• I would stop that immediately.. you will never get him to develop good eating habits that way…. Either they eat or they don't... again as long as they are healthy, they will eat when hungry... My boy OJ was really under weight when he was young... eating was not important to him... and since I was showing him I really wanted some weight on him.. but I would not give in to him... he ate with the rest.. and he had the same amount of time.. he ate or didn't, his choice. Once he turned 3, he started eating like a little horse.. and never looked back... now 16 1/2....


  • Tucker won't eat unless I'm home. I can be anywhere in the house, but as soon as I leave, he stops eating. Not quite the 'line of site' issue, but a bit similar. I can at least feed him and walk away. Sometimes he won't finish and goes back half an hour later to finish (I only leave it out for about an hour because he's used to having food out all day with his previous owners). If I leave in the morning and forget to pick up the bowl and there are a few kernels of food left, they'll still be there when I get home but as soon as I walk in the door, he'll race into the kitchen and snarf down those last few morsels. I always thought this was a bit odd, but I guess it's a comfort thing. The ONLY thing he'll actually eat when I'm gone is the kong stuff'n. I leave him one each morning so he has something to take his mind off of me leaving and it works like a charm. He doesn't chew rawhide, play with toys…pretty much doesn't do anything buy sleep when I am gone. He reacts to my roommate the same. He'll chew and play if I'm gone and my roommate is home. I don't think it's just me, but simply human company because he didn't have any problems eating at the kennel either. I guess noone likes to eat alone... 🙂


  • Rocky completely stopped eating for the first few days after we got Mia.. hopefully thats just whats wrong with your B and nothing seriousss:)


  • I found out Medjai's problem today, it's almost the same as the common bathroom problem. He needs to know where I am, but I am NOT allowed to watch him eat. He is just out of view and eating his whole bowl of food, taking tiny breaks to see that I'm not watching.

    These basenjis really need to learn that it's ok for another person or animal to see them eat and go to the bathroom. They spend all their time making sure nobody sees them.


  • @etzbseder:

    I found out Medjai's problem today, it's almost the same as the common bathroom problem. He needs to know where I am, but I am NOT allowed to watch him eat. He is just out of view and eating his whole bowl of food, taking tiny breaks to see that I'm not watching.

    These basenjis really need to learn that it's ok for another person or animal to see them eat and go to the bathroom. They spend all their time making sure nobody sees them.

    Mine don't care one way or the other… especially when it comes to food 😃


  • Nothing to do with the post but I first read this thread as

    "Eating other dog"

    I couldn't wait to see what the rest was but sadly I missed the &


  • @rnasto:

    Nothing to do with the post but I first read this thread as

    "Eating other dog"

    I couldn't wait to see what the rest was but sadly I missed the &

    Hahahah. That's funny…

    I've also always taken the "they'll eat when they're hungry" approach, and mine normally don't have a problem. This morning Booger didn't seem hungry... he just sat & looked at his bowl so I picked it up after a couple of minutes. He normally doesn't eat at night until 11:30, but tonight he started asking me for food at 8 (something he never does! He always patiently waits until we feed him). I was trying to watch a movie, and he got right in front of my face & started slapping the couch & my face until I got up & fed him. What a smart dog.


  • Mica has many different eating habits. One thing she has learned to do because I will (it is getting to "suggest" to her…) is to make her sit before she eats. So she pretends she doesnt notice the food being put down and when I walk away, she gets up and eats. She also likes to eat when I eat, also. Or sometimes I prepare her meal, and she'll sniff it than its not good enough because she'll just walk away...grrr. Also sometimes I put a tiny piece of my food into her dish and she than eats also. Or, sometimes she will eat once a day, or sometimes twice. But she likes her yoghurt, too. I think she likes variety because I feed her kibbles and part canned food but I always try to make every meal a little different.

    Bamicas mom


  • Okay- so its not another dog, but when DH comes home after a tour, Jack always has a little bout where he stops eating, just for a day or two. Then he realizes that he is hungry, and starts eating again.


  • I am so glad I read this. We are having eating problems too but after reading your replies I know this issue is probably stress and hopefully will stop. Our two basenji's (3&4) have always had a pretty structured eating schedule. The boys the 4 yr old and our old elkhound have always ate together since the basenji came to us at 6 mo. The girl eats next. It has worked great for years. Our elkie went to doggy heaven this week, he was 14 and was greatly afflicted with renal and liver failure. The b's don't seem to look for him or miss him till its supper time. Our boy doesn't seem to be able to eat alone without his buddy even though we are with him. I know that a restructure of eating habits is needed and the b's will eat together now and hopefully that should resolve our issues of the moment. And as I have learned owning B's
    there can be alot of issues of the moment with them

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