My Chihuahua, Jasmine, has developed a strange mealtime ritual. She doesn’t eat in the morning and prefers to have her main meal in the late afternoon, whereas my other dog, Bella, would love to be able to eat all day. Jasmine eats on an ottoman next to her favorite chair as she generally feels more comfortable being elevated on furniture than eating off the floor.
It has nothing to do with his desire to exert dominance over Bella; she just feels happier being higher. The world can be overwhelming when you’re so small; being raised makes her feel safe, and she can look out the window and watch the world go by from the comfort of her own chair.
During meals, Jasmine will wait to eat her food until Bella has finished eating hers. I feed them both separately – Jasmine on her ottoman in the family room and Bella in the laundry room just off the kitchen, because I firmly believe that while dogs in multi-dog homes get along well, they should have place at meals. Bella enjoys eating by herself, but Jasmine won’t touch her food until Bella finishes and heads for the pouf.
I should also mention that Jasmine is a Resource Guardian. She has a tendency to guard places, toys, and food bowls, and I think that tendency plays a part in the ritual. Waiting for Bella to pass makes Jasmine’s food even more valuable and worth fighting for. On the other hand, she might not feel safe enough to eat her food until she can actually keep an eye on Bella while she eats. I tested this theory by putting Bella in another room entirely, since my laundry room leads to the family room, but Jasmine would still wait for her to come back and stand by the ottoman before touching her food.
Although eating is an enjoyable social activity for people, it can cause tension between dogs.
Useful dietary advice
Dogs develop rituals around many things, including food, because rituals are comforting and predictable, especially in multi-dog households.
- All dogs should feel safe while eatingI therefore encourage my clients to stay in the room while their dogs eat or to feed them in separate areas.
- It is the same for feeling safe during chewing time. Schedule a time and place where dogs can chew on a toy or bully stick to allow each dog to decompress and have some alone time. This helps minimize quarrels and ensures that every dog feels safe doing a rewarding activity.
- If your dog is eat too fast, use a slow-feeding bowl, or ditch the bowl and feed a few meals with interactive toys instead. You can also try hiding food in your house or garden and send your dog hunting for his meal. (I don’t recommend doing this if you have multiple dogs unless all dogs can search separately). Encouraging your dog to forage means he gets valuable enrichment and absorbs food more slowly.
- Be careful of when you feed your dog. Although Jasmine prefers to eat once a day with a small snack in the evening, most dogs are better off being fed twice a day so they don’t get too hungry between meals. Feeding on a regular schedule also helps regulate bathroom breaks and prevent accidents.
- And finally, let the dogs eat! I never put my hand in a dog’s bowl when he’s eating and don’t even go near his eating area unless I’m working with puppies and dogs to avoid resource protection issues . Possession is nine tenths of the law for most social animals, and just as you would hate it if your dog put his muzzle in your plate, so would your dog if you put your hand in his.
Although eating is an enjoyable social activity for people, it can cause tension between dogs. Take the time to understand your dog’s habits and develop a plan to encourage healthy eating. Food helps bond dogs and humans, but it can also cause problems. Although Jasmine trusts me completely, I understand that food makes her a bit on edge, so I take steps to make sure she is comfortable at mealtimes by managing her environment and taking into account the different needs of my two dogs.