Is It Normal For Dogs To Carry Food Bowls Around
The internet is teeming with questions from pet parents worldwide, all asking the same question – why is my dog carrying its food bowl? It’s safe to say this habit is pretty prevalent among canines.
Until the day we figure out a way to understand doggy language, we may never be sure why dogs like carrying their food bowls.
However, viable explanations surround this canine habit – ranging from age-old hunting instinct to pets wanting to be closer to their owners.
Reasons Your Dog Carries Its Food Bowl Around
You may find your puppy’s food bowl carrying habit adorable or annoying. But, no matter your personal feelings, chances are you’re super curious about why your canine is behaving that way.
Even though pet experts haven’t wholly cracked doggy behaviorism – they have managed to pinpoint a few exact reasons behind your pooch carrying its food bowl. Here’s what they are.
One of the usual culprits behind your pet moving around with its food bowl is hunger. If your pet seems to appear in your periphery with its bowl in its mouth and mealtime is just around the corner – your dog is reminding you ‘it’s food time, human!’
However, if you see your pet carrying the food bowl in periods between chow time – it could be your pet’s feeling a little underfed. This could be for various reasons; for example, perhaps the brand of dog food you’re giving your pup isn’t providing it the adequate amount of calories.
A more worrying cause is the presence of parasites, like roundworms. Either way, a quick visit to the vet ought to fix your canine right up.
Canines can act out of character if they’re uneasy or feeling anxious. That’s why another possible reason why your dog has suddenly taken to carrying its food bowl around at times – it could be a sign of nervousness.
Dogs can feel anxious at various points in their lives and for different reasons. That’s why you’re going to have to do a little sleuthing to discover what’s causing your pet to feel agitated. It could be that you’ve moved homes recently or added a new pet to the family (much to your dog’s dismay).
One of the best ways to calm your pup’s ruffled proverbial feathers is to spend some extra quality time with it and shower it with TLC.
Taking care of a fur baby can be a lot like looking after an actual baby. Itty bitty doggies go through a teething period, during which their achy gums need some relief. That’s one reason why your pup can be using its food bowl as a chew toy.
A sure-shot method of detecting teething problems in young canines is to look out for other objects (like your shoes, for example) your canine’s tried to gnaw on.
Invest in a high-quality chew toy designed to help pups with teething woes aid your puppy during this time.
Dogs can have their quirks too, which is why a possible explanation for your canine’s food bowl carrying habit can be that your pet wants you to change the location of the bowl.
Perhaps the steel bowl keeps slipping on the tiled surface, or maybe your pet wants to feed somewhere closer to you. Additionally, if there’s a designated area where your canine generally likes to set its food bowl – you can be sure your pet wants a change of scenery as it eats.
Back in the day, canine ancestors survived by hunting for their food. And because food is always a precious commodity, it wasn’t uncommon for them to ‘hide’ their kill to keep it safe from other predators.
Despite thousands of years of evolution, it’s possible your canine feels the urge to carry around its food bowl to keep its food supply safe. This type of behavior is even more likely if there’s another pet contender around for your dog’s food.
Think back to the beginning of your canine’s perplexing food bowl habit. Is it possible that you may have topped up your pup’s bowl thinking it was hungry?
If you did, you might have unknowingly encouraged your canine’s food bowl carrying. How? That’s simple. You see, canine behavior linked to food is easiest to reinforce – especially with positive reinforcement. That’s why it’s likely your pet feels you ‘rewarded’ its food bowl carrying with giving it more yummy stuff.
The good news is, you can train your dog to understand that carrying the food bowl around is not likely to win any favors from you.
They Are Hungry
If they carry their bowl around, especially when they have yet to be fed, it may mean that they are hungry.
They may be reminding you to feed them.
Especially if they do this constantly, you should ensure that they are being fed enough with the right amount of calories while allowing them to maintain a healthy diet.
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Your dog could move his food bowl around for the same reason he buries his bones in the backyard (or in your laundry or under your pillow) — an instinct that goes back to his wild ancestors. Wolves often stash their food away from the pack so they can eat in peace. On the other hand, your dog could just want to communicate with you about his food or the placement of his bowl.