Why does my pup only want to eat later at night?

[mayer5]

Hi All,
Rudy just turned 2 on Christmas. He is very weird with his eating habits. He has dry food only and his water of course. I put it down usually twice a day (mid day noon if I am home) and around 5pm or so. He does not eat it at all. Sometimes he will eat a few bites if I am sitting on the couch. His food is in the living room area. He looks for his food than by 8 or 9pm at night. He will gobble it all up than. It is making me mad because I am putting his food down and leaving it for a while ane he doesnt eat it but later on when all of my kids are sleeping and the house is quieter he wants to eat.

Do you think it is because there is less noise and craziness? What is it?

Thanks
Denise

I never had a yorky that was like this with eating

[Wallee]

Wallee does the same thing to me. He will eat a few kibble during the day (he only eats them from a treat ball) and he gets a couple of tablespoons of wet food at supper as we are feeding the cats then. Around 8 he eats more of his kibble. I have tried everything to get him to eat earlier in the day as it means as soon as he wakes in the morning he needs to poo but to no avail. And just fyi, and we have no kids.

[lynzy420]

I have 2 like this and no idea either. Mini is 8 Mia is 1. I always use to worry when each was a puppy because they wouldn't eat (they are not directly related) until the evening....I kept an eye on them and just kept offering it up...now I only feed them several carrots a day and feed them at night...I gave in!

You just have to keep an eye out to make sure they stay healthy and gaining weight. You might want to try adding some chicken broth or yogurt to the food to see if that entices them.

[MandiesMom]

I think it probably is the hustle and bustle going on and also, I've noticed, that both of mine really want someone in the room with them while they eat. If I sit with them first thing in the morning and after I get home from work...they will eat. If I go off to do other things, I'll come back by their bowls and they haven't eaten...sure enough, later at night, I hear "crunch, crunch, crunch" lol

[mayer5]

too funny he was begging for his food tonight i put it down and he gobbled it up in 2 seconds if i didnt feed him he would be up all night i am sure of that

it is fine w/ me if he wants to eat at night i just didnt get it or understand the behavior

yes i feel he wants me in the room too than he eats

he is also afraid of someone taking his food
he will run by his bowl or watch it on the couch and if the kids go by it he jumps down in front of it
tooo funny

i guess he is not hungry all day weird he is only 4 pounds

[mamaj]

I can`t leave food down for Trinket. If she is not ready to eat, she will bury each piece in her bed. Too funny. She eats at mid morning and at night, with veggies and treats in between.

[mayer5]

what kind of veggies? rudy enjoys carrots and of course he gets his treats after he does his deed outside!

[Lovetodream88]

Callie normally likes to gobble up her food later at night before bed too but I seem to have this problem as well so it dosen't bother me lol

[LilAnnCamp]

I'm gonna agree with MandiesMom... My dogs want me to "watch" them eat. I think it is weird. My 6 month old pup doesn't really eat in the morning. I usually hand feed her a few kibbles but at night she eats everything she can find. My poodle will not eat if me or my husband is not watching him. I must admit.... He eats in our bed now :/ Breakfast and Dinner.

[Marhcarter]

I work nights, so I feed Huey between 0730-0830am, depending on what time I get home. The evening meal is at 1700 while I'm getting ready for work. He will gobble up his evening meal while I am in the shower (now that we found a food he likes), but the morning meal he will leave untouched until I go to bed. His bowl is in the bedroom. After work, I am usually in the den catching up on TiVo, so he wants to be with me on the sofa. If I walk into the bedroom, he will grab a quick mouthful of kibble, but as soon as I leave the room, he abandons his food to follow me. Strange little creatures...

[celstu1]

My Dexter is this way also. My guess would be he waits all day for something better and when nothing comes then he'll settle for his own food. Ive started doing meal times where if he does not eat within a 1/2 hour of me putting his food down I pick it up and try again later, and I never give him people food. This new routine has being going on since April and he's starting to finally eat as his meal times. Although he still holds out sometimes.

It may take many months to get your dog into a routine with meal times, but you might want to try that. Oh I also add water to Dexters food and he seems to like that better and will usually eat within 10 mins of me putting it down on the floor (once the water makes it softer)

[mayer5]

thanks for ur feedback
i know i am big on dog food only no table food
so it may be he is waiting for something better lol!
he has this food since we got him at 4mths old
he does beg when we are eating he cant wait to get any morsel that falls on the floor

thanks again
denise

[navillusc]

It could be because:

- He wants someone with him while he eats, or doesn't want to miss anything so stays with the humans...neither Brody nor Mia like to eat alone. I even have to bring a mug of water into the living room just for them...I use a soup mug...lol...while we watch TV. Brody will 'signal' he's thirsty by making eye contact with me, then looking directly at my drink, then directly back to eye contact with me like he's asking for some of my drink. They will both go to the soup mug even if it's empty, then just 'wander' like they're confused when the mug is empty...lol They will both go get water and/food if it is right there where we are, but neither will go out to the kitchen 20' away for it. Also, if they are eating and I leave the room, they will quit and follow me...I have to always check to make sure they are not eating before I leave the kitchen.

- He is holding out for people food...then eats when he's figured out that's not gonna happen 'cuz everyone's heading off to bed. I have had many dogs who were polite but hopeful for people treats!

- He is just more 'nocturnal' than some other canines might be...my '8-yr-old granddaughter Chi' prefers to munch during the night and eats very little during the daylight hours...always has, according to my future-DIL.

You might try keeping some kibble with you and give a few pieces now and then during the day, too. You can experiment a bit, watching his response, to help you figure out what his 'motives' are.

Good luck!

[mayer5]

hi
thanks this is true
i guess he prefers to eat at night i know he is very smart too funny
i never thought of it as waiting to see if he gets any other food first through out the day

he used to try to get my other yorkies food who now has passed away he was 15 and he would run in every chance he got to eat myles food thats when i had him separated in the living room b/c of that reason myles had special food plus he got more treats at age 15 that rudy couldnt have

will try giving some dry by hand during the day and see how he does

thanks denise

[gracielove]

Maybe he needs his dish to be in a less busy area? He may think he will get hungry during the night so he fills up before bed time? At least he is eating. Mine was a very picky eater as a puppy. She ate like a bird.