Petey

Question
Any ideas on how to get my dog (cocker spaniel) to eat over his bowl?  Thanks for any advice!!

Answer
Hi Lora;
Hm, sloppy eater huh?
My friend has one of those.
He puts his kibble out on the floor, THEN eats most of it, walks off and leaves the rest, until she orders him to pick up that food.LOL He is a little spoiled Yorkie.
My husband built a little stand to raise our dogs' food dishes.
We have some older dogs, and they have a little Arthritis, and bending down just puts unneeded strain on their joints.
It does seem to keep more food in the bowl too, not that I think about it.
If you raise the bowl so that your dog doesn't have to bend down to the floor to eat, he may keep his head over the bowl more.
If he gets a bite and moves away from the bowl, and raising the level doesn't help, then I would suggest getting a rubber mat that covers a large enough area to keep the mess off the floor, and be able to clean up easily.
Jusr raise the lever enough so the dog stands comfortably straight, and doesn't have to bend down, or strain to reach over the edges of the bowl.
Also, could he be dragging the food out with his ears?
Cockers have a bit of trouble in food and water dishes with those ears.
Hope that helps, or at least gives you some thoughts of what might work better.
Sometimes hearing one suggestion makes you think of an even better solution.
Charlotte