Why Won’t My Dog Eat From Their Food Bowl?
Sometimes, dogs do things that make us scratch our heads. One of our furry friend’s most interesting habits is refusing to eat from a dog bowl. There are numerous reasons why dogs refuse to eat out of their food bowls, and we’re here to break down the most common causes.
Privacy
Our pups hate interruptions during mealtime. Frequent interruptions can lead to numerous troubling behaviors, such as aggression and anxiety. Try moving your dog’s bowl into a quiet space where they feel secure. If the bowl is in a high-traffic area in your home, your furry friend could be apprehensive about eating.
Instinct
While it’s hard to think of man’s best friend as a ferocious beast, dogs are descendants of wolves and share some of their instincts. If you have another dog, your pooch might instinctively protect their food. When feeling threatened, your dog might drag their food away from other members of their “pack.” To prevent this from happening, keep your pup’s mealtimes far apart, and make sure each pet is separate from the other.
Traumatic Experience
If your dog is pre-accustomed to anxious behaviors, any mealtime disturbance can make them wary of their bowl. A traumatic or upsetting event during mealtime can cause newfound bowl anxiety, like a loud noise during mealtime or continuance disturbance from a family member. However, moving your pup’s bowl to a quieter place will help them feel safer and more comfortable eating.
Wrong Type of Bowl
The wrong type of dog bowl will make mealtime extremely hard and cause many mental and physical issues in our four-legged friends. Dog bowls should be ceramic or stainless steel, which is very easy to wash. Unwashed or improperly washed bowls can cause unpleasant odors, making it hard for Fido to eat. Bowls must be close to the ground, as raised bowls cause gas and other gastrointestinal issues in canines. Dishes that move around too much cause anxiety, as dogs believe somebody might take their food from them.
Disliking Food
No one likes eating food they dislike, even man’s best friend. If you have changed Fido’s diet recently, this can be why they’ve stopped eating. However, dogs rarely “get sick” of their usual food. Check if their usual food has changed their recipe. If their typical food has changed their standard recipe, it’s probably changed its taste, leading to their newfound displeasure. Changing your dog’s food can help. You can also add toppers, such as lunch meat, cheese, or veggies, into your pup’s kibble to peak their appetite.
Our dogs mean the world to us, and we want them to have a great mealtime. However, it’s hard for our dogs to enjoy eating when these problems might be plaguing them. Try these tips the next time Fido is avoiding his dish.