Why does my younger dog need coaxing to eat? We feed both dogs at the same time, with some distance between them. The younger does not eat immediately. She needs to be coaxed. How can I fix it?

My dog was shy about eating and I would coax him to eat (most of the time at breakfast) and I just figured he wasn't a big breakfast eater. Turns out - a tooth had sheared off exposing the root. After it was pulled and he healed, he eats just fine.

Sorry for the late reply. Dogs eat at their own pace. Some eat at a leisurely pace, others gulping the food down like they're dying of starvation. It's not something that needs fixing. Just be sure the one that eats at a slower pace gets to eat their food..it may call for you to separate dogs.

Your pups will to survive will fix this issue. As long as nothing is physically wrong , enjoy the savings in $ and poop scooping

For puppies it’s important that they are putting on weight as it is essential that they are getting enough nutrients during growing so they are healthier later in life. Additionally puppies almost always have a healthy appetite unless something is wrong. It’s because of this I strongly disagree with the comment “they will eat when they are hungry.”

I’d ask your vet what to do. I’d also change feeding arrangements as another suggested, by moving them further away so the puppy isn’t distracted. There also might be food allergies playing into this making the puppy not feel well from eating which is why they are taking coaxing... all of these are hypothetical and since it is a puppy I’d start with the vet. If this was an adult dog I’d try more things at home first but with this being a puppy this is essential growing time and setting their health for the future.

Is the younger one a puppy? Puppies are odd little creatures that don't really know how things work. they might be waiting for the other one to finish because they're watching to see how it's done? If the younger dog is a rescue, perhaps it's had some poor experiences when it came to feeding time in the past and that's why they're cautious/hovering/protective/uncertain? It might also just be a dominance thing, I don't know if your older dog is super alpha but it could be that the younger dog is waiting its turn, based on the alpha? I'm no expert but those are the possible reasons that come to mind. It might just take time, especially if this dog is a new addition to the household. It could be you increase the distance between the dogs, that way the younger one isn't distracted? Best of luck!