Fussy cocker spaniel eating habits

My 2 year old female cocker has developed a weird eating habit, she won't eat unless we feed her by hand, it's as if she has a phobia of eating out of a bowl, don't know what to do with her and no idea why she's doing it, any ideas??

The more you pander to it, the more she'll not eat from the bowl. If mine have started with anything similar I've just left it down, if they don't eat it they're obviously not hungry

Do you use a stainless steel bowl and if so is her ID tag clanging on it? Some dogs don't like the sound of the tag hitting the side of the bowl.

Spaniels have the problem of their ears dangling into their bowls when being fed. Maybe this is what's happening and she doesn't like it?

If this could be the problem, try one of those feeding dishes that are raised of the floor

The really simple solution to the dangly ear thing is to cut the cuff off the sleeve of a shirt and use that to gather their ears over their head, which holds them up without squeezing them uncomfortably. It does look very daft, but I'm sure they get over that very quickly as long as you don't let them see themselves in a mirror while they're like it

Just got a special spaniel bowl but she ain't impressed with that!

My dad had a norfolk lurcher, Sheba, who was a fussy eater.

She would not eat her food unless we told her "Sadie's gonna eat it!" (sadie was my samoyed cross girl)

Sheba would almost always turn her bowl over, and "bury" her food with the mat on which the food was served.

I got a special feeding bowl for her which had a large mat moulded onto the base of the bowl which prevented her from overturning it.

Just put food down once a day if she turns her nose up at it .pick it up and repeat at same time daily till she starts to eat I had the most fussiest eater ever .once hungry they will eat and ignore if they don't eat . Just let them get on with it on there own and don't give any attention to them . Encouraging them etc . Ignorance works wonders . My dog was a total nightmare now sorted

---------- Post added 26-04-2014 at 21:35 ----------

Also spread biscuits etc on the floor not in a bowl not in all one place just dotted about in a certain patch

---------- Post added 26-04-2014 at 21:41 ----------

Have you changed her food recently

Offer food at normal feed time if not eaten after 20 mins remove offer nothing else till next feed time they will eat if hungry. Dont keep hand feeding cause your just pandering to her ways and it will become a habit. If she not eating dry food you could offer wet food Lillys kitchen is good and very tempting both wet/dry.