[yorkietalkjilly]

He'll eventually overcome his fear of the bowl so just go along w/him if that gets him eating for your peace of mind. Unless he's a tiny, he won't starve or get ill but why make life harder on both of you if you don't want to wait him out? Unless he's very nervous as a learned behavior or has a genetic predisposition to fearful reactions to most new things or situations, one day he'll eat from a bowl like any dog, if for no other reason than to wanting to fit in with his little family pack's behavior.

When training military/police service dogs, usually large working breeds showing the strong love of working but also some will occasionally tend to fearful reactions to noise or sudden distractions, some trainers will place their kibble in a large metal bowl filled w/cans and other noisy items, the kibble at the bottom and the dog eventually learns to eat no matter the distractions, scary noises or hardships he suffers to get to his nourishment! I've seen video of those dogs driving their muzzles down through the cans, bits of pipe, etc., and scarfing down their food as cans and things bang, clang and fall out of the bowl onto the floor, other dogs or cats nearby skittering around, etc., from the ruckus, as the dog focuses in on getting his dinner. Yikes!