Your daily dose of doggy goodness!
Every day, we celebrate our shared love of dogs and hopefully brighten your day. Enjoy!
Dog of the Day:
Autumn!
Meme of the day: The best kind of nap!
12 Surprising Money Mistakes Even Smart People Make
You’re smart about saving money, like shopping clearance racks, limiting eating out, and choosing affordable streaming services. However, there are still some cost-cutting tips you might not know yet. Once you discover these, you could quickly find extra cash in your pocket.
The Doggy Dinner Dance: Why Our Furry Friends Push Food Around Their Bowls
It's one of the most endearing and, frankly, baffling sights of dog ownership: you place a fresh, delicious bowl of food down, only for your beloved pup to completely ignore the feast and instead begin nudging, pawing, and pushing the kibble around like a furry little interior designer.
Why do they do it? Are they staging a protest? Reorganizing the kitchen? The truth is, this quirky behavior, affectionately known as the "doggy dinner dance," has a few fascinating explanations that take us right back to their wild roots.
The Survival Instinct: "Saving It For Later"
Perhaps the most common reason dogs engage in food pushing is a deeply ingrained instinct called caching or "burying."
In the wild, a dog’s ancestors—wolves and other canids—would often kill or scavenge more food than they could eat in one sitting. Since food security was never a guarantee, they developed the habit of burying the surplus to save it for a leaner day. This ensured that a valuable resource was protected from scavengers.
When your dog nudges their bowl, they are essentially performing the motions of covering up the food. They are using their nose and paws to "push dirt" (or in this case, air and kitchen floor) over the meal, trying to hide it.
The Takeaway: If your dog does this, it often means they aren't ravenously hungry right now but still want to protect that tasty resource for when their appetite returns. It’s a classic, charming throwback to their wild past.
Sometimes, the issue isn't the food at all—it’s the dinnerware!
The Noise Factor: Have you ever noticed a sharp "clank" when your dog's collar tag hits a metal bowl? For a dog with super-sensitive hearing, this metallic clang can be jarring and unpleasant. Pushing the food out or trying to move the bowl is an attempt to escape the noise.
The Slide and Shift: A lightweight plastic or metal bowl on a smooth kitchen floor can slide and shift as a dog tries to eat. This movement can be frustrating or even unsettling, causing them to push the food to a more stable location—the floor itself!
A Comfort Issue: Some flat-faced or large breeds might find that deep bowls are uncomfortable, putting pressure on their face or whiskers. Pushing the food out and eating it off the floor might simply be an easier way to enjoy their meal.
Just Checking It Out (The Investigator)
Dogs experience the world primarily through their nose. A sudden change in their diet, even a new bag of the same brand, can prompt an investigative session.
Nudging and nosing the food is their way of getting a better scent of the item. It’s like a preliminary quality check. They’re taking a moment to assess the smell, texture, and perhaps even to look for a specific tasty morsel they know is mixed in.
Seeking a Little Attention
As loving pet owners, we often pay close attention to our dog's quirky habits. If your dog pushes their food around and you immediately rush over to comfort them, talk to them, or maybe even sprinkle in a few extra treats, you've inadvertently taught them something.
For some playful pups, pushing the bowl is a learned behavior. It’s a fun, effective way to get your attention! They realize, "When I make a mess, my human comes and talks to me," and that interaction is a powerful reward.
Ultimately, the doggy dinner dance is rarely a cause for alarm. Whether it's a throwback to their wild past, a quest for a quieter mealtime, or just a fun way to get your attention, it’s one more unique facet of the canine personality we love so much. The next time you see your dog being a bit particular with their dinner, smile—they're just being wonderfully, instinctively themselves!
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Dog Food and Supplement Recalls
Here are the recent recalls and advisories:
Viva - Ground Beef for Dogs and Ground Chicken for Dogs and Cats for potential Salmonella and Listeria contamination.
Savage Pet - Cat Food Chicken for potential bird flu exposure.
Wild Coast Raw - Frozen Boneless Free-Range Chicken Formula raw pet food for cats, for possible bird flu exposure.
The Smile Section
Family Photo of the Day:
Hachi!
We want to feature your pup!
We want to share your pup with our pack. Email us your favorite doggy pic or video with your pup’s name, and we'll try to feature it as a family photo in one of our upcoming newsletters or on our Facebook page.
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Meme of the day: @idogsplanet
