I know my trainer said to be careful with feeding by hand, since some dogs come to rely on that and won't eat otherwise.
She suggested I put down Kasey's food for only a specific amount of time, and then take it away. Said I needed to teach Kasey that there are certain times that are mealtime, and that those are the times she should eat. Important to leave water down all of the time, though.
Frankly, between doing that -- AND adding a little tasty stuff to her kibble (one strip of chopped up boiled chicken and a little sprinkle of parmesan cheese, plus water) -- she has developed a much better eating habit. In fact, she always wants more!
She, too, used to leave her food.... but now she's much improved. I give her a lot of exercise so she doesn't gain too much weight!
Hope this is helpful.
Kim
__________________  Love my Kasey! |