[RogerRogerson]

G'day All,

I have a Half Australian Terrier Half Jack Russell, she is around 10 years old and a great dog. When feeding time comes she doesn't eat directly from the bowl but picks a bit of food out puts it on the floor or ground and eats it from there.

I have observed her run off with it to eat somewhere else and come back (mainly when she is eating dry food / kibble), she will do this for a good 10 - 20 minutes, It is funny to watch but I have always been curious as to why she does it.

I have had a few ideas as to why she is doing it, but I am no dog shrink so I thought I would come on here and get some opinions.

-Maybe she is sorting her food, kind of like a kid picking out the food they dont like.

-Maybe she does this as she was abandoned by someone while she was a pup and had to contend with other animals for food, so she is making sure no-one is going to pinch her eats.

It isn't a problem (only that once in a while she causes a mess) however I would like to get to the bottom of this curious behaviour.

Thanks in advance!
Roger.

[german sheep]

Does your dog wear a collar during this time? Does she has a metal bowl?
If it is so, maybe she is sensitive to the (metal) sound the collar makes with the feeding dish...

It could be a kind of negative link she has got with it. Have you tried to put the bowl somewhere else, does she show the same behaviour? Maybe it is just the space around her and she will act totally different in other surroundings. Try it.
Outside, inside, kitchen, garage...watch her and tell us, how the behaviour of her is changing. Feed her on different times, in the morning in the evening...try another bowl, another person.
What is she doing, when you hold the bowl in your hands? Is it the same thing or can she then stay/remain during her meal?

Only when you have tried everything out, then you can imagine on what her attitude depends, if it is stress or if it is the bowl or the person or just a quirk.

LG
gs

english version

[CorkyMax]

Found this on the net: she takes the pieces of her food out of the bowl and distributes them all over the floor even onto the living room carpet area. She does not eat all of the food she takes out of the bowl. Her procedure is to take the pieces out of the bowl then eat off the floor leaving behind what she does not eat.I have tried decreasing amounts but still end up with a mess. I believe she was exposed to this habit by my sister's dog who did that but her dog ate what she put on the floor. I continue to put the bits back into the bowl on a daily basis and the mess seems to be keep getting worse. Any suggestions as to how to avoid the eating habit mess.– Leaving a Trail

Dear Leaving: This particular habit is common among dogs. Some think it goes back to the mammal/wolf instinct of taking food away from the “kill” or to protect their portion from other’s stealing it while they are eating. Other owners report that their dogs bring the food out of the bowl away from a hard floor to a softer surface such as carpet or towels. Dogs also pick-up behavior learned from others, so it’s logical to think that your sister’s dog taught her this trick. I’m curious does the other dog eat the leftovers on the floor? If so, just be aware that the Yorkie doesn’t overeat and gain weight.

Cleaning up the Mess
Whatever the reason what you need now is instant relief. My first thought is to confine your Shih Tzu in a smaller area such as a crate or place a baby gate at the kitchen door into the living room. By cutting off access to the area she drops her food, it will force her to change her behavior. Two other thoughts might be to change her food to something that is not a “moist” such as dry kibble if you are concerned that canned or packaged food is making a gooey mess of your floors and rugs. You might also try changing her bowl. I had a dog once that wouldn’t eat out of his stainless steel bowl because it made a “clangy” noise when his metal collar tag hit it while eating. Depending on what you are using, maybe a switch to a ceramic or rubber bowl and put it on a small piece of carpet or towel and maybe she will just take her bits out of the bowl and deposit them nearby on her new “placemat.”

A link to others who have a dog that does this and their comments: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/42337

This article is interesting and may give you an idea or two to try: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content...dog_eating.htm