Bacca is spooked?????

BarbV said:
For the last couple of years, we have had a routine at the cottage which has me feeding Bacca in the kitchen and Indy in the sunroom. No problems, they both scarfed their food in about 2 minutes or less.

Suddenly, in the last week, Bacca decided that he would not eat in the kitchen. When it was food time, he would hover like always, but then run to the dining room under the table. I had to put his bowl under the table for him to eat and keep Indy away.

Then two days ago, some rodent got into the fireplace at the cottage in the dining room and set up a big ruckus - just as Bacca was starting to eat.

Ever since, whenever I feed the dogs, Bacca now cowers and won't eat. He jumps up on David's lap and hides his face when I put his bowl out. Finally, I can get him to eat if Indy is far away and the bowl is placed underneath a specific chair that seems to give him protection. From what?????

This is crazy? Any ideas as to how to get him back to his normal eating pattern? It's more than the rodent in the fireplace, because he was already going spooky before that. It just got worse after that.

btw....We came back from the cottage today, just for the day, and he ate his meal in the usual spot at the usual time. No problems.

I guess the question is: How do you deal with weird dog phobias? Clearly something happened while he was eating at the cottage that was a negative experience. I have to turn that around.

Hope this makes sense!
Click to expand...

It really does not matter what happened to spook Bacca. Is he taking any treats/ kibble in that room at all? then do some hand feeding in playful manner like playing tricks, chasing games, hand touches, rollovers etc.
Getting Bacca all revved up and hungry before meal would be good, like after some run/ tug session.
If your dogs do not have any food/ source guarding tendencies you can split Indy's food in half and put in 2 bowls, offer it to both pups when Bacca refuses his, take Bacca's bowl and give it to Indy right in front of Bacca. You can only do it ONCE but it could work wonders.
 
Lots of great suggestions. It's weird because this only seems to happen at the cottage and only in the last week.

He will not eat when I first put out the bowls - in fact if David is around he will try to bury himself in David's lap!

Once Indy had eaten and I send him outside Bacca will reluctantly eat. If I so much as move a muscle while he is eating he will walk away.

The behavior is bizarre it makes me think his thyroid is acting up and he is having "brain farts". Seriously! Just before breakfast today he was running and chasing his tail. Then when I went to feed him he just shrunk into himself.
 
I think maybe crating is the best answer. That way he can feel safe and secure and able to eat his food without fear of being bothered.
 
So we come back home from the cottage and it's 4 p.m. and both dogs are looking at me....Feed me!

So I get up to feed them, and of course, Bacca is just fine! Indy is twirling and barking as I fill his bowl and Bacca is right beside him. Doing the same. Put his bowl down in his usual spot and Bacca eats in about 1 minute.

So clearly something happened at the cottage to spook him out. If only I can get to the bottom of it....

I've tried not to put too much stress on his eating over the last couple of days. This morning, as usual, both of them look at me with their puppy dog eyes wanting to be peed, poo'd and fed. Indy leaps off his bed and scurries downstairs. Bacca won't budge. So I feed Indy and go back to bed for awhile. After I shower and dress, I send Indy outside and Bacca eventually comes downstairs. He eats, but only if its under the table in the dining room. And much slower than normal.

Yet, when we come home, he's normal and scarfs his food in 2 minutes, even with Indy barking around him.

So I don't think its Indy (tho' I think he makes it worse) but something about the cottage....the damned squirrel in the fireplace?????? Who knows....silly pups!

At least I know that its not medical and his thyroid or liver acting up since he was fine since I got home.
 
Update:

Bacca is still spooked eating his food ad the cottage, though getting better.

When I feed the dogs, Bacca still refuses to eat the first time even if I try to feed them in separate rooms. Indy scarfs his food and Bacca hides. Then I put Indy outside, and feed Bacca a few kibbles by hand and then Bacca will eat his food. Sometimes in his regular spot, and sometimes under the table.

But as soon as we get home from the cottage, Bacca is back to normal and jumping and yelping for his dinner. And scarfs it almost as fast as Indy.

Weird!
 
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