People who have never had a dog that won’t eat before, have no idea how stressful it can be for the owner. You love your dog and provide for him, but he just won’t touch his dinner, no matter what you try. Before you try anything else, you need to figure whether the problem of your dog not eating is mental or physical.

But before we jump into the problem of your dog not eating, we need to make sure you don’t have a special interest dog. If you have a dog with a known medical condition, a puppy, a pregnant, or a nursing dog, you need to go to your vet. These dogs have special nutrition requirements and need to be looked at professionally.

If this is a sudden eating problem, check to see if you have changed any of your dog’s food or routines, as this can be the problem. If you haven’t changed anything, make sure your dog isn’t in pain and isn’t acting like he is really tired (listless) – if so, take him to your vet. Otherwise, just wait a day or two. Your dog may have gotten into something that has upset his stomach, or he just doesn’t feel well. Ensure he has plenty of fresh water and the chance to go outside when needed. If after two days he still shows not interest in his food, take him to your vet – he may have a physical problem, like internal parasites.

So if your dog doesn’t have a physical problem that keeps him from eating, then it must be mental/emotional. But this can be fixed, by following these tips.

1. Does your dog get enough attention? Some dogs get lonely and bored if they don’t get enough attention. When that happens, they will do anything to get attention from you. So they don’t eat their dinner – and you freak out! Hey, the attention they desire. This soon develops into an eating problem for your dog. Start interacting with your pet more – play with him and take him on daily walks.

2. What if your dog is not trying to get attention, but is just plain spoiled? Then you need to step up and start acting like the master. Simply put his food bowl down and after 20 minutes pick it up and throw the food away. Do not give your dog any treats at any time during the day. Make his mealtime the only time he gets to eat. If he still has not eaten after 3 days of this, you may want to take him to the vet and make sure there are no physical problems.

3. Do you hover over your dog or are otherwise anxious about his eating, or not eating? You may be making him nervous or suspicious with your always being around. Dogs can easily pick up on our feelings and fears, without knowing the why’s of our feelings.

Give your dog his dinner, and leave. If he follows you instead of eating, put him in a room with his food and close the door. Do not return for 20 minutes – just let him be. If it doesn’t work the first day, try again for a couple more days. Once he senses, or rather doesn’t sense, your problems, he may be able to eat.

4. Is the dog food you are feeding him any good? Look at your dog food ingredients label. The first ingredient should be some kind of protein, like chicken meal, lamb meal, etc. There should also not be too much non-nutritional grains listed. It may just be that the food you are offering does not have enough nutrition in it. Or that a certain ingredient may not be agreeing with him. Look at super-premium, organic, or all-natural dog food alternatives. A lot of the economy dog foods are mainly filler with fat sprayed on them to entice the dog to eat what he would not otherwise eat – some dogs see through this and just won’t eat it.

Try using these tips and you may solve your dog eating problems. Don’t let your dog’s dinnertime be a time of anxiety for you or your dog.

If your dog is not eating because he dislikes his dog food, please visit the Healthy Dog Food Blog to learn more about how to find the best food for your dog to stay in optimal health. This article is for informational purpose only and is NOT intended to replace the advice of a veterinarian or pet care professional.

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