Hi im new but have a question, we have a 3 and a half year old doberman which we have had since 8 weeks old, every day i put his dinner out he waits i say go on then and i walk away and he eats it within seconds, , but for the last few weeks he has been having a few mouthfuls i walk away as normal but then he stands at the side door and barks, usually this means my waters low or my blankets are out of my kennel and i cant get them back in so can you sort my bed out, but after checking these 2 things i noticed his dinner is untouched and inless i stand there and encourage him he wont eat anything, if i say go on then its a few mouthfuls and back to barking untill the whole bowl is finnished, so now hes got me standing there till its all gone and he is then more than happy to curl up in bed and have a snooze, nothing in our house or routine has changed, i was just wondering why the sudden change in behavior. thanks

Oh dear, sounds like he's got you wrapped around his little paws LOL!  Is he OK physically?

Physically hes 100 percent, Speaking to a friend and there dog has just recently started to do the same thing ....must be something in the water??????

> Speaking to a friend and there dog has just recently started to do the same thing ....must be something in the water

Any chance the recent warm weather has effected thier appetite? Or maybe your dog has spooked himself while eating alone? My dog eats from a raised bowl and went through a stage of not wanting to go to his food bowl (not like him, he's a greedy pig), I realised he was not keen on the noise his bowl made as it moved in the stand, a simple fix of putting an old tea-towel under his bowl (so his bowl didn't make clanking noises) seemed to do the trick :)

Other than that he could simple be trying it on for a bit of attention, if thats the case it's best to leave him to it and remove his food bowl after a set amount of time if he wont eat it.

Is he intact?

> Is he intact?

Ahhhh, good thinking! Of course, a male can go off his food if he's got the scent of a bitch!!

Hi yes he is intact, but he hasnt gone off hes food just wont eat it unless im there. Will try to ignore him the next few nights to see if it is attention, spooked? thaats always a possibility i quess. A female? it could be as the neighbours next door but one have a new dog maybe she is female and in heat but he can see the new dog from the gate and has taken no notice......who knows?

Would not dismiss the fact he may think there is a bitch around, most dogs will eat if encouraged to do so but left to his own devices sex is more interesting than substance.

OH no a newly teenage son and a dog with sex on the brain, to much testosterone, i ll just have to go shoe shopping....lol

If there was a bitch in season at the next farm (and I am talking a good mile away), one of my boys had to be ordered to eat! Oh and that mournful wail that went on for days!