My dog won't eat his kibble unless I'm sitting right there?

Question

I don't have to hand feed him and he is not starving. I'm just curious, if I put his food in his bowl and leave the room, he won't eat until I return and he knows I'm not leaving? I'm curious, how to fix this?

I have my roommate's dog with me all the time, but have to feed them separately until we work out their issues. So when I put my dogs food down and leave to go put the other dogs food down, neither will eat unless I'm in the room. But my roommate's other dog will eat with no problem, why? It's frustrating! I just want them to eat. I can't be in 2 places at once. Maybe a cage will help.

I'm sorry, my dog is a 1 year old male unneutered pitbull, bull mastiff, lab mix, my roommate's dog that's always with me is a 5 year old male, neutered, Cavachon, a King Charles Spaniel and Bichon frisé mix, and the other dog is a 10 year old male neutered golden retriever lab mix.

Answer 1

I would suggest you change the food you feed him. I have 2 Jack Russell sisters. With my prior choice of a health food, I had to do the same with one except I had to hand feed her. The other devoured her food. I changed food and now the finicky one jumps at her bowl and eats every bite in it.

Answer 2

I babysit a dog that has similar problems, and I usually correspond the activity with stress and anxiety (not saying that this problem is your fault, most dogs have some sort of emotional disorder.) Instead of consulting this behavior, try to form an environment that is as comfortable as possible, and try to form a common schedule at feeding time that does not incorporate you sitting by your dog. For example, try putting your dog in a dimmed room with the radio softly playing, or but a blanket over her/his kennel. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I would put your dogs food into a separate area the other dog hasn't been in.

I have a pit boxer and my best friend had her sister. They were good as puppies but when she got older and I would visit she wouldn't eat there at all because her sister was acting territorial. So I had to feed her either upstairs or sit next to her.