Weird new eating behavior

[animalhouse]

About a week ago my dog Dylan decided that he would only eat if I feed him and he wants me to hug him before he will eat. It's not really a problem but I find it extremely weird. He actually for will skip his meal if I'm not home. Nothing new at home going on that i'm aware of that would cause this change. I've had him for almost 3 years now. Any insight?

[sandyz]

I think Dylan has trained YOU well I would just let him miss a meal or 2, Unless you like being trained by him
Just my thought

[Judi W]

Sounds kinky to me and I'd let him miss more than a meal or two if he persisted. Neurotic dependency is not a great thing to indulge.

[LUVMYROTTNBOY]

I agree, I would work him out of that behavior. What if you got sick and could not be home to feed him? Or if you had to travel out of town without him? Of course, I have no idea how to make him stop, except for doing it cold turkey and letting him get hungry.

[animalhouse]

I don't indulge him. I keep with the same routine, sit, put food down, give the ok then walk away. I 'm just wondering why after 3 years he would do this.

[SABELLESMOM]

My thought is not to indulge him as well. As to "why" that's anyone's guess. Perhaps there was an indication you would do this the very first time he wasn't quite hungry...and he built on it from there. It's not a good thing. It's a dependent behavior and Rottweilers are generally more confident. I don't consider it necessarily a show of affection. It seems more a willingness to be dominated.

[Patty1231]

Maybe he was just bored and decided to see if he could teach mommy a new trick.

[Rott'nKids]

Carl will not eat if I am not home (if dh is butI am not, he still will not eat) and Iria will not eat until Carl has eaten. It is very rare for him to eat if I'm not home. However, if I am in the kitchen cooking supper and he hasn't begun eating yet, he will go right to his food bowl and eat and wiggle (he is the oddball, he loves to be petted while he eats! He will take a bite, stop and lick me and wiggle, then take another bite, then lick/wiggle, then bite, then lick/wiggle, etc.) but I have to watch him, he will eat ALL the food if I am in there with him and not let Iria eat (she will bark and whine at him incessently when he does this). I have tried to feed her in a separate bowl in a separate room, but she will NOT eat until Carl is done. So I watch how much he has eaten, pull him away and keep him occupied until Iria has finished her portion and then he will eat the rest if there is any. He is not doing this because he is hungry, he just wants attention. He just likes to be with me when he eats. If I am in a different room when he's eating, he will take a big mouthful of food, bring it to where he can see me, spit it out, and eat the pieces one by one and repeat until he's done eating. Such a brat!!

[Brooke&Ryan]

My question is, how did you find out that he wanted hugged before meal time????

[animalhouse]

Normally when I would give him the ok to eat he would stand up, go to his food bowl and eat. Last week when I gave him the ok he would look at his food, then run over to me and lean against me and look up with his nubby going crazy(which is how he lets you know he wants a hug). I know it's weird and Judi is always saying that if you want to hug something hug your spouse or a teddy bear but this dog loves to be hugged. I'm usually ok with it but not if it's part of a routine such as eating

[Judi W]

Then don't do it.

It is too easy to be snookered into assisting in developing a neurotic dog because of feeling secretly complimented when one thinks their dog "won't eat", "won't stop pacing", won't (fill in the blanks) if you aren't around because the dog loves you so much. By this secret pleasure, (trust me the dog senses everything) you quite unintentionally create an overly dependent and infantile dog. Not something you want I am sure. Trust me, there is nothing attractive about a Rottweiler acting like a titty baby.

[TRAINorBEtrained]

diamond has a weird eating action also. she lays on floor head over bowl and will eat. maybe it has something to do with being lazy?!?!?!!?