why does my dog only eat by hand
Why does my dog only eat from my hand?
It is often said that the way to a dogs heart is through its stomach. We often see dogs as lovers of food, eager to get into everything and anything. But for some dogs, getting them to eat food can be a challenge. And that challenge sometimes results in your pet only eating when hand fed. While this may work in the short term, it can become concerning, time consuming or frustrating if it persists in the long term. There are many reasons why this habit may develop. And by understanding what is driving the behaviour, it may become easier to help relieve it.
Lost Appetite
If your dogs interest in food has dropped, and they are needing encouragement to eat, then the biggest concern would be that they are unwell. Your dog may not be physically vomiting, but nausea can suppress an appetite, making your pet less inclined to eat. Fever, pain, lethargy and breathing issues can also interfere with the desire for food. If your dogs eating habits have changed, or if you have acquired a new pet with unusual eating habits, then a veterinary assessment should be sought to check for, rule out, or treat any underlying medical causes.
Food aversion
In animals recovering from illness, they may harbour associations with feeling unwell with a location, a feeding method, or a particular food. These negative associations may make them less keen on eating. In some cases, the TLC that we give our pets when they are sick, including hand feeding them to assist with their intake, can encourage an ongoing desire to be hand-fed in the future.
The importance of scent
Our companion animals have a strong sense of smell; so we can use strong aromas to entice the return of an appetite once any medical condition has been addressed by your vet. Strong-smelling foods or favourite treats can be used as a topper over their usual food as an enticement to feed from a bowl or other receptacle. Your veterinary team can advise if there are any specific foods that need to be avoided, or they may be able to offer energy-dense recovery diets that can be offered instead.
Once the desire to eat has increased, you can start to re-introduce bowl feeding by bringing the bowl to your dog. Gradually decreasing how much is offered by hand, while increasing how much is offered by bowl. Once bowl feeding is accepted, you can start to encourage your dog to move to the bowl for feeding. If your dog remains picky with food, you may need to rotate the food that is offered in order to maintain interest.
Feeding Stress
Other causes of hand-feeding preference are behavioural in origin. In a multi-dog household, if dogs are fed in close proximity to each other, some individuals can feel anxious or threatened by another dog. Dogs communicate with each other using a lot of visual cues that are not always immediately obvious to us. There may be no physical fighting between the dogs, but there can still be the perception of a threat. If your pet feels overcrowded at mealtimes or is receiving a threatening cue from another dog when it is trying to feed, they may develop an aversion to self-feeding.
The bowl itself could also become a source of stress to your dog
If the size isnt appropriate for your dogs muzzle or the material irritates their skin or mouth, they could become aversive. Plastic bowls can become rough over time due to wear and tear. Whereas metal bowls may create an unpleasant sound, especially if a dog tag knocks against it during eating. If it isnt washed regularly enough, or develops a chemical smell from cleaning products, it may be off-putting. Even the location of the bowl may be problematic if it is in a busy part of the house and there are a lot of people repeatedly passing by.
To reduce feeding stress in a multi-dog household, feed each dog in a separate area; ensuring every individual can eat in peace. This may involve being close by to control access manually, or physically blocking access of the other dogs by the use of baby gates or doors. If the bowl itself is the problem, experiment with different sizes, materials and locations to see what makes your dog feel more at ease. In busy households, switching the feeding time to a quieter part of the day may also reduce the feeling of being disturbed while eating.
Anxiety
Dogs that have stress or anxiety often become hypervigilant. This stops them from being relaxed and means that they spend a lot of time on high alert watching and listening intently to their surroundings. A dog that is hypervigilant can become so stressed that they wont eat. For dogs with separation anxiety, they may not want to eat when their owner isnt around; because they dont feel safe or relaxed to do so. When their owner is around, they may learn to seek attention from their owner through feeding as a form of comfort. This may result in your dog feeling dependent on you.
Social and separation anxiety in dogs can have many causes
These will need to be addressed to help your dog feel safe at home to eat by themselves. Your vet can refer you to a local veterinary behaviourist who can assist with a management plan to help. This may involve training, behaviour modification, and for some individuals, medication.
