my jack russell and her eating habits

Question
Out of curiosity, do you happen to know why my jack russell terrier only eats her dog food when I'm in the kitchen with her?  She's 4 years old and just started forming this habit the past year or so.
Thanks so much for your help.
Dawn  

Answer
Hi Dawn;
Dogs are just like children, they can have some peculiar habits. Lord only knows what goes on in those little minds.
Have your activities, your job etc, cut into the amount of time you have with her?
It could be she is just wanting a little more quality time with you. She may have gotten it into her little mind that this is a special time with mommy.
Has there been a change in the household?
Like you getting married, or something that puts another person in your life? She could be jealous, and just wanting you to herself more. If there is someone with you at the dinner table that was not there before.she could very well be jealous of that.
Before this started, was she ill, and you stayed with her to be sure she ate? If that was the case, maybe she liked it, and just wants to keep it up.
Sometimes they just take on weird behavior for heaven only knows what reason. Not just the little breeds either. My English Setter takes to a little tad of spoiling in a New York minute.
She has bad arthritis, and has trouble making her legs work sometimes. She really likes the pampering she can get like, helping her up into the living room chair she has taken for her own. She is also almost blind, and when she gets disoriented, she barks for us to come and get her, and help her get her bearings. sometimes she barks for me to come, and all she wants is for me to watch her eat or get a drink of water. like that is a rare treat for me.LOL
She has always liked special attention, but since she is old and crippled up, she really plays it for all she can.
Jack Russels are a little more into outer space than some other breeds. They are bright, and learn things quickly, so it follows they have a higher intellegence. Dogs DO think and reason. I have observed it for a long time.
This could be something she needs to feel secure, or it just might be some game she is playing.
Charlotte