We adopted our sheltie three months ago (he is approx. one year old), and since we got him we've been feeding him dry dog food twice a day in his crate. Recently he began growling when we took his empty food dish away, so we decided to start feeding him in the kitchen. Without switching foods and sticking to the same routine we began to close him off in the kitchen (or else he takes each bite of food to a different area of the apartment), and now he hardly eats at all! He will go for two or three feedings without eating, and then he scarfs down one meal. Sometimes he will eat a bite with some coaxing, but I shouldn't have to sit next to him or hand feed him every time he eats. I tried feeding him in his crate once more and he ate just fine, then growled more than ever! I don't know what else to try!

A lot of dogs go through the stage of not wanting to eat about about a year old. I just went through it with one of mine.

Is he still growling at you when you try to touch his food? Even in the kitchen?
If so that needs to be addressed quick smart.

Have you tried feeding him in a corner?
Being a rescue he may have had to fight for his food before so he feels more secure being able to eat next to a wall or just a more secure place where it's not going to get 'stolen' from him.

Does he just get plain dry food?
Mine can't stand it, they refuse to eat it plain, I get a can of wet food in some sort of gravy (mine are a fan of chicken and vegetables in gravy) and pour it over the dry food.

That way the dry food is still crunchy so they are getting all the benefits but the gravy just makes it a bit more tasty!