We all know what dogs are like, a real gluttons who would love to spend all day eating, even if it means even vomiting from their fill.
But…. Why do some dogs not eat when we are not with them? One of my dogs has this problem, he does not eat if I am not with him and I mean being in person next to him, less than five meters away.
Let’s see what are the reasons that drive this strange behavior and how we can solve it so that they eat quietly in these situations.
Index of contents
- 1 Fear, panic, helplessness
- 2 I fast as I protest
- 3 How to get a dog to eat alone?
Fear, panic, helplessness
These are the results obtained by various specialists that indicate that many dogs feel totally unprotected when their owners are not with them. So his behavior changes radically.
This situation is known as separation anxiety and it is much more common than we imagine. When our dog feels lonely and unprotected, he stops doing normal things like eating or sleeping.
Starting to exercise atypical behaviors such as ignoring food, barking, biting things, breaking things, urinating at home, etc … If your dog does these things, it’s because of anxiety.
I fast as I protest
Although it is hard to believe given their great appetite, there are many dogs that do not eat if we are not with them as a protest. Yes, they are much smarter than we think and one of the ways they use to indicate that they are not satisfied, is this.
Dogs are super sociable and familiar animals, they like and need to be with family at all times, or at least know that they are there.
When we leave and leave them alone, they do not feel comfortable, nor loved but abandoned. That is why they sometimes stop eating to make us understand that they are not satisfied with the situation.
How to get a dog to eat alone?
There are several ways to get it, the easy way is through bribery…. By adding a little human / homemade food to your food, your nose will ask you to eat if or even if he wants to protest.
Another way, the most recommended, is to solve the problem from the root. For this it will be necessary that we increase the level of confidence of our dog and that he feels sure of himself.
For this it will be necessary to practice some exercises for a time, to finally achieve our goal:
- Leave home for a few minutes and come back , so you can see that it is not a problem that you go out. Over time, gradually increasing the time you are away before returning, gradually and calmly.
- When you leave home or come back, don’t greet him, don’t talk to him and don’t look at him. It is very important not to say goodbye to him, in the same way that it is important to wait a minute or two before greeting him and paying attention to him when you return.
- Walk and exercise with your dog This will release excess energy and will also help you gain confidence, you will feel stronger.
- Let him eat his own way , move away from it little by little when you are eating until you end up in a different room. In this way, he will know that you are there and will gain confidence.
With the practice of these exercises and a little time, you will see how your dog manages to overcome his fears and eat when he is alone at home.
Although if you see that you do not succeed, there may be a different problem than those mentioned and you need to go to a canine ethologist to inquire into their behavior.