# He eats only when next to me



## Ellie NY (Aug 27, 2010)

At the trainer's suggestion, I moved Eli's water and food bowl into his Xpen (to help him learn to love it more). Prior to that it was in the kitchen. Regardless of where it was, he only eats if someone is standing next to him. If we walk away he immediately stops and follows us, whether he had one bite or ten. 

I think this explains why he won't eat his kibble from a Kong. I tried giving his food in the Kong (unfrozen so it's easier) again this morning but after two licks he wasn't interested in working for his meal . Eating for him is likely a social/pack experience and he simply isn't interested in hours (or minutes) of "solitary" eating. Anyone have any advice about how to get him to eat without one of us present?


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## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

This is fairly typical of Havs, our eldest Dizzie would only eat if I was standing close by,and he has never been that bothered about food,unless it was special or treat food,our vet said this is a good thing because the last thing you want an over weight dog,and he won't starve himself,that said since Nellie has arrived he has started eating more and we do not have to be standing over him.Nellie eats loads and has never worried about us being close by whilst she eats.I think a number of the Havs on here like their owners present whilst they eat.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

i use to force the issue, move his bowl by his water and he just wouldn't eat. to me, it's not a big deal to put his bowl next to my chair in the kitchen in the morning when we eat breakfast. i free feed and 90% of the time, he eats it all at one time. if there is anything left over, i always put it by his water bowl so that he can graze on it while we are gone for the day. he never does and waits till we return. 
he will pick one piece of kibbble and bring it to me and eat it by me, goes back to his bowl, get another piece of kibble brings it to where i am sitting and eats, i eventually move his bowl to where i am sitting.
i think it's just the way havs are. the vet told me they won't starve, if he's hungry enough he will find the bowl and eat it. i guess its just a personal preference.


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## butterscoth28 (Jul 15, 2010)

I have the same problem! Butterscotch will only eat when were close by, or in the pen. only after a long walk she'll eat her food quickly! I try to limit the time that that foods in her pen to 10 to 15 minutes so she knows she has to eat quickly or not eat at all. But its hard to take food away when I know she's hungry!:frusty: She's getting better though!


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## kudo2u (Mar 7, 2009)

My two are the same way. I free feed, they always have dry kibble available to them. They rarely eat when I'm not home, though. And when I am home, they will each grab a mouthful of kibble, walk over to wherever I am (even if it's in a different room), drop the kibble, eat one piece at a time, then go back for more.

Having said that, they will not starve themselves. If they realize I'm going to ignore them, they will eventually eat without me there.


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## LilyMyLove (Jul 11, 2009)

Lily would laugh if I tried to stuff her kibble in a kong. Maybe if I stuck a barbeque rib in there....

I watched a "Its me or the Dog" episode where the woman had an issue with a dog who did this. You could prob find it on youtube. If I remember correctly Victoria told her it was a separation issue and to remedy it, make the food something so appetizing that if she left the dog alone with the food he would be compelled to eat it anyways. Victoria dumped a can of some stuff on the stovetop becauase she said hot food smells better (I agree) and added that to the food. It worked like a charm. 

I usually add something tasty to Lily's kibble be it some turkey breast, grilled fish, or warm canned Halo lamb food on a cold morning. It just makes it more appealing. She does not eat her entire bowl of food morning and night though, she just is not always hungry.


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## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

Yep, sounds familiar. I can put food and treats in the expen when I have to run out, and when I return they're still there. After they greet me, they'll eat.


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## KSC (Aug 6, 2009)

Yep Kipling started off that way but I did make it a point not to interrupt what I was doing to simply sit by him while he ate. I typically feed him now when I'm in the kitchen anyway. He's getting better about eating even if I move in and out of the room.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Yes, super common. they like to be with their humans, especially for 'important' things like eating.. peeing in the rain, etc..lol

Kara


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## Ellie NY (Aug 27, 2010)

I think I'm seeing a pattern. Guess the "velcro" carries all the way over to food.

For those that free feed, how does that work and what are the benefits? Is it something you do when your puppy becomes housebroken?


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## LilyMyLove (Jul 11, 2009)

I have done both. Getting them to stick to mealtimes is good for minimizing the number of times they have to go #2 a day and regulating when.

I may be generalizing here, but I think people who do pee pads in addition to potty outdoors prob are more open to free feeding than people who just have their dogs go outside.


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## desi's mom (Jul 28, 2010)

I got my Desi at 3 and for the first two days she wouldn't eat and then only when I was with her. I feed her in the kitchen and do dishes etc in there while she is eating because if I leave she will follow me. I think it must be a pretty common Hav thing.


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## marlowe'sgirl (Jun 17, 2010)

LilyMyLove said:


> I have done both. Getting them to stick to mealtimes is good for minimizing the number of times they have to go #2 a day and regulating when.
> 
> I may be generalizing here, but I think people who do pee pads in addition to potty outdoors prob are more open to free feeding than people who just have their dogs go outside.


