# Why does the dog push at his food bowl before eating?



## leena365 (Sep 17, 2009)

Does anyone know why dogs push their food bowl with their nose? Is it instinctual or are they trying to tell me they do not like what is in the bowl? It does not happen often that is why I am inquiring...


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## shimpli (Mar 24, 2010)

I would like to know too. My Chihuahua always move the bowl or plate with her nose many times before eating the food. She likes the food and she always eats it but that's part of the process.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Maybe it is just part of the whole experience - like when people swirl their glass of wine and sniff before sipping??! :biggrin1:


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

I've heard many guesses on this one. The one I like best is that dogs still retain some of their ancestral traits. It is known that dogs are less orientated to hunting but more to scavenging. This could be remnants of the foraging actions that they once displayed. Good question but I don't think we know for sure.


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## Pattie (Jun 25, 2008)

Such an interesting question. My dogs each display this behavior, but it seems to me that it occurs only when they don't want what is being offered. I say that because if it is in my hand, they will bump my hand with their muzzles or if in a bowl, push the bowl and leave it.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

McGee only nudges his bowl when he is trying to tell us he wants to eat. So far, there is nothing he refuses!!!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Kathie said:


> McGee only nudges his bowl when he is trying to tell us he wants to eat. So far, there is nothing he refuses!!!


That's true with Kodi too. If we're not RIGHT on time with dinner, he either pushes his dish around with his nose, or paws at it.


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## AKathy (Mar 15, 2008)

Stella only does that if her bowl is empty. It's a heavy ceramic bowl and she picks it up and drops it to get my attention


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## leena365 (Sep 17, 2009)

Thanks guys! I also thought it was because they do not like what is being offered but maybe it is just an instinctive behavior and they don't do it all the time...


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

Buster has done something else with his breakfast food bowl that amuses us. After walking him first in the morning, he goes back into his crate with his breakfast kibble and water bowls while I take Buffy our for her am walk.

Until I caught on to what was happening, he used the towel in his crate [that he sleeps on at night] to "bury" his food bowl with the towel. Sometimes he covered his water bowl, too, and then everything would get wet - he must not have learned about the wicking effect. 

Because I was outside with Buffy, I came back to a scrunched up, very wet towel. At first, I thought that maybe he was peeing on it because of his separation anxiety. He would bark like crazy while I was walking Buffy [or so my DH reported. After several weeks he got used to the routine and stopped barking while I was gone.]. It turned out that the wet was from the water bowl, which was actually a big relief, all in all.

After doing this for a few days, I realized that the only way I could keep the towel dry - and not deprive him of fresh water - was to remove the towel before putting down the bowls. He has not complained, but I suspect that he misses having the towel there to bury his food. :whoo:


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Rosie will not drink "stale water". She will turn the water bowl over. She warns me first by barking. If I don;t come running in time then it is turned over. So, I don't put more in the bowl than she will drink in one sitting. She also will not put her head down in a bowl for food. It needs to be in a plate. This past weekend I had carried two plastic bowls for her food and water to Knoxville to the hotel. sure enough, she turned over the fool first and prefered to eat it off of the floor. I put it on a folded up pee-pad. The next morning she turned over the water bowl. I had to use the bath towels to soak up the water out of the carpet. I don't like for my child to mess up or be distructive. Next time we travel with her, I will take plastic saucers.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

django does this thing where he nudges all his food bowl all around but in a way that resembles him burying something, like he's covering his food with invisible grass or something. he does this when his food bowl is out and he doesn't want to eat until later.


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