7 Reasons Why Your Dog Wants To Be Hand Fed:
Your dog probably wants to be hand-fed for the following reasons.
Your Dog Is Scared
In many households where there is more than one dog, one of them may start dominating the other. In situations like this, the submissive dog may show signs of canine anorexia, where they stop eating unless they are very hungry.
When you start feeding them with your hand, they don’t stop eating altogether, instead, they develop a new habit. Many dogs in this situation stop eating from their bowls because they know their bowl is not a safe place.
They prefer eating from your hands because they know you’ll shoo away the dominant dog if they come near.
Other times when they exhibit the same behaviour is if they are scared of the environment where they eat. Is their food bowl near the washing machine, the vacuum cleaner or anything that makes a loud noise? Chances are they are scared of the machines even if they are turned off, and they avoid the area as much as they can.
Many pet parents give them meals right before they are leaving for work hence they associate food with being alone. Dogs with separation anxiety might be too scared to eat because they know it means you’ll leave.
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.
Owner Insists On Hand-Feeding Her Dog | It’s Me or The Dog
If you’re looking for a simple way to teach your dog good manners, boost their confidence, and strengthen your bond try feeding them by hand.