Dog Eating

[rockyracoon]

Due to building work being done in the house, the dog's food and water bowls have been brought into the living room. He has a very strange habit of taking a mouthful of dried food and dropping it 3-4 feet away from his bowl, he then proceeds to pick a couple of bits out to eat and leaves the rest. I just though he was a messy sod whilst his food was in the kitchen but he has probably been doing this for years.

Any idea why he does this? It's driving me bonkers.

[rockyracoon]

He's 9 years old by the way, so probably no chance of changing his habits now.

[ummmm]

No idea but one of my cats does the same.

[sandyRoe]

I'd guess it's a hangover from the ancestral days when a dog might grab a bite and carry it to a place where it could eat it at leisure.

[1ozzy]

Our dog does pretty much the opposite, wolfs it down that quickly she gags and chokes.
Does your dog like the stuff you feed it?
Is it over fed?
Is the bowl somehow repellent to it?

I've never met a dog that leaves food behind.

[1ozzy]

Thank goodness this thread wasn't about Chinese menus ;-)

[rockyracoon]

i wouldn't say he was over fond of the food he gets but he gets through his bowl full over the course of the day (except the bits that are now going up the hoover)

Does your cat get dry food Ummmm?

Sandy, you may be right but he doesn't seem to go back to it, just leaves it for me to tread all over the carpet.

[ummmm]

They get wet and dry. Little cat eats from the bowl...the other one takes it out and eats off the floor.

[rsvp]

Just a suggestion but maybe try putting the bowl down in the morning, giving him five minutes then picking it up - give it to him again in the evening for five minutes. Very few dogs will willingly starve themselves to death!

[ladybirder]

I know a terrier whose dry food is left out all day and he picks a mouthful up and drops it on the rug at the other end of the room. He then proceeds to eat it piece by piece but he does eat all of it.
You could try not leaving food around all day and give him half of his daily allowance in the morning and again in the evening. He might then be properly hungry and eat it all.
Or perhaps a change of food might suit him.

[pastafreak]

Mine will do that. She's a "careful" eater...takes her time. Takes larger chunks from her bowl onto the hall carpet...leaves some of the good quality dry behind...both in the bowl and on the dark carpet where my bare feet meet up with it. Ouch!

[venator]

Wolves take food back to the den for pups - could this be an instinct?

http://www.wolfweb.com/diet.html

[rockyracoon]

I did try feeding him half in the morning and half in the evening a couple of years ago, didn't make any difference at all. He largely ignore his food except when I first put it down, then he'll do they dropping all over the room thing. He tends to eat when we eat in the evening, that's when he'll really dive into the bowl. Perhaps I'll take it up til then.

[rockyracoon]

Not sure venator - who knows what goes through a dogs head ;)

[maggiebee]

Maybe it's a wee bit like me with Pick and Mix RR - some I like, some I don't so I just choose what I like lol

[rsvp]

I'm sure you've thought of this RR but if he had dried food I suppose his teeth and mouth are okay?

[rockyracoon]

Yep, they seem fine RSVP. He gobbles his food at other times but just seems to have this irritating habit. It's only really come to light because I'm watching him eat now, the little sod glares at me when he's doing it as well, almost in an 'up yours' kinda way.

[chaptazbru2]

If he's not 'over fond' of the food he gets, why don't you give him something else ??

[rsvp]

Aren't they little delights - anothe'' perhap' then would be to with- hold food for 24 hours then give a very small amount, remove the bowl if not finished quickly. At the next feed increase it a little and so on. Also it's a good idea to keep 'um guessing, mix up feed times, make them wait a little longer or miss one out altogether. That increases the value of the food. In the wild there are no clocks! I wish you all the luck in the world you're gonna need it!

[rockyracoon]

Because the only thing he likes is proper meat. He doesn't eat treats (unless they're meat)/veg/fruit, nothing, just wants meat. At least if I insist on him eating this he gets the vitamins etc that he needs.

Ooh, I lie, he'll eat a bit of cucumber and a cow biscuit.

[rockyracoon]

Thanks rsvp, good job we love em eh?