Conditioning
Sometimes, your dog can become conditioned to hand-feeding even when the initial reason for the behaviour is removed. This often happens unintentionally. As owners, we love to bond with our animals, and this often comes with the use of treats. For some dogs, this bonding can condition your pet to associate feeding with being hand-fed; especially if they prefer the treats being offered over their regular diet. One way to help with this is by enrichment feeding, using a feeding toy to play with your dog. This allows bonding through play with a hands-off treat or meal as a reward.
If your dog was rescued from a shelter or weaned early as a puppy, they may have been hand fed to assist with socialisation and handling. Even in a new home, this conditioned behaviour can persist. To manage this, consistent training can be utilised. Similar to the method used with a recovering ill animal; you can start by offering some food by hand, then offering some food in a held bowl. You can gradually increase the amount offered in the bowl, before moving on to setting the bowl down. If your dog struggles with this transition, a veterinary behaviourist could assist with a management plan.
Conclusion
Feeding your dog by hand can be a normal part of bonding with your pet. But in situations where this is the only way your dog will eat, it can become laborious and concerning in the long term. By understanding what is driving the behaviour, you can start to think about ways to help alter your dogs association with hands-off feeding. If you are concerned with the physical or mental health of your dog, your veterinary team can help determine what other treatment is best for your dog.
Further Reading:
Dog refuses to eat unless fed by hand What to do?
Some dogs may refuse to eat unless you hand-feed them. If you want to stop hand-feeding your dog, you have to take some important steps.
Teach your dog patience and control by establishing mealtimes. You have to be consistent and avoid hand-feeding your dog. Most dogs will refuse to eat for a day or two but will eventually come around. You can also try changing their bowl location and adding delicious dog food toppers to encourage them to eat from the bowl.
Heres a helpful video:
In this guide, we will explain why dogs prefer being hand-fed and how to stop this behavior. Lets get started!
Why Does My Dog Want To Be Hand-Fed?
Your dog wants to be hand-fed for the following reasons:
Your Dog Is Scared
Submissive dogs are often scared to eat in households with other pets. Your dog may show signs of canine anorexia. Its a condition where dogs stop eating unless they are starving.
If you start hand-feeding a scared dog, they will develop a bad habit. Many dogs refuse to eat from their bowls because they assume its not a safe place. They want to be hand-fed because owners protect them from other dominant dogs.
Some dogs may also get scared of their environment. Is their food bowl near a vacuum cleaner or a washing machine? The chances are that the machines frighten your dogs, so they avoid eating from the food bowl. Dogs prefer eating in a noise-free and safe environment.
Your Dog Has Separation Anxiety
Many pet parents offer meals right before they are going out, so dogs associate food with being alone. Dogs develop separation anxiety and refuse to eat unless hand-fed by their owner. Pet parents complain about their dogs showing anxiety and drooling when they leave for work. Anxious dogs are hyper-attached to their owners and prefer being hand-fed.
Your Dog Is Busy Guarding
Many dogs want to guard everything, including their owners, other pets, birds, and even butterflies. Your dog may be too busy protecting the house and refuse to eat.
Your dog needs to be sure that you are safe and everything is under control. Hand-feeding gives them peace of mind.
Many pet parents also hand-feed their dogs when theyre busy barking at butterflies. We bring the snacks up to their nose and reinforce this behavior. Now your dog gets to indulge in barking at butterflies while being hand-fed. Why should it eat from a bowl?
Your Dog Wants To Socialize
Its not always fun being a dog, spending hours waiting for you to come back home and feed them. They want to socialize and eat with you. This behavior is similar to their wild ancestors. Wolves always hunt in packs, and weaker wolves expect the pack leader to offer them any remaining food.
Timid mid dogs with low self-esteem behave like this. They want to be hand-fed because its their way of asking for more time with you.
The best way to get rid of this bad habit is to boost their confidence. Increase the playtime with your dog so they dont crave your company.
