Puppy stopped eating from bowl.

[Brandon McKinney]

Our 16wk old labradoodle has stopped eating out of his bowl that he was eating out of. We have tried switching bowls with no success. He still eats his food out of our hand or off the floor. He will drink water out of the bowl but not food. Everything else seems to be normal. Any thoughts?

[Brandon McKinney]

Thanks for all the replies and feedback. We have been feeding him in the kitchen around the same time we eat. I am wondering if he is just "full" or "backed up." He has even having regular and healthy bowel movements. They seem to be a little more often than they were a couple weeks ago. Maybe we need to let him create a little room so that there is a drive or desire to eat. Thanks again!!

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I like the Doggy Dan way. I put the bowls down (stainless steel) the boys wait until I say Ok and then if they don't eat or walk away in the middle I lift the bowls and they have to wait until the next meal. After two days they realised they better eat up and since then no problem. Boris has days when he doesn't finish but that's ok. I just take the bowl away and he eats better at the next meal. I do strand in the room with them.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Don't cha just love Doggie Dan!   AnnaBelle is eating a little better as well.  She doesn't always empty her bowl but much more often that she did before.  Lucy though will not eat or drink out of a stainless steel bowl.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

This is exactly what I do too, Nicky.  Murph is the one who tests me the most.  I'm now a firm believer that when they're hungry they'll eat. 

[Rosella T]

My dog is the same way! He won't eat out of his bowl unless he's encouraged. What works for me is stuffing his food in a Kong toy and then putting that down on the floor at the same time as the rest of his food in his bowl. He eats the whole Kong and then usually it will stimulate his appetite and he'll go to his bowl and eat some more. He doesn't like stainless steel bowls so I have been using a fairly flat ceramic pasta bowl and he gets into it.

That said, he doesn't always go to his bowl after the Kong so sometimes I fill the Kong back up so he gets more to eat. Then I take his bowl away and by dinner time he is hungry enough to eat out of his bowl immediately.

Another thing, do you leave his food bowl on the floor all day for him to graze? Because you shouldn't do that. As the pack leader, you decide when he gets to eat. If you leave the breakfast bowl on the floor for a maximum of 15 minutes and then take it away until dinner, believe me he will eat. He has to learn that he has a limited time to eat that food or it goes away.

Hope this helps! Your puppy sure is cute!

[Jen W]

Dory is the same way.  It started later for her, not until she was over a year old.  I just put the food in the stainless steel bowl and throw a handful on the floor.  When I notice that handful is gone I throw another one out.  Sometimes she'll go to the bowl.  Honestly, I don't worry about it.  She's a very well behaved dog with regular bowel movements and I have better things to worry about.  Since you say everything else is normal, I guess I wouldn't worry about it if I were you either.

[Christy&Riley]

When Eiley stopped eating out of her bowl we started using paper plates and never had any more issues.

[Lynette Main]

I use stainless steel.and they go into the dishwasher to get them clean. I wouldn't feed them by hand or floor. Your dog will eat when he gets hungry.Did you wash your bowls with soap? Maybe there is some smell they don't like.