Can you tell me about my dog's eating quirk?

[earlystreetlight]

Can anyone give me any insight on this quirky behaviour?

my 2yr old Bedlington Terrier is really standoffish about food. Mostly he can take it or leave it. ( shame about the squirrels though )

when we put down food ( and even if we know he is hungry ie when he comes and stands by me when I'm cooking ) he will act firstly as if he doesn't want it.

He will look away, walk away and lately, then return literally by skulking around the edges of the room back to the bowl. It's almost like he showing he doesn't really want it.

I was just putting out his food and he could see me do it and he went across the room and stood behind a plant. As if he was in an am dram.

We find it funny but I am curious as to what could be behind it.

In the same vein, my friend's dog will not eat if anyone is watching.

Any thoughts knowledgeable dog people?

Mine like company he gets a bit shifty if I leave him to it.

When we first got him I had to hand feed him, and slip his actual food in between bits of chicken. Then we had to get all excited about it being time to eat...we had a song and everything, "The Chickeny TeaTime" song. And suddenly he got over it and would just eat his chickenless food from the bowl, with occasional shiftiness if he's abandoned in the kitchen by me being heartless.

He does have ishoooos, but only being alone, and no recall, but other than that he's fine for a GSD
We sometimes sing The Chickeny TeaTime song for old time's sake. He seems to like it.

Mine always sniffs it, walks away in disgust, and only eventually, when she realises no cheese is raining from the sky, goes back and eats it.

I've always assumed she is hoping I'll give her something 'better' (ie cheese...she'll do anything for cheese) and has to put on a show :D

(She's currently on vet prescription food due to being really poorly and her horror has to be seen to be believed )

Yabu not to post the lyrics of The Chickeny Teatime Song..

Mine is weird too. She simply can’t fathom why she doesn’t get to eat at the table with the people. (She’s a 56kg Shiloh Shepherd, not a wee, handbag doggy.) She has to sit quietly on her bed when we’re eating, or she gets evicted from upstairs. Every minute or so we hear a very quiet whistling noise coming from her direction, which is her most pitiful whine. (It’s a new one!) When we’ve finished, cleaned up after ourselves and she’s realised that once again, her wishes were in vain, she rushes downstairs to her bowl rushes her bowl and glares balefully as if to say “Dog food again?!?! REALLY???” Then she snarfs it all, rushes back upstairs and burps noisily in one of our faces. (Such a lady.)

@StillMedusa - tbf, your dog and I place the same value on cheese when it comes to the food pyramid. Smart girl… I hope she recovers very quickly and can get out of diet hell and back to happy cheeseland.

@Justilou1 She's HUGE and very gorgeous. How much does she eat.

Re the feeding - There is a trend to feed on a flat board. I don't do this because my rough collie behaves like a wolf and chomps everything (also the burping) but it is said to replicate the wild???

OP could be a bit of overwhelm when the food is put down.

So a bit of anxiety could be due to stage fright eg the food is put down and then people tend to watch their dog eat it , can be off putting for some dogs.

The osition of the bowl can be hard for some dogs, some like it in a corner where they feel safe others prefer it in the middle of an area so they can herd it first!

Might be the bowl, some dogs dont like stainless steel bowls as the noise they make on the floor or the shiny surface of the bowl can consfuse some dogs
.

Some just like to prey on their food hence the stalking up on it.

If you scatter a bit of the food on the floor what would he do?
If you throw a bit of food for him to chase and eat what would he do?

Some dogs are just weird/special/very intelligent - choose as applicable!

If you scatter a bit of the food on the floor what would he do?
If you throw a bit of food for him to chase and eat what would he do?

Thankyou @PollyRoullson I'm going to try both those things out.

I suppose I'm wondering if I could put his bowls in a better place so it's a more comfortable experience for him.

We have to play with our dogs dry food. He won't eat it unless we throw it for him to chase. He won't eat off his plate, he flicks the food onto the floor with his paw then chases it. Or he'll eat it from my pocket. Total nutter.

It may be because you're there and is feeling a bit anxious about it?

Or just doesn't like it very much!

