Animal experts have explained why your dog chooses to take food from their bowl and eat it in another room, rather than tucking in straight away in the spot it was served
Every pooch has its peculiarities, but it seems that many dogs exhibit similar behaviours regardless of their unique personalities. This has led animal experts to shed light on why your dog might carry their food to another room to eat, rather than consuming it where it's served.
A puzzled pet owner asked on Reddit: “Why does my dog pick up mouthfuls of food, from her bowl, then come into the living room and drop it on the rug to eat it piece by piece?” The answer, according to experts, lies in their pack mentality.
A statement from Wag! explains: “A lot of animal experts agree that pack mentality is still one of the reasons why dogs will get food from their dinner dish and take it someplace else to put it in a pile and eat it later.
“Dogs vary in how far they'll go from their dishes, with some only moving a short distance while others may seek out a hidden spot to enjoy their meal.
“The primary reason for this behaviour is instinct. This pack mentality is natural, and each breed exhibits a different level of it.
“Some dogs have a stronger instinct than others, and even though you might not view your pampered pooch in the same way as a pack of wolves, they still retain this primal instinct.
“When your dog moves the food away and piles it up, they're essentially saying ‘this is my food, so don't touch it.'”.
Additionally, they might bring their food into other rooms simply because they want to be near you while they eat.
The statement notes: “Dogs also long for companionship, so he may just want to see you or be in your presence while he chows.
“Although dogs are considered family members, they do not really eat with the family so the act of carrying his food could be a sign that he also wants to be a part of the family dynamic.
“If you are using metal dishes, there is a possibility that your dog does not like the noise and is frightened or annoyed by it.
“The sound of metal against metal can easily startle your dog so it could be one of the reasons why your dog takes his food away. An easy solution to this is to swap the metal bowls for plastic ones.”
Many could relate to the quirky gesture – and took to the comments section to leave their thoughts.
Regarding this behaviour, one user chimed in: “My dogs do this. When they do it, they always bring their food to the room we are in. So I think it is because they don't want to eat alone.”
Adding to the conversation, another remarked: “My dog's food bowl is in the family room and he still takes it out of the bowl and sets the kibble literally next to the bowl then eats it off the carpet. Well, now the dishtowel we put there so he'd stop slobbering all over the carpet.”
And a third participant added: “My dog likes to do this with the food usually but he will specifically do it when guests come into the house. This definitely makes sense!”
