Why Do Dogs Carry Their Food To The Carpet

Some dogs will just go a short distance away from their dishes and others will go far away or even to a hiding spot such as behind the couch or under the table to eat their food.

Why do dogs carry their food to the carpet.

Why does my dog stuff her little cheeks with her dog food carry it into the living room spit it all out on the rug and eat it there. When dogs in the wild make a kill the outranked animals drag pieces of food away so they don t have to fight the leader or a more dominant canine for it says dr. As a sociable creature your dog might simply want to be near you while he eats so feeding him within your sight might help allay his loneliness. My son was visiting yesterday and he saw the dogs doing this and commented that his chihuahua also takes his food from the bowl to the carpet to eat.

When he or she eats on the carpet the food s location is clear. If your dog is getting older and if his or her food is similar in color to the bowl the food may be hard to see. For some dogs however the carpet is a good place to eat because it makes the food easier to see. Both of them do this.

Before dogs were domesticated they often ran in packs. Possible reasons behind the curious mealtime behavior. The more subordinate pack members would carry food away to hide it from other members of the pack. The answer to this propensity lies in two words.

The biggest reason for this behavior is instinct. Eating off the soft carpet could just be more comfortable for your canine companion. Some dogs particularly those in multi dog households may carry their food away as a way to keep it to themselves. The carpet is your dog s safe spot.

The problem is with the eating habits of the shih tzu 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. You can try making it more difficult for her by feeding a raw diet or adding warm water eggs canned food sardines goat s milk broth or another moist additive to her food. If you can t figure out why your dog is carrying her food from her bowl to the floor and none of the above reasons seem to fit there may be no logical explanation. Julie albright keck dvm ma dacvb an assistant professor of veterinary behavior at the university of.

When they eat food from their bowl they put the food in their mouths and then take the pieces to the carpet in the next room and eat it there.