Meal Timing/Meal Refusal

[Mcct]

Karen, you gave me such good advice about my puppy's diarrhea and it worked. I'm wondering if you can help answer my current food question. My healthy 6 month old ALD now often refuses her breakfast and dinner (wellness simple kibble). If I leave the food out or put it out again later, she'll usually end up eating it, but I have heard this is not a good idea training wise, as it leads the dog into believing it controls the food. What's the best approach here? I had been feeding her bfast at about 7:30am and dinner at 6:30pm. I've tried waiting until after the morning walk to offer food (9:30ish) and she's often still walking away from it then. It's not consistent day to day - sometimes she eats it all and sometimes she leaves almost all of it. Is this just a normal part of growth trends in puppies that I shouldn't worry about? I figure she'll eat if she's hungry. She gets plenty of exercise and seems fine otherwise. If I do offer food twice a day only, how long should I leave it out for before taking it away? Thanks. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I am currently dealing with the same thing with Jasper, and probably not coincidentally, he turned 6 months old last week. I do believe it has a lot to do with his growth having slowed down. 

I am practicing what I preach, lol, and not leaving it down more than 15 minutes. I do have to coax him to eat it. He will take a mouthful or two and then walk away. I'm staying in the area, sitting nearby, verbally encouraging him to eat; since he will usually come over to me if I sit near him, I'm touching the bowl and even moving it closer to me. I have found he will eat from my hand, but I really don't want to encourage that. The coaxing, encouraging, praising when he does eat, and calling his attention to the food has pretty much worked. I have cut back the amount I give him at each meal and he is finishing what he gets within 10 minutes or so. I do think this is a phase. 

[Lindsey Holt]

I have a 2 year old GD and he goes through phases of this.  Right now we are in a passing on breakfast phase and eating dinner like he has been starved.  

I think part of it here is due to the disgusting heat we have been having...yuck!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

AnnaBelle is more of a lunch (noon) and dinner type of eater.  Rarely will she eat her breakfast.  I just take it up and give it back to her when I eat lunch and she will normally eat it then.  Even if I don't end up giving it back until later in the afternoon she will normally still eat her dinner.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jasper is not too eager for breakfast OR dinner. He has even needed coaxing to eat his evening snack of Greek yogurt and fresh berries, and he used to go crazy just waiting for me to set the bowl down.  Up until the past two weeks, he's been the kind of dog who inhaled his meals the minute he got them. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ned is not a puppy but he never has been an eager eater (unless it is something he really wants - like he will beg for food even though he isn't fed from the table).  He often skips a meal or even two or sometimes (but not often) 3 meals. He prefers to eat alone - even prefers the dark.  He is a funny guy.  I put his food down with the other two.  If I can leave it down for a while, I will.  Sometimes I will offer it a second time during the day, but mostly I don't.  I don't add a second portion to the first when I reintroduce the meal, but I know my hubby often does.  The good thing about Ned's style of eating is that he self-regulates his weight and at age ten is within a pound of his 8 month old weight.