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MillerMax · Jun 30, 2008, 04:29 PM

I have an 8-9 month old german shepard american pitt bull mix- Miller who I've just recently noticed, has been playing with his food. Well, he doesn't really play with it, but does some sort of dance around his dishes.:confused: He pokes the food a couple of times with his nose then dances around it. A friend says maybe he can't smell it, another says maybe he can't see it. I know that's not true because he will watch a bird fly until you can't see it anymore. He use to attack his food dish, never aggressively, but anxiously. Now, over time he often will leave some in his dish the until the follow morning. He only gets fed once, when I get home from work. And it is the correct about for his age and size. So take a look at this video of him, and let me know your thoughts!

Thanks

Millereating022.flv - Video - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

angel-4460 · Jun 30, 2008, 07:46 PM

You know, this isn't the "scientific" answer, but my dog used to do that. She got real skinny so I took her to the vet, and he gave me pills to give her, the pill worked okay, but aditionaly I fed her bits of HAM mixed with her dog food... she loved it, and I've been doing it for a year now... it works!

bushg · Jun 30, 2008, 07:52 PM

He appears to be afraid of the bowl... My little dog is a bit like that he will not eat out of a metal bowl styrofoam or paper plate, glass plate. He will only eat from a glass saucer or small bowl or his heavy duty plastic dog bowl.

Maybe his bowl has fallen to the floor and frightened him, I would get a heavy glass or plastic bowl and put it on a larger and firmer surface where it will not scoot around. Also he may see his reflection in the metal or his tags may clank up against the bowl and frighten him.

MillerMax · Jun 30, 2008, 08:00 PM

Well, I was watching a dog training show on TV, can't remember the name of it off the top of my head. But it showed a grown dog that still scavages around the house when the family isn't there. And the trainer suggested added wet food mixed with the dry food to give the dog some variety. And not scavage so much. It seems to have helped with the scavaging, but he still dances around his dishes. I just want to make sure there isn't something wrong phsycologically corresponding to his food or anything.

MillerMax · Jun 30, 2008, 08:04 PM

Well I originally placed the bowls on the grown when he was a pup and it was fine. But as he got bigger I've seen him bend over and water run out of his nose while he was trying to drink. So I flipped the card board box around to bring it higher to him. It's helped with eating, but he has knocked it over a couple of times and it has scared him away from the bowl. I didn't think about the reflectiong part. I will watch more closely for that. But I don't think his name tags clink on the bowls. However, now that I think about it. Over the weekend, we went out of town and I had to place the bowls on the ground and his still did his song and dance... So it very well could be his reflection.

bushg · Jun 30, 2008, 08:08 PM

The box it is on is not really stable and he knows it... try something that will not move around and where his bowls have more room to sit.
He will still dance and prance some but when he is assured in his mind that it is not going to fall he will get more comfortable. If it were me I would put the food bowl on the ground and keep the water up.

MillerMax · Jun 30, 2008, 08:30 PM

I will try that! Thanks!

lishh1298 · Jun 30, 2008, 08:53 PM

Yeah that's what I was going to say and try a bowl that's not reflective

bushg · Jun 30, 2008, 09:24 PM

Make sure your bowl is heavy enough so that he can't scoot it.. or you can even buy them with a rubber ring on the bottom that prevents scooting... I have one for my little dog.