If you have more than one dog, you may have come across the problem of one dog eating the other's food. This can occur because one dog has less of an appetite than the other and leaves his food for your other dog to clean up, or one of your dogs may be dominant over the other and takes the more submissive dog's food.
Sharing or Stealing Food
First, it's important that dogs each have their own food bowl. It's okay to have a community water bowl, but each dog should get their own helping in a separate bowl. Ideally, each dog gets their meal at the same time and finishes at the same time.
To create and maintain healthy habits and relationships between pets, make sure they eat separately. Don't allow dogs to share bowls at mealtime, and create different locations in your home where you feed each one so that they don't feel like they need to scarf or protect the food.
Some dogs developed this trait when they were puppies, and competition for food involved a lot of shoulder to shoulder jostling with their brothers and sisters. By taking the food out of the bowl, it secures a piece just for them, and even when they no longer have this competition, it's become a habit for them.
Though this behavior is unwanted, it is most definitely natural and instinctual. In the wild, dogs' relatives watch attentively as the pack leader eats to let him know they are hungry and that they are hoping for his scraps to eat.
There are some basic tenets that establish the Alpha and maintain a viable pecking order within the pack. The most basic of all of these tenets is FOOD. In a dog/dog pack, the Alpha always eats first. The rest of the pack gets the leftovers.
This is a sign of respect. In your home, you set your dog's feeding schedule. If your pup sees you as the alpha, he or she will patiently wait for food or subtly ask for table scraps. And more importantly, your dog will not swipe food from your plate.
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.
"This appears to be an urge to take their food to a quieter or more secure area to eat in peace," Wilson told The Dodo. "One of my dogs, PJ, would not take a mouthful away but would pick up her entire bowl to move to a quieter dining spot if she felt stressed."
One of the most common reasons why dogs love to lick their owners is simply to show their affection. Since you're the one taking care of them, you're essentially their world! When dogs lick, pleasurable endorphins are released into their blood which makes them feel calm and comforted.
Claim submissive dog's bowl
Let your food-stealing dog eat from his own bowl. When he approaches the other dog's bowl, push him away, by placing your body between the dog and the extra bowl.
No. Dogs actually have fewer taste receptors compared to humans. That means they have less of an urge to eat something different every day. So your dog will not get bored of eating the same food every day.
Have ALL of your dogs SIT/DOWN while you prepare their food bowls. Next, place the food bowls in front of each dog in the designated order. Release your dogs to eat saying your chosen release word. Lastly, have each dog SIT/DOWN after they finish eating and STAY until you pick up the bowls and release them.
Dogs with their fondness for sniffing each other's body parts are already exposed to faecal waste. However, if faecal bacteria get into the communal drinking bowl, intestinal pathogens such as roundworms and parvovirus could be easily spread from pet to pet.
What About Sharing Water Bowls? For homes with dogs, or dogs and cats, it's generally safe and just fine for the pets to share water bowls. In nearly all situations, the pets will not be at risk of passing on diseases, bacteria or viruses through sharing bowls.
Don't leave food out for your dog to graze on — take it back within 10 minutes if it hasn't been eaten to help cement the idea of mealtimes. Use your dog's kibble as treats, and only offer meals for short periods of time. This leaves your dog no choice but to eat their food and hopefully get used to it.
Vocalization. Constant whining or whimpering lets you know that something just isn't right with your dog. Even more obvious than a whine, a yelp or crying out in pain when you touch your dog is his way of letting you know that he hurts.
So When Should you Walk Your Dog? As a general rule of thumb, it's best to walk your dog first thing in the morning and then wait an hour or so before feeding, then again in the evening a couple of hours after their evening meal.
Just as humans stare into the eyes of someone they adore, dogs will stare at their owners to express affection. In fact, mutual staring between humans and dogs releases oxytocin, known as the love hormone. This chemical plays an important role in bonding and boosts feelings of love and trust.
Making piles of food, also known as burying, is behavior that has been observed in all canines, including wolves and foxes. Burying, according to Dr. Desmond Morris, a zoologist, is behavior that is driven by the instinct to preserve food for later consumption.
If your dog follows you everywhere then it's a sign that they trust and love you and that you make them feel safe. Following you very closely can be a sign that they're bored, they want something, they're feeling scared or are just being nosy.
Wild dogs exhibit similar behaviors, opting to sleep in small, confined areas with pack members they trust to protect against predators. When your dog sleeps right next to you, he is demonstrating trust in his “alpha” human.