Help! My dog only wants to be hand-fed. How can I get him to eat from his bowl again?

Question

My daughter hand-fed our 5 year old Shih-Tzu to get him used to his new food. Now he only will eat if you feed him out of your hand. We tried just waiting til he got hungry, but it's been two days and his food is hardly touched! Help!

Answer 1

I had the same problem so dont worry.

Put what type of food he eats in a boul and take soft dog food (in can) in there miv it up.

then put a crumbled dog treat on top and mix it around.

give it to him and keep him in an enclosed area so he can either sleep or eat

Answer 2

Well thats your fault you should have told your daughter not to feed him and he will eventually eat when he reaslises that your not going to do it by hand  

Answer 3

oh no! you've spoiled him. lol...

well you've going to have to start w/food in your hand and hold it down into the bowl. instead of giving him a piece he will take it out of the bowl off your hand...then add more pieces to your hand  then put food on 4 fingers, then on 3 fingers then on two, then put your finger near the food while it sits in the bowl...then take hand away.

it's going to take some time to break him of the habit.

and i beg to differ on the "he will not let himself starve" comments.

little dogs are notoriously stubborn! you have to wean them from bad habits not expect them to just stop them right away. it's like dealing w/a  toddler.

Answer 4

Think about this for a minute... the dog isn't going to let itself starve to death, it will eventually eat. If your dog isn't eating within a few days I would consult a vet.. there may actually be something wrong with your dog.  

Answer 5

if a dog is starving they will eventually eat out of their bowl. i went thru the same thing with my pug (she's super smart and totally conniving) she was pretty much holding out to see if she got what she wanted, after a couple days (she did pick at her food - she did not starve!!!!) she went back to eating out of her bowl.

Answer 6

continue not feeding him. He will not starve! i had this same issue with my 3 pound chihuaua! he stopped like 4 days into it. he was so thin... but he is ok now...and he is on the new food with out a problem! he loves it!

Answer 7

keep on a persevere he will eat when he gets hungry please dont give in . put the food down for half an hour then pick it up. put in down again a few hours later . if its still not eaten it pick it up and keep repeating untill its eaten your dog wont starve