habit!


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## BigHemi45 (May 10, 2016)

He stopped eating in his crate. I had to take it out for him to eat. However, he is eating off an old metal pie tin in his crate right as we speak. I try to create a schedule/habit for everything. It works amazingly well with my 2 year old daughter also.


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