Foster Not Wanting To Eat Alone?

[Loreley]

I have had a call from Terah's new mum, she apparently doesn't like to eat unless someone is standing with her (rephrase that she won't eat), if you walk away then she will leave her food bowl as well. I didn't have this while she was with me.

She has been with them now for about 10 days.

Could this just be settling in ....????

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

She's still settling in I'd say, feeling a little anxious. Best thing to do with a new dog is for them to ignore her for the first two weeks to let her settle.

I've got a newish foster here and he was the same, he's an ex puppy farm dog most likely and it took about a month for him to stay at his bowl. My Iggy is similar and I've had her for over 18 months!

[Leah82]

I had a similar thing with Sarah when I first got her at the end of May, and this is after she had been in a foster home for nearly 2 months. She'd eat out of my hand fine but as soon as you put the food in a bowl she would get really anxious, also a puppy farm dog. For the first few weeks I was having to coax her back to her food a few times to get her to finish it and if she didn't I was refrigerating it for the following day.

The solution ended up being to feed her and Collie at the same time on opposite sides of a child barrier. Now she's eating everything in one go but still prefers everyone else to be on the other side of the barrier to her

[gwp4me]

I have to stay close to my ex- poundie to make him eat, if I walk away - he stops eating/follows me like a shadow. :)

[mixeduppup]

I found that if I feed the dog where she can't see me or follow me she's fine, as soon as i feed her where she can follow me she won't eat. This particular dog was a poundie as well.

Edited July 22, 2013 by mixeduppup

[Loving my Oldies]

As others have said: settling in period. And now that she has started doing this, it may be something she does from time to time forever. My dogs are the most idiosyncratic eaters ever . They are not starving and I have learned to live with it - albeit annoyed from time to time :laugh: .

Obviously Terah's new mum would be worried, though. They have a lot of getting to know you to be done. I'm sure it will work out in time.

It is a worry, particularly when you don't have a dog's history.

[mita]

Little p/b tibbie next door was like that when she was first adopted by our neighbours. She was ex-Show & came from registered breeder whose dogs were in-home....& with lots of contact with people.

But she did have a slightly hyper-vigilant temperament.

For some time she wouldn't eat in her new home.... & had to be coaxed with hand-feeding. If left alone, she wouldn't touch the food.

But, like dogmad said, it was part of her settling in. She now has the appetite of a ravenous lion, & eats happily if someone's with her or not. And adores her family.

[tdierikx]

I'm mean - if they don't eat, then it gets taken away and they don't get any more until the next feed time. Longest I've had a dog hold out was 2 days... *grin*

Seriously, who's supposed to be training who here? Lol!

T.

[Bindo]

I have to stay close to my ex- poundie to make him eat, if I walk away - he stops eating/follows me like a shadow. :)

Same for me with my rescue dog. She is getting better (now 5 months on) but still will walk away if I'm out of sight. Of course, then 'the hoover' (Lucy) will dive in and finish it off if I'm not careful :laugh:

[mita]

I'm mean - if they don't eat, then it gets taken away and they don't get any more until the next feed time. Longest I've had a dog hold out was 2 days... *grin*

T.

T, one of the experienced tibbie breeders used to say the same as you. Except she said the longest hold-out had been 3 days!

My memory's a bit vague, but I think she used to say to put the food down, then if not touched in 20 minutes take it away ... & keep repeating that.

Edited July 24, 2013 by mita

[sas]

Sounds pretty normal to me for some of the more sensitive rescues, just have them stay there, the dog will gain its confidence. I don't remove the food after 15 mins for dogs who have emotional issues, they gain their confidence usually - depends on the dogs issues.

We've had some dogs that actually will not eat and have wasted to pretty much nothing if you force the issue of being independent in their eating - unless you've had one of those saying the dog won't starve is a whole other story. They've all gone on to being independent eaters.

Edited July 24, 2013 by sas

[WreckitWhippet]

a lot of people will say the dog "won't eat" but it's rarely the case. The dog has snacked and grazed and the food should have been picked up if not finished in a couple of minutes and nothing given to the dog for another 24 hours.

I have never seen a dog go more than a few days.

Why make eating into such a big deal ? put the food down, walk away and if it's not gone take it away. Hand feeding, standing next to the dog and giving it bits here and there do not assist to develop natural eating habits.

[mita]

Sounds pretty normal to me for some of the more sensitive rescues, just have them stay there, the dog will gain its confidence. I don't remove the food after 15 mins for dogs who have emotional issues, they gain their confidence usually - depends on the dogs issues.

We've had some dogs that actually will not eat and have wasted to pretty much nothing if you force the issue of being independent in their eating - unless you've had one of those saying the dog won't starve is a whole other story. They've all gone on to being independent eaters.

This makes sense. Make the strategy fit the particular dog.

I'm only guessing, but the way the super-vigilant tibbie girl was fed by hand in the first couple of weeks, seemed to actually help her bond with her new family. Gave her an opportunity to drop her vigilance. Later turned out.... she'd sell her little soul for food!!!

[_PL_]

On the likely theory that she's sensitive and settling in:

If they actually want to eat but are really nervy....that's not too bad you just have to try weaning them off you and their need for your hovering. If you baby talk and cajole (and beg :laugh: ) like fretting new owners do, they aren't going to move forward.

I have a tall stool in the kitchen (so they can't jump on my lap) and can be in the room but very casual, reading a book or minding my own business, radio on. I can see them trying to catch my eye LOL. So if you can get a decent nibble of dinner that way it's usually a good start. Pick the bowl up, give them a treat, pressure is off.

Takes time though.

And you can always bury a delicious bit of junk food under the real food for inspiration. (I mean a blob of cheap smelly kitten canned etc).

Some animals have only ever eaten things like Pal (for example) so new trying a variety of foods is a challenge at first so seeing as how she's been successfully eating in foster care, try to mimic the diet exactly. A meaty bone to work on can relieve stress too. :)

[melzawelza]

I'm mean - if they don't eat, then it gets taken away and they don't get any more until the next feed time. Longest I've had a dog hold out was 2 days... *grin*

T.

T, one of the experienced tibbie breeders used to say the same as you. Except she said the longest hold-out had been 3 days!

My memory's a bit vague, but I think she used to say to put the food down, then if not touched in 20 minutes take it away ... & keep repeating that.

Same strategy used here. My last foster (total stress head) held out for four days before giving in. She ate perfectly fine after that.

Why make eating into such a big deal ? put the food down, walk away and if it's not gone take it away. Hand feeding, standing next to the dog and giving it bits here and there do not assist to develop natural eating habits.

Yep!