# Oh Abbie...my special little hound...



## meggels (May 30, 2010)

So, I picked up this cute food bowl stand at TJ Maxx Thursday night for $13, as I had been wanting one for awhile for Abbie's dishes (kibble dish and the dogs water bowl).











As you can see, it is very scary.


Before that, for a few months, she's been eating off of my own homemade...ghetto food stand:











The new one though? She is scared of it. She will eat like a mouthful and that's it. How do I get her over this??? Do I just do the tough love until she is hungry enough to just eat out of the freaking food stand bowl and see that it is *not* going to eat her? 

This morning I took her bowl out and just put it on the ground, and then thought to myself...well that defeats the whole purpose of even buying the stand in the first place. 

*sigh* Gotta love her though...even if she's scared of objects.


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## bernadettelevis (Feb 2, 2011)

i wouldn't use tough love here. I would mark and treat her for any movement towards the stand. At first give her the treats (super special treats) and when she gets more comfortable i would toss the treat in the bowl in the stand. I would use her old bowl, until she's not scared of the new one anymore.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I'd feed her out of the new bowls on your old homemade stand until she's used to those bowls. Keep the new stand close by so that she's used to that being around. Slowly move it closer and closer to the old homemade one. Then put the new bowl on the new stand. If shes still scared at that point I'd do a little game with her by shaping her to actively touch the stand on her own while earning her meal. Example: If she moves toward it, give her a piece of food. Ignore her if she backs away from it. If you've used a clicker before I'd get that our and use it. 

Tough love will work but things can be done with a little more care and fun :wink:


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

I would put treats around it, and smear meat all over it, juices and the like. Start with the bowl and slowly move up to the stand. The smell of meat should peak her interest.

Edit: Whoops, sorry, thought you fed raw. Um, just try treats then?


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