Animal Comedy Newsletter

Picky Doggo Refuses To Eat Out Of Bowl, Teaches Human Valuable Lesson About Random Quirks Possessed By Dogs

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  • 1
    Font - Posted by u/what_the_a 24 days ago Thought I had a picky eater. Turns out, he just doesn't like eating out of a bowl.
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  • 2
    Font - We've had a rescue dog about 3 months. He's always been sort of a picky eater, and he'd take mouthfuls of food to eat away from his bowl. He eventually just stopped eating all together. After ruling out illness, we started trying different foods, additives, timing, etc. Nothing really helped.
  • 3
    Font - One day out of desperation, I started hand-feeding him -- he ate the previously rejected kibble up happily. So I realized it might be the dishes not the food. I switched from a small stainless steel bowl to a bigger ceramic pasta bowl. It helped a bit, but not quite eating normally.
  • 4
    Font - Then it dawned on me... maybe he just doesn't like bowls. I have friends with cats who hate bowls b/c it tickles their whiskers and its uncomfortable for them. Maybe something about the sides of a bowl bothers this dog. So I tried feeding him on a dinner plate and he ate happily right away.
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  • 5
    Font - It's been 4 days since we started feeding him on a plate and he's eaten every meal with no issues. -___- So, moral of the story. Maybe it's not the food your dog dislikes -- maybe he's just a dish snob lol.
  • 6
    Font - EDIT: wow I was not expecting so many people to relate to this! This thread is now such a great collection of solutions and ideas, I thought I'd summarize them here for future readers:
  • 7
    Font - Reasons your dog might not like the dish he's eating from: - - tags clanging on the metal/ceramic - shiny metal is reflective and it freaks them out - doesn't like their face enclosed — height issue - not enough of a challenge - you're using a scented lotion/product that transfers to the dish and is unpleasant
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  • 8
    Font - Solutions: - rubber/solicone toddler dishes — puzzle feeders (Kong, Kong wobbler, snuffle mat, lick mat for wet food, etc) - pie plates (SO SMART!) - rimmed baking sheet (this is an idea I just had that might work for dogs that like food to be somewhat scattered too) - plastic bowls (but wash or change out frequently to prevent bacteria growth) - scatter food on placemats or tray - place food bowls on carpet so they can scoot it as they eat
  • 9
    Font - MamaSquash8013 24 days ago My dog won't eat out of a stationary bowl. I have to put his stainless steel bowl on the carpet so he can "chase" it around the room while he eats. He scoots it til he hits a wall, then carefully picks it up and moves it back to the center of the room, and continues until the food is gone.
  • 10
    Font - IAmBagelDog - 24 days ago Two of our dogs has the same issue and it took forever to figure it out. Their collars would bang on the dish when they ate and they didn't like it. They no longer wear collars inside for safety reasons, but it helped them start to use their bowls full time too.

    "Two of our dogs have the same issue and it took forever to figure it out. Their collars would bang on the dish when they ate and they didn't like it. They no longer wear collars inside for safety reasons, but it helped them start to use their bowls full time too." 

    Imagine the satisfaction as a dog-owning human of finally figuring out what is bothering your doggo! 

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  • 11
    Font - newslang 24 days ago My dog went through something similar. Ate out of a bowl for years, then started getting picky... after much trial and error, she decided she's happiest eating off of a large cake tray. Fancy ass dog wants her dinner served on a platter

    "My dog went through something similar. Ate out of a bowl for years, then started getting picky... after much trial and error, she decided she's happiest eating off of a large cake tray. Fancy ass dog wants her dinner served on a platter."

    She's got high standards and even higher expectations, we get it. 

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