Your Dog Is Bored
Your dog can also be a picky eater. If you feed them the same formula every day, they might dislike their food. These dogs only respond to being hand-fed by their owners. Its good to mix things up and entertain your pet by adding something extra.
Your dog will enjoy gravy or a topping of wet food. Additionally, a mix of canned wet food and freeze-dried food can get your dog to start eating again.
Your Dog Isnt Hungry
Sometimes dogs get a lot of snacks during the day. They ask for table scraps, and we oblige. All these snacks and no playtime make your dog lose hunger. They only eat when you are there to encourage and hand-feed.
Your Dog Is Sick
Sicknesscan be anything from internal inflammation to toothaches. Dental problems are common in senior dogs. As they grow, their teeth start to decay, and eating becomes painful. Their food may be appetizing, but their teeth hurt too much. When you come and feed them, you crush the food in your fingers, making it easier for them to eat.
Youve reinforced the behavior
Dogs love to please their human. When you fawn over and hand-feed your dogs, they associate it as a good thing. The next thing you know is your dog stops eating unless you hand-feed them. They want your attention and for you to call them a good boy or a good girl.
How To Make A Dog Eat On Their Own?
You can stop this habit and make them independent eaters. Here are some tips to help you get started:
Change The Location
Changing the location where they eat can work for dogs that lack confidence. You can change their usual spot and keep them away from big dogs and noisy machines. Dogs need to feel safe in their environment. Once dogs feel comfortable, they will begin eating in no time.
If you have multiple dogs, you can feed them in their respective crates. Add a dark-colored blanket on top of the crate to create a sense of security.
Change The Time
Feed dogs an hour before you leave for work. Dont let your associate mealtime with you leaving the house.
Add Delicious Topper
This method works like a charm for picky eaters. If you can add delicious gravy or wet food to their meal, they will dive right into their food! Use toppings sparingly to prevent them from gaining weight. You can also use different food toppings on different days.
Establish Meal Times
Dogs lose interest if they dont have a real sense of their mealtime. Establishing mealtimes will help give them a routine and structure. Begin by not giving them any treats or snacks throughout the day. Let them wait for set mealtime and keep food out for up to twenty minutes. Take the food away after mealtime is over and serve the next day. Dogs can stay two days without food, and when theyre hungry, they wont care about being hand-fed.
Consult a Vet
Your dog may be avoiding food due to poor oral hygiene, internal injury, or obstruction in the food pipe. If your dog avoids eating for more than two days, you must take them to the local vet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes loss of appetite in dogs?
Here are the three main reasons:
Age: As dogs grow older, their food intake may change. Their sense of smell and taste reduces, which may change their food preferences or reduce their excitement at mealtime. Plus, older dogs may not spend as much energy since they move around less.
Routine Change: Any big or small change in routine can affect your dogs appetite. Big changes such as moving homes or traveling can stress your pup. Stress is one of the biggest reasons pets lose their appetite. Your dogs may feel uncomfortable because of the frequent routine changes. Additionally, dogs require adjustment time to accept smaller changes like a different feeding location or a new bowl.
Medical reasons: If your dog is injured or sick, it may lose its appetite. Medical conditions like infections or cardiovascular diseases can also cause a lack of appetite. If your dog has a tooth or gum infection, it may be painful for them to eat their meal.
How long can dogs go without eating?
Dogs can survive three to fivedays without food, but it is not ideal. If your dog has gone three days without food, we recommend consulting your veterinarian. You should also monitor their water intake.
What helps a dog with loss of appetite?
You can try adding canned food or low-sodium chicken broth to kibble. If the pet refuses to eat after two-days, veterinary treatment will be necessary.
What times should I feed the dog?
Dogs should eat two meals each day, about 10 hours apart. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner routine is an equally great option. If more than 10 hours elapse between meals, the stomach can become acidic, causing nausea.
Can I feed my dog after the daily walk?
Yes. We recommend feeding your dog after the daily walk. But you should let your dog rest for thirty minutes and offer food.