Walking with food

[Big3Ben]

Our Cocker Spaniel has his food dish in our kitchen.
Problem is that the food, ‘has’ to eaten it in front of the sink, and many times lhe leaves the unfinished meal there.
Luv our Brandy our Cocker, but this is annoying.
Any words of wisdom??????

Ben

[Karen]

How awkward would it be to move his dish in front of the sink when he is fed, then move it back when he seems to be "done"? Is he fed once a day, all in one big bunch, or is he the "all day nibbler type?" If he's the once-a-day type, maybe that'd work!

[aly]

I don't see a way to stop that unless it is moving the bowl. I've actually seen dogs walk with food a lot. Harley would always grab mouthfuls of food and then come chew them in the room where people were. Reece does that a little too but not as bad. He basically won't eat unless I go stand near his bowls. I have a friend with two boxers and one of them takes huge mouthfuls, walks through three rooms, drops the food on the dining room floor and then eats it.

[Pam]

My toy poodle, Pumpkin, (now at Rainbow Bridge) always walked with his food. I would feed him in the kitchen, and he would fill his little mouth with dry food and walk into the dining room and dump it on the floor and then proceed to eat it there piece by piece. We figured he liked eating on the carpet better than out of a bowl for some reason! I thought he was the only one who ever did this. I bet it's more common than we think.

[Big3Ben]

Now I know Brandy isn’t the only dog in the world with this idiosyncrasy.

I’ll try to move his dish and see what happens.

Thanks,

Ben

[Angels3]

I'd put a big plastic placemat under Brandy's dish & let him get used to eating his food like this in front of the sink. Then I'd gradually move the placemat away from the sink area to a more convenient place.
I'd also make sure that the new eating place was against a wall or piece of furniture...Brandy may feel his eating is safe & secure when there's something solid in front of his dish. I'd also put his water bowl on the placemat in the new position. Whenever he's given a treat..I'd put it on that placemat, too.

[RachelJ]

Pam, my previous two, Bailey and Tizzie, were carpet eaters as well. Carried their food from the kitchen to the dining room rug. Must have been "the poodle in them".
My current two don't do this. First of all Tucker is like a vacuum. He opens his mouth and the food is just sucked up in one blast. Hannah dare not take the time to carry her food anywhere or the vacuum would empty her dish as well.

[Big3Ben]

I’m curious what the animal behaviorists would say. With my previous Cocker one would have to count your fingers after feeding him by hand.
By the way it’s a small world. Lived in your area a few years ago. Used to live at Hamilton court Apt in Somerdale opposite Sterling HS. Liked the place, but they wouldn’t allow pets.
Ben

Originally posted by Pam:
My toy poodle, Pumpkin, (now at Rainbow Bridge) always walked with his food. I would feed him in the kitchen, and he would fill his little mouth with dry food and walk into the dining room and dump it on the floor and then proceed to eat it there piece by piece. We figured he liked eating on the carpet better than out of a bowl for some reason! I thought he was the only one who ever did this. I bet it's more common than we think.

[Tanya1414]

My dogs have always taken a couple of pieces of food from their food bowl at a time and brought them into the living room. It takes them forever to eat! If I'm in the kitchen though, they'll eat it there. I guess they don't like to eat alone.