I free feed (ie leave out a cup for the day) and my hav only goes outside (super-reliable). That said, he eats when I'm at home and I'm in the kitchen area - rarely is food gone when I arrive home after work.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

LilyMyLove said:


> I have done both. Getting them to stick to mealtimes is good for minimizing the number of times they have to go #2 a day and regulating when.
> 
> I may be generalizing here, but I think people who do pee pads in addition to potty outdoors prob are more open to free feeding than people who just have their dogs go outside.


We have litter boxes in the house, but I don't think it's good for a dog to allow them to become a picky eater. DOGS WON'T STARVE unless there is something wrong with their health.

Kodi was a bit picky when he was younger, but know he knows the rules don't change. He gets high quality food, and I want him to eat at his meal times. When he was a puppy, that meant picking it up if he hadn't finished in 20 minutes. He rarely missed 2 meals in a row. Now he eats as soon as its put down, no fussing around, no topping it off with other things. He's thin, but that's the way I want him. A thin dog is a healthy dog!

If you don't set limits on the meal stuff, they will start training you to cater to their whims. And they are very effective trainers!:biggrin1:


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## Ellie NY (Aug 27, 2010)

This morning, I took a teaspoon of wet food and heated it up in the microwave for 5 seconds before mixing in with the dry kibble. Eli followed me out of the kitchen to the living room and happily jumped into his Xpen. I made him sit before giving permission to eat and, boy, he went to town! I walked away and by the time I came back his bowl was licked clean. Could be be he was really hungry but that's unlikely since he has never responded this way at meal time.

I don't know very much about feeding him yet but don't think free feeding is for us until he's more reliable and on dry kibble exclusively because I don't want to leave out wet food. In my opinion it isn't sanitary (could spoil) and attracts flies/bugs. I believe the vet said to go to dry food at 6 months. I'll need to re-evaluate Eli's nutritional needs again in a couple of months. He's getting to the bottom of the Science Diet bag the vet gave us and I'm going to switch him to another food such as Blue Buffalo or Natural Balance. I think it was Karen who pointed out that SD has too much corn/grain which makes for big, stinky poo. That's for another thread!  

Thank you all for your great advice! If only everything with Eli was so easy:biggrin1:


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## iluvhavs (Jul 21, 2008)

I used to drive myself nuts trying to get Rico to eat. When he came home as a puppy, the breeder suggested I add baby food or yogurt to his food. Nothing worked, he was picky about everything. Finally I settled on Fromm's Sweet Potato and Duck food. He would eat that with no mix-ins. But when Lucy came home, she would eat kibble with no problems. Once she started to eat, Rico had to eat because he didn't want her getting the best of him. Now they eat kibble only. If we have chicken for dinner or sweet potatoes, peas, etc, I'll give them some after dinner (in their bowls) as a treat.

I free feed, because they take so long to eat. A cup in two bowls each day and it's not gone by the next morning, so they don't overeat. They seem to enjoy eating when we're in the kitchen as well, for breakfast or dinner. I don't think they eat much during the day. They've just adopted our eating patterns. I never have a problem with going "in the house". They are very reliable. Lucy goes #2 when she gets up and then later in the early evening. Rico goes #2 mid-morning, after he's had a bit of a run around with the ball. Then later at night. We have a pet door so they can let themselves out, but Rico likes someone to be there when he does #2. Maybe he needs someone to watch his back LOL

Lucy is a kibble carrier. She will run to her bed with bits of kibble and munch there. The vet did tell me years ago that unlike people, dogs like a routine diet. Don't give them variety. Stick with one thing.


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## LilyMyLove (Jul 11, 2009)

I personally don't mind topping Lily's food with some lean protein or warm healthy canned food or stew on occasion. She eats plain kibble if shes really hungry, I like giving her something different to eat, lord knows I wouldnt want to eat the same thing every day and the extra protein doesn't hurt. 

She usually eats at the same time I do, so tossing a bit of turkey bacon on her bowl or salmon from my dinner is pretty easy, as is pulling out a bag of sliced turkey or beef from the deli. I don't put the food down, wait for her to reject it, and then add the stuff to it. The way it is when its set on the floor is the way it stays. I think thats how you get dogs shaping your behavior.


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## LilyMyLove (Jul 11, 2009)

Lily loves the Fromm too. I like that you can switch flavors each bag if you want. I never had problems with her pooing in the house, but I noticed when I free- fed her she needed to poo more often in a day. If I pulled her bowl after 30 minutes each meal time it was more like once a day.


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## KSC (Aug 6, 2009)

I agree with Karen - they are effective little trainers on this issue if we let them. For a while Kipling was getting a very small amount of Parmesan on his kibble. Then we ran out for a day - at first he rejected his plain kibble but it only took two mealtimes before he went back to happily eating his kibble. No parmesan. We are going back to two meals a day. Kibble. He's regular. He's happy. Simple.


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## LuckyOne (Sep 3, 2009)

I free feed and the boys don't seem to need us nearby. I have noticed that Watson eats directly out of the bowl and Einstein takes his bite and places it on the floor next to the bowl. Sometimes one lays by the food and water while the other eats. It's so cute.


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