Our 11 year old Staffy is as daft. She won't eat when it's put down, only once we have gone to bed. It cant be the same thing each day either or she will leave it.
She has to take tablets at the moment, and we have to rotate, pate, phillidephia and ham to hid them in. Try giving her the sane as the day before and she will just walk away.
Sge us incredibly fussy about treats as well. What she will go daft fir one day she will turn her nose up the next, and walk off in a huff and sulk with her back to us.

She won't open a ajar door either, she will sit and huff and whine till you open it for her.

Worst thing is she will not drink inside. Only from a large trug outside. Which is hard if its raining or snowing because we have to literally push her out. She will then take a few slurps then straight back in. Glaring at you.

What are you feeding him? He might just not like it.

Mine will only eat out of certain bowls or the floor. Anything else gets rejected.

Our JRT is really funny with food. He lives off fresh air, god knows how he isn't a bag of bones!

He will go and have a look at the food then walk off in disgust. Eventually he usually eats it but takes it out of the bowl, drops it on the floor and then eats it.

Probably wants human food instead and is holding out for something better. My DDog used to do this so I started putting the food down same time every day, leaving it there for 20 mins and the putting it away. DDog now scoffs as soon as we put it down as he knows after 20 mins it's gone.

@thepriceisrightnow

Probably wants human food instead and is holding out for something better. My DDog used to do this so I started putting the food down same time every day, leaving it there for 20 mins and the putting it away. DDog now scoffs as soon as we put it down as he knows after 20 mins it's gone.

This works well with most dogs or put some human food in. Our Labradors are getting cooked carrots and meat juices with their biscuits in the morning. Other days it’s left over soup (we don’t salt food during cooking only at the table) or baked beans, sometimes some leftover fish or meat with the biscuits, it seems to relieve the boredom.

Just put his food down for 5 minutes. If he doesn't eat it, pick it up and put it back in the bag and skip that meal. Try again next mealtime. Did it with mine when I got fed up of him grazing over 2-3 hours and he figured it out within 24hours

Isn't this classic 'going to let mum/dad have first go of the bowl first' type behaviour?!

Mine has always grazed, I top the bowl up each morning

@LostArcher - too bloody much! That’s why she’s not allowed to share the human food (although a couple of times a week she is given chicken, pumpkin and rice mixed in with carefully measured dry food from the vet). Of course she’s the type of girl that is convinced that she’d really love cucumber, carrots, courgettes etc, steals them at any opportunity, and grates them with her teeth over the largest surface area possible, (preferably on sofas or carpet) but swallows not a bit. Fiend.

I have a Labrador. Put food down it is eaten. Very straightforward. She has just had an operation but when the food is produced she is ready and waiting.

Aww you’ve just reminded me. When our ddog used to just eat dried food he used to get a mouthful out of the bowl and bring it in the lounge to eat ❤️❤️ Now he has a bit of tin too he no longer does it - thank goodness!! But it was soooo sweet ❤️

Our dog grazes.. never finished the food in one go and with certain foods will take it out of the dish and put it by the front door.. leaves it ten minutes then eats it

We also watched him Bury a frozen sausage under the sofa cushion... then go find it an hour later and scoffed it..

Hes a very funny creature though...

Mine has always acted like a rescue dog. She has been anxious from day one. (Possibly slightly in-bred?) A lot from the two litters born at the same time from this breeder were very similar, which is sad, as this breed is supposed to be virtually bomb-proof. (Supposed to be assistance-type dog breed and she’s so jumpy, I won’t let anyone with little kids come to the house, just in case 😢, opposite kind of temperament to what we were looking for, but we love her and her quirks. Also then made worse when she was attacked by two offlead pitbulls owned by the prerequisite toothless owners, and she had no idea what to do except stand between them and my then 10yo DS. She’s now so scared of Dog’s, she’s become aggressive towards them also…) She is absolutely perfect with my family, though, but obviously we have to make a lot of allowances for her, including holidays, etc as we can’t leave her with anyone…

I really wasn't surprised that a Bedlington was mentioned! In the FB group we are in all the dogs are really picky. 🐕‍🦺💖 We all seem to have panicked at some point ☺️

Our Bedlington/Poodle cross is really fussy.
I can't find you the details as DW is in charge of food.

He loves el cheapo hot dog sausages and cheese! He despises eggs of all description and is most put out if offered any.

I absolutely adore him, the quirky little furry bugger!