Your Dog Is Busy
Many pet dogs have a guarding tendency towards their home. They want to guard you against everything! That includes other dogs, birds and even butterflies. So, if there is a lot going on outside your house your dog may be too busy guarding you and the house.
Their food remains unattended during this time. Once everything has settled down outside, they will eat from their bowl.
The problem is, many pet parents try to hand feed their pet when they’re busy barking at the butterflies. We bring the food up to their nose so that they can eat it. So, in a way, we re-inforce this behaviour. This creates a bad habit for them.
It’s great to be able to work and eat at the same time. So, the next time someone is outside, they almost expect you to come to them with food.
Your Dog Wants To Socialise
It’s not fun being a dog. They spend most of their time waiting for you to come back from school/work, so when you come back home and feed them, they want to eat with you. This behaviour is similar to their ancestors. Wolves usually hunt in packs and the weaker wolves wait for the pack leader to offer them the remaining food.
Usually, timid dogs with low self-esteem will behave like this. When they want to be fed it’s their way of asking to spend more time with you.
The best way to get rid of this habit is to work on ways to boost their confidence so that they don’t feel guilty to eat without you. Increase the time you spend with them in play and training so that they don’t feel like they need your company when they’re eating.
7 Reasons Why Your Dog Wants To Be Hand Fed:
Your dog probably wants to be hand-fed for the following reasons.
Owner Insists On Hand-Feeding Her Dog | It’s Me or The Dog
To develop a strong bond with our dogs, we start by building trust. The way we call their names, give them pats, and offer treats all have an important role in establishing a loving, secure connection. For example, a piece of kibble on the tip of your fingers might be exactly the right way to coax your pooch to eat more slowly or to reward them.
However, sometimes pups refuse to eat from their bowls and only accept food from their humans. “Why does my dog want to be hand fed?” is a common question for many pet parents stymied by this behavior, especially if it comes on suddenly. We asked veterinarians for reasons why this might happen.