Doggone Etiquette —

Watchdogs & Food

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:           

I’m sure you don’t ever get into any trouble, but what do you do with yourself when you’re left home alone? Even if you are left with a bowl of food, or a special “see you later” treat, maybe you just sleep until you hear a car in the driveway, or the back door about to open. Okay, so then what do you do — bark your head off? Or just check to see who is coming. You are protecting your territory, and that is what a good dog should do. Of course, being the clever dog that you are, you’ll give up guarding the home and its contents (especially yours) when you know it’s only your VIPeople returning to take charge. You’re off duty, so now it’s okay to relax and devour the food or treat they left for you — right?

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:

It is normal canine behavior for a dog left alone to assume the job of protecting that empty house, including all its possessions (yours and his). Dogs will often accept the treat or food you give them as you are going out, but then save it for later. Rufus figures whatever you leave (which you do partly to prevent separation anxiety) is only given to him to guard while you’re gone. He may even hide it for safe-keeping. Nine times out of ten upon your return, he’ll take a moment to greet you and then immediately go and consume whatever you left. That’s the sign of a good watchdog; he knows when he’s off duty.

It all goes back to the protective instincts of “wild dogs” regarding food which we talked about awhile ago. They protect what they can’t eat by burying or hiding the excess food. In the case of the domesticated dog, he simply saves it for later when he is no longer the sole sentry protecting his territory, in this case his (your) home.

There are other perplexing things dogs sometimes do with their food when their people are at home. Granted, if Rufus turns up his nose at one meal, it could be he is just not hungry, so you pick up his dish, ignore his snub and try later — or tomorrow. But if he often refuses (or tries to hide) the food you put down for him at a normal mealtime, don’t rush to assume he has a tummy ache, sore throat or just hates the food. It could merely be a problem of where you put the food dish.

For example, a somewhat shy or nervous dog would find it hard to settle down to eat if his food and water were in say a busy area of the kitchen where he might get stepped on. Or being fed in a dark, secluded corner might have the same effect. Some dogs need a person nearby (as a guardian) in order to relax and eat. However, family mealtime is not a good choice as the confusion may be too overwhelming a scenario for any dog — shy or bold. Or, a smart aleck Rufus might decide begging for your food beats eating his same-old, boring-old dog food. (A puppy should be confined elsewhere when his people are eating. Prevention!)

An elderly dog, by the way, is more likely to sleep all or most of the time he’s left alone in the house. His days on sentry duty may have diminished along with his hearing and sight. His sense of smell will continue to be strong enough to nosey out where you have put his food, so it’s quite possible some of these same food quirks could crop up regardless of age.

A warning to all dog owners:  Be sure none of these wonderful “watchdogs” have an eye on the garbage when you leave the house!

Until next time – BE GOOD!

- Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years, during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!, which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award in 2008.