With the dog Im currently babysitting Ive had a lot of problems getting him to eat. He simply isnt interested in his food, and would prefer to sit by the back door.
Yesterday I finally found a way to get him to eat a whole bowl of kibble. After every mouthful he gets praise and a brief back scratch. Then I put his attention on the food again and wait for him to try again. He usually only eats 2 mouthfuls anyway but that was all it took for him to get the point and he happily keep eating to get a scratch. Now I only give a scratch for 2 mouthfuls.
If your dog loves attention, this could be worth a try.
