7 reasons why your rescue dog is obsessed with food
Dogs are always excited about food.
But they could also eat more when excited.
“Is that food? Is that food? Give me.”
Think of your doggo’s previous situation.
They were deprived of food and fun.
So their excitement for new things is high.
My friend’s rescue dog acts this way.
He gets too excited about almost everything.
He tends to run quickly once his leash is off.
And where does he head to?
When he finds it empty, he will start pawing.
He won’t stop until he gets fed.
He devours food like there’s no tomorrow.
My friend’s other dogs are big eaters too.
But the rescue doggo is a voracious one.
“Would my dog stay this way?”
You can help your pooch contain their excitement.
And train them to be calm to get what they want.
Here are WebMD’s suggestions to prevent begging.
It’s important your pooch learns how to behave.
And get to feel more secure around you.
Why is my rescue dog obsessed with food?
Your rescue dog is obsessed with food due to nutritional deficiency, diabetes type-1, or intestinal worms. It can also be a behavior developed after being starved for a long time, after fighting for food, caused by exciting and new things, or just because of their breed.
If you notice your dog is eating more than usual, consult your veterinarian to be sure that their feeding frenzies are not the result of a more serious health concern.
Dr. Jules Benson, VP of Veterinary Services at Petplan Pet Insurance says, “typically, the insatiable hunger can be attributed to canine biology, but it also can be a warning sign for a medical issue such as diabetes or Cushing’s disease.”
“Most of the dogs I see act hungry because they have been reinforced for acting that way.” Bennett offers. “It’s hard to resist those big brown dog eyes when a dog looks at their owner…so owners give their dog a treat. This reinforces the food seeking behavior in the dog, so that it gets stronger in the dog. And since the dog eats, the owner feels that the dog really was hungry. It’s an interesting cycle.”
Dr. Benson also mentions that an always hungry dog could have a medical problem causing them to always feel hungry.
“In this sense, I think dogs often train us to feed them,” Bennett adds. “My own dog is able to do his ‘it’s time to eat act’ with each member of the family at night and we’ve fallen for it enough that we actually have to confirm with one another whether or not he has been fed. He’s a smart dog.”
Why Dogs Act Hungry All The Time (5 KEY Reasons And What To Do)
Many dogs act as though their stomachs are bottomless; feed them their whole meal and they will follow you around looking for scraps. While this is a plus for positive reinforcement training, it’s hard to not wonder why your dog acts like he is starving all the time. But is there even an answer to the question? A Veterinarian and Dog Trainer weigh in below with some possible explanations for your dog’s insatiable appetite.
Dr. Jules Benson, VP of Veterinary Services at Petplan Pet Insurance says, “typically, the insatiable hunger can be attributed to canine biology, but it also can be a warning sign for a medical issue such as diabetes or Cushing’s disease.”
He explains that a “dog’s eat when food is presented mentality” may be because of their wild ancestry. “Looking at the domestic dog’s nearest wild relative, the grey wolf, they are adapted to a feast-or-famine diet and can go many days without fresh prey,” Dr. Benson explains. “They achieve this through eating large amounts when food is available, food caching (may be analogous to burying bones in the garden!) and scavenging (watch out for the kitchen trash can!).”
So it’s possible your dog is not actually hungry, but eating whenever food is offered in case you stop offering it.
For the lazy lab that has been a house dog from birth, this may be a hard explanation to swallow, since he has not been wild even and neither has any of his nearest kin. And, if many of their other instinctual traits have been bred out of them (for example herding dogs that no longer have the instinct to herd) it could be argued that this one would be as well, though it does have its benefits to humans. As aforementioned, it certainly makes training eaiser.
Dr. Benson also mentions that an always hungry dog could have a medical problem causing them to always feel hungry.
“While some dogs just simply like to indulge in food, sometimes an increased appetite is the sign of an underlying health issue,” he explains.
If you notice your dog is eating more than usual, consult your veterinarian to be sure that their feeding frenzies are not the result of a more serious health concern.
Robin Bennett, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, author, and consultant, suggests we may have actually caused this behavior in our dogs.
“Most of the dogs I see act hungry because they have been reinforced for acting that way.” Bennett offers. “It’s hard to resist those big brown dog eyes when a dog looks at their owner…so owners give their dog a treat. This reinforces the food seeking behavior in the dog, so that it gets stronger in the dog. And since the dog eats, the owner feels that the dog really was hungry. It’s an interesting cycle.”
Bennett notes that even if you don’t train your dog with food, you are most like “guilty” of giving them a treat when they “ask for it” through begging, staring at you, etc.
“In this sense, I think dogs often train us to feed them,” Bennett adds. “My own dog is able to do his ‘it’s time to eat act’ with each member of the family at night and we’ve fallen for it enough that we actually have to confirm with one another whether or not he has been fed. He’s a smart dog.”
Based in Tustin, Calif., animal lover Kristina N. Lotz is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and works as a full time trainer. She also owns her own custom pet products company, A Fairytail House, where she makes personalized collars, leashes, beds, keepsake pillows and blankets, and anything else your imagine can think up. In her spare time, she trains and competes in herding, agility, obedience, rally, and conformation with her Shetland Sheepdogs.