# Bonkers ? Us or Poppy ?



## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

If she’s in heat, that can explain her pickiness or reluctance to eat. Every pet I’ve owned has wanted at least a little taste of fresh water when it is put down. It could be the novelty of the food on the floor, or it could be something bothering her about the bowl. For instance, Phoebe isn’t typically wearing a collar, so when she is, it tends to bother her while she’s eating if it bangs the bowl.


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## Bigbark (Jan 9, 2021)

Remy is the same way. He's a one year old mini and sometimes he just stops eating out of his bowl. He'll eat the exact same food off the floor or out of my hand or from his kong. I now have two foraging toys for him, and it's really helped to get him to eat his kibble. The boy just likes to play with his food!! Maybe it's a small dog thing. My standard never played these mind games. I put his food down, blinked and it was gone. 

Here's Remy foraging.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Peggy has always preferred to eat from a plate.  

My first thought was similar to @starla’s: If Poppy wears a collar with tags, they could be clinking against her bowl in a way that makes her nervous. This is the sort of thing that only has to happen a single time to make a poodle wary.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

I don't have the boys wear collars at home but do when traveling. Remo won't eat with a collar on, whether it clinks or not.

A plain silicone mat to contain the food? No food bowl needed.









or collapsible bowls built into the mat?


















Have you tried puzzle feeders? As seen in Bigbark's post


















or snuffle mats? Obviously, only dry food for the snuffle mat 










or, ummm, just wait her out. She'll eat when she's really hungry.


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## The Popster (Feb 23, 2021)

Bigbark said:


> Remy is the same way. He's a one year old mini and sometimes he just stops eating out of his bowl. He'll eat the exact same food off the floor or out of my hand or from his kong. I now have two foraging toys for him, and it's really helped to get him to eat his kibble. The boy just likes to play with his food!! Maybe it's a small dog thing. My standard never played these mind games. I put his food down, blinked and it was gone.
> 
> Here's Remy foraging.
> 
> View attachment 482035


Thanks!
How interesting and reassuring.
Sounds pretty much the same story.
Hand feeding, actually 'mum' might even spoon feed!!!

Mind you as Rose n' Poos says below ....'or, ummm, just wait her out. She'll eat when she's really hungry'. ( Ho hum, might be suggesting who is the bonkers one)

Hmmm... Mini pains in the butt!


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## The Popster (Feb 23, 2021)

Starla said:


> If she’s in heat, that can explain her pickiness or reluctance to eat. Every pet I’ve owned has wanted at least a little taste of fresh water when it is put down. It could be the novelty of the food on the floor, or it could be something bothering her about the bowl. For instance, Phoebe isn’t typically wearing a collar, so when she is, it tends to bother her while she’s eating if it bangs the bowl.


Good point actually.
Though she is generally 'fussy' , thinking about it now the heat thing could be a factor.
Poppy is 1 year old now, and this heat is the first one we have detected, though now we realise she has already been in heat before, and recall a period of excessive fussyness with food.


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## The Popster (Feb 23, 2021)

Starla said:


> If she’s in heat, that can explain her pickiness or reluctance to eat. Every pet I’ve owned has wanted at least a little taste of fresh water when it is put down. It could be the novelty of the food on the floor, or it could be something bothering her about the bowl. For instance, Phoebe isn’t typically wearing a collar, so when she is, it tends to bother her while she’s eating if it bangs the bowl.


Oh, Poppy does not wear her collar in doors.


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## The Popster (Feb 23, 2021)

Rose n Poos said:


> I don't have the boys wear collars at home but do when traveling. Remo won't eat with a collar on, whether it clinks or not.
> 
> A plain silicone mat to contain the food? No food bowl needed.
> View attachment 482061
> ...


Yes yes - 'or, ummm, just wait her out. She'll eat when she's really hungry'
And I accept it is us who are the bonkers ones.

Thanks for above, the silicone matt is what I probably should have odered, instead of the marble worktop protector I have already odered for the little madam.


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## The Popster (Feb 23, 2021)

@Rose n Poos, yes she loves her puzzle toys, and her snuffle mat.
She also stores chews in her toy box ( Tool box I keep calling it ), and actually she puts her toys back in her toy box too quite often.
Our breeder said we could train her to do this, but she does it of her own accord.
Cute, she gets a toy out for rough and tumble, when she 'wins' it she trots back to the toy box with it, and selcts another.
Funny little....madam.


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## The Popster (Feb 23, 2021)

Bigbark said:


> Remy is the same way. He's a one year old mini and sometimes he just stops eating out of his bowl. He'll eat the exact same food off the floor or out of my hand or from his kong. I now have two foraging toys for him, and it's really helped to get him to eat his kibble. The boy just likes to play with his food!! Maybe it's a small dog thing. My standard never played these mind games. I put his food down, blinked and it was gone.
> 
> Here's Remy foraging.
> 
> View attachment 482035


Poppy has virtually the same puzzle toy. Trapdoors, sliders and two mini Kongs to pull off.
But now she is like a machine, bish, bash , bosh, done!!
Going to have to up the anti me thinks.


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## Misteline (Mar 10, 2019)

I have never fed Evelyn out of a bowl. Food is given through feeder toys or as part of training only in this household. I wonder if making Poppy work for it will encourage he appetite and reduce pickiness?


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

I definitely found when Annie was going through picky/stressful periods that making her work for her food helped. She also prefers to eat off of a plate. 

She likes kibble scattered on the floor and hunt the kibble games, and will eat her kibble for doing tricks even if she is so stressed she won't otherwise eat. 

Spoiled? Annie? She is currently snoozing on my lap after being hand fed a handful of kibble.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

It sounds like one of those situations where we spend an obsene amount of money on "stuff" to "fix" the "problem" where we just need the most basic solution like putting food on the floor.

Like for cats - when all you need is an old shoe string tied to a stick or a crumpled up napkin or an Amazon box to keep them busy for days.

The things we do for our poodles 😭 😭


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## Apricot mini momma (Dec 22, 2020)

Beau has always taken his food bit by bit out of the bowl and spread it on the floor nearby, he then eats it off the floor. 🤪😆🐩


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

The Popster said:


> And I accept it is us who are the bonkers ones.


If I didn't say this in any previous posts, my Remo is the one who drives me to distraction. He does still really like the kibble we settled on, as well as the rotating toppers, but there are days...

I have to keep reminding myself too, "he'll eat when he's hungry". It's particularly hard to manage _myself_ on the days that he does his Hungry Happy Dance and then must be cajoled over to the bowl!??!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

May I just say I _wish_ I had the appetite of these poodles of ours?! Would love to bottle up a little of that self control.


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## The Popster (Feb 23, 2021)

Well it seems Poppy is not a special case of canine chow conumdrums ..... in fact the 'issue' is becoming something else, less of a negative more a positive.
I say that now.....watch this space.

IT IS WE WHO ARE BONKERS!!!

T&C's - The above statement was correct at time of publication and can be subject to change.
Please treat your Poodle with respect - Poodleaware.


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