Why does my dog carry food away from his bowl to eat

Some dogs scarf down food so quickly they need a slow feeder bowl while others will take a mouthful of food, move it away from their bowl, and eat it. Although it doesnt make sense from a human perspective, there are some reasons for it from your dogs perspective. Why do dogs carry food away from their bowl to eat it? Here are a few reasons they could be doing it:

1. It Could Be A Residual Instinct

Moving or carrying food away from their bowl to eat it could be a residual instinct that your dog does without really thinking about it. In the wild, food can be scarce and is often a competition. You have to take what you can get, when you can get it, and you might have to fight for it.

When it comes to wolves, if there is a wolf that is unwilling to fight others or challenge a more dominant wolf for their portion, they will take what they can grab and move to a safer place where they can eat it without having to worry about competition or injury.

Your dog could be doing something similar, especially if they share a bowl or feeding area with other dogs. It could just be a way to be more relaxed while eating and to avoid competition or fights over food.

2. They Might Be Staking Their Claim

A lot of dogs that do this dont tend to go too far from the bowl. After all, they want to keep an eye on the main source of food even as they enjoy the smaller portion theyve carried away.

However, taking a portion of food and carrying it elsewhere, even if its still close to the bowl, is a clear message of ownership. Your dog could be staking their claim and essentially telling others not to touch it. Depending on the situation and the dog, this could escalate into resource guarding behavior.

3. Your Dog Could Be Lonely

Although many dogs will stay near the bowl when they carry food away, some dogs will end up in a different room entirely. If this is happening, take a closer look at the situation. If your dogs bowl is in another room and they are bringing their food to where you are to eat it, they may just be lonely and looking for company.

If they arent trying to make sure you cant get their food, they might just want your company while they are eating. At the same time, your dog feels safe with you. So, this could also be a way for them to protect themselves and their food while eating, even if there are no actual threats.

4. It Might Be The Bowl

Moving food out of the bowl to eat it seems to be common in dogs that are eating hard kibble out of metal bowls. It could be possible that your dog doesnt like the noise kibble makes in the bowl or their tags hitting the bowl as they are eating it. Other possibilities could be related to the feel or smell of the bowl.

You can try changing to a different dog food bowl if this behavior is making a mess on your carpet. You could also try putting a mat down under their bowls to see if theyll eat from there if they continue carrying food away from their bowls. You can try a few things to see if it makes a difference. If its not causing issues for you, then you can also just let your dog do their thing.

5. Your Dog Might Want Privacy

Another potential reason your dog may carry food away from their bowl to eat it could be your dog wanting more privacy or seclusion while they are eating. If their bowl is in a busy or loud area and they are moving to a quieter area to eat, you may want to consider moving their bowl to a quieter, more secluded area.

Some dogs may not mind having you nearby while they are eating or having a lot of activity going on and some dogs may prefer some privacy, seclusion, and quiet. Taking a closer look at the differences between where your dogs bowl is located and where they are taking food to eat can help you determine whether this is the case.

You may not ever need to answer this question. But, if your dog moves their food away from their bowl to eat, now you know a few reasons why they might be doing it. And, if anyone ever asks you, why do dogs carry food away from their bowl to eat it?, youll have a few answers to share with them.

Who knows? Maybe it will help you win at trivia someday. At the very least, figuring it out for your dog could be valuable insight for setting up a feeding station for your dog.

4 Reasons Your Dog May Be Carrying Their Food Away

Feeding time is a happy time when you have a dog.

They are nearly bouncing off the walls when youre getting ready to fill up their food bowl.

Usually when we put food in our dogs bowls, they dive right in and start eating. But some dogs do some pretty strange stuff at feeding time.

One behavior that may have you scratching your head is when your dog carries their food away from the bowl before eating the food.

If your dog does this and you cant figure out why, keep reading because I have a few ideas.

4 Reasons Your Dog May Be Carrying Their Food Away

1. Your Dog Wants to Protect or Hide the Food

Some dogs, particularly those in multi-dog households, may carry their food away as a way to keep it to themselves.

Before dogs were domesticated, they often ran in packs. The more subordinate pack members would carry food awayto hide itfrom other members of the pack.

When dogs in the wild make a kill, the outranked animals drag pieces of food away so they dont have to fight the leader or a more dominant canine for it, saysDr. Julie Albright-Keck, DVM, DACVB, assistant professor of veterinary behavior at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dogs arent looking to start a fight that would be dangerous. So trying to put the food out of sight is a compromise between giving up their food and fighting for it.

Rather than stay in the pack and fight for what is theirs, they will snag a piece or two and run away with it,explains writerLangley Cornwell.

This means they get to eat without the risk of a fight. It also ensures they get some of it without another dog trying to take it away.

If you have more multiple dogs, try feeding them separately to see if that helps.

In single-dog households, it may be easier to use a crate or block the exits to the room so your dog cant carry food elsewhere.

2. Your Dog Doesnt Want to Eat Alone

Dogs feel loneliness just like people do.

If youre in another room and your dog is alone in the kitchen, they may carry their food to where you are to eat it.

Dogs naturally long for companionship, so he may just want to see you or be near you while he eats, says Cornwell.

Dogs are family members but often dont eat with the family. Carrying the food to where you are could be a sign that your pet simply wants to be part of the family dynamic.

As a pet sitter, Ive seen this behavior firsthand.

One of my clients simply will not eat if shes all alone in the room. When I sit for her, I usually set up my laptop nearby or even bring her food bowl outside so we can enjoy the sunshine together.

