I have an x-pen set up with Liyah's crate in it. Since day one of Liyah coming home, she will wait while I put her food in her bowl and then run right into her crate to wait for her meal. I'd put her food down and close the door. She'd gobble down her food. Done and over 5 minutes flat.
As of 3 days ago, if I close the door, she won't eat. She will paw at the door, and ignore her food all together. If I leave the door open, she will eat, and if I close the door even a little, she will push her paw against it to see that it is open. This morning, she wouldn't eat if she was standing in her crate. I even put her food bowl in the back of her crate instead of at the front, but she kept turning around to see if the door was open and wouldn't eat and would walk out.
This went on 15 minutes and I took the food away. While she might have had a couple of mouthfuls of food, she pretty much ate nearly nothing.
So far, she has been great in her crate…travels in the car 2 -3 times a week without as much as a peep from her. She sleeps in her crate when she goes to bed at night (door is open). When I went to visit friends at a ski resort 2 weeks ago, she slept in her crate without any fuss with the door closed. Oh, and btw, there are always kongs or other treats in her crate when she runs into her xpen, so she runs right into her crate, so I know she associates good things with her crate.
I want her to eat in her crate with the door closed. Do I just let her eat with the door open for now and not standing in the crate? Do I just let her miss a couple of meals while fussing because the door is closed?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.