He Doesn’t Want an Empty Bowl
Your dog might leave a single kernel of food in his bowl simply because he doesn’t like seeing an empty bowl.
It may be that your dog has started to associate hunger with an empty bowl. By leaving a little bit of food in his bowl at the end of the meal, he won’t be able to make that association.
Dogs can also sometimes be afraid of their own reflection staring back at them from a stainless-steel bowl. If this is the case with your pooch, leaving one piece of food in his bowl will make it difficult for him to see his reflection.
7 Possible Reasons Why Your Dog Leaves Food on the Floor
Sometimes, bored or stressed-out dogs play with their food as a form of entertainment or to get your attention. This could include evacuating the food from its bowl and tossing or batting it about or tipping the bowl over and emptying the contents all over the floor.
The best way to combat this is to exercise your dog prior to feeding, leaving around some time between the exercise and feeding time to let your dog settle. Schedule playtime sessions throughout the day and provide mentally stimulating toys if you’re going to be out of the house for a while.
4 Possible Reasons Why Your Dog Leaves One Piece of Food
Your dog may be leaving one single morsel of food in his bowl to conserve food. This could be a behavior carried over by your dog’s ancestors. The general idea is that if they save a little bit of food from their meal, they’ll have something to eat the next day.
Dogs have an instinct to conserve food because they didn’t always have easy access to food in the wild. Your dog’s ancestors may have had a habit of conserving food to ensure that they’ll always have food to return to and won’t go hungry.
You might also notice your dog carrying his food to other areas of your home and storing it for later use. This is another behavior that’s been genetically ingrained in him from his wild ancestors. When wild dogs hid their food, they always knew that they’d have something readily available for eating if they don’t have a good hunting day.