Ill sit or stand nearby while she eats. This makes her happy, and she eats right from the bowl every time.

3. Your Dog Doesnt Like Metal Bowls

If you have metal dog dishes, your dog may be annoyed or frightened by the noise the dishes make when they clang together.

Even the sound of their tag hitting the bowl can startle a dog, so they may take the food and carry it away from the source of the noise.

The easy answer to this?

Just swap the metal bowls for plastic ones. Then your dog isnt startled by the metal-on-metal jangling and can eat in peace.

Then again, plastic bowls are pretty terrible. You could try paper plates instead though, depending on the type of food you feed your dog, this could get messy.

4. Your Dog Is Creating a Personal Stash of Food

When in the wild, dogs or wolves would often drag remaining prey away and hide it somewhere. Your dog could be doing the same thing.

In their book How Dogs Work, Raymond Coppinger and Mark Feinstein explainthat dogs sometimes store food that they have foraged by digging a cache and hiding it away for future consumption.

If you stumble across dog food in random places, your dog may be caching some of the food. The solution, again, is simple: Make sure youre not overfeeding your dog, and then block off the exits to the room they normally eat in.

If your dog is carrying food away, it may be because of one of the above reasons or something else could be at play. As always, check with your veterinarian if youre concerned.

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This article was originally published in 2016 and is regularly updated. It was last reviewed for accuracy and updated Sept. 4, 2019.

Why Does My Dog Eat His Food Away From His Bowl?

Picture this: You put your dogs dinner bowl on the ground for him to enjoy a nice meal. He prances over, takes a mouthful, walks across the room, and then drops the food on the floor. Once away from his bowl (whether its just a few steps away or in a corner on the opposite side of the room), he begins munching away. He repeats this pattern until his meal is all gone.

Does that sound familiar?

The Top Theory: Behavioral Instinct

Dogs, like their wolf ancestors, are viewed as pack animals. Its believed this unusual dining behavior is just an instinctual part of their pack mentality.

In the wild, animals have to hunt for their dinner. Experts say the most subordinate would drag their food away from the pack to avoid getting into a fight with the more dominant leaders.

Fighting is obviously very risky, so most animals, especially subordinate ones, will go to great lengths to avoid an altercation,

Dr. Julie Albright-Keck, DVM, MA, DACVB, an assistant professor of veterinary behavior at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.

Makes sense, right? Well, while your little Fido or Fifi may not really have to fight off any competition, his evolutionary instinct may still be kicking in.

Other Theories

Of course, like many dog behaviors, this isnt the only theory out there. Some other commonly cited reasons are:

• If you feed out of metal bowls, your pup may be getting startled by the clinking sound of his collars metal ID and vaccine tags. If this is the case for your pup, consider switching to a flat dish versus a bowl.
• If you or another close family member are in another room then your pup may just be trying to dine with some company!

Why Does My Dog Eat His Food Away From the Bowl?

Do you have a pet who takes a mouthful of food and walks away, drops it on the floor and then eats small bits of it away from the bowl, possibly even in a corner? This is more common in dogs but cats may also do it, and this pet behavior leaves many owners scratching their heads.

This article will help you understand why some pets eat their food away from the bowl.

Pack Mentality

Many animal experts agree that pack mentality is one reason why dogs will go to their dinner dish, remove tasty morsels of the CANIDAE food and take it someplace else in the home or yard to eat it. Some dogs will just go a short distance away from their dishes and others will go far away or even to a hiding spot such as behind the couch or under the table to eat their food.

The biggest reason for this behavior is instinct. Dogs have this natural pack mentality and depending on factors such as breed, training and family line, some dogs have this instinct more strongly than others. If youve ever watched wolves on a nature show, you might be familiar with the feeding frenzy that is wild animals eating.

You probably dont see your pampered little pooch in the same way, but some of that instinct may be lingering. Your dog is saying, This is mine. Dont take it when he moves that food away.

Fighting is risky for most dogs, so rather than stay in the pack and fight for what is theirs, they will snag a piece or two and run away with it. This means they get to eat without the risk of a fight. It also ensures they get some of it without another dog trying to take it away.

You are more likely to see your pet do this if you have more than one dog in the home, or even another pet. If youve ever seen your dog look like he is hiding food from the cat, this might be why. However, even if you only have one dog in the home, that instinct could still be there. The competition in the home might not be real, but the instinct tells them to do it.

One way to prevent this is to feed multiple animals separately so they do not react to a perceived threat.

Other Reasons Dogs Do This

While pack mentality is the most common reason some dogs will eat their food away from their bowl, there are other reasons. One is loneliness. If your dog food bowl is in one room and the family is in the other, your dog may bring his food to you because hes feeling lonely. Dogs naturally long for companionship, so he may just want to see you or be near you while he eats.

What about Cats?

If you have a cat that eats his food away from the bowl, the reasons could be varied. One reason is that a cats primal instinct is very much the same as a dogs pack mentality; they want to get their food away from the (instinctual) fray so they can eat it in peace.

Cats may also do this because some felines dont like their food and water bowls near one another. If you have the food in a combined dish, or you place the food near the water bowl, your cat may grab a few bites of food and run off with it because she doesnt want to be near the water. You can fix this by moving the dishes apart.

Do you have a dog or cat that eats his food away from the bowl? Now that you know why, it makes sense, doesnt it?

Top photo by Djun KimBottom photo by Tony Alter