Dogs love their food!
Feeding time is probably your dog’s favourite part of the day. The mere sound of crinkling food wrappers has been known to be heard by dogs from miles away. This is hardly surprising, considering how well dogs can pick up smells, as Alexandra Horowitz details in her book “Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know”.
Food is so important to our doggies, that sometimes they go as far as *gasp* stealing their siblings’ food! To prevent these behaviours, here are some tips for feeding time in a multi-dog household.
Keep them separated
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t like to have to eat my food right next to someone else’s face. An easy way to ease the tension is to place your dogs’ bowls in separate areas of the room, or even different areas of the house. A lot of food theft is avoided this way, because it’s easy to spot when one dog is headed for another dog’s bowl.
Your dogs may also be eating different foods, due to allergies, being different breeds or different ages. In this case, creating space between the dogs is very important. I know Isla wanted Harley’s raw food much more than her puppy kibble when we brought her home!
Watch your dogs when they eat
Building on my last point, you want to be able to see your dogs when they eat. Noticing their eating patterns will help you keep everyone happy at mealtime. For example, Harley demolishes his food like a piranha, whereas Isla likes to slowly chew and savour her food. I know then to watch Harley for the first attempt at food theft because he’s finished eating first. When I can see them both clearly, I can stop food theft before it happens.
Keeping an eye on your dogs when they’re eating gives you a chance to step in when needed.
Train them to respect each others’ space
I mentioned this in my post about getting another dog, and I cannot stress it enough. This part is more difficult when you have puppies, or one puppy and an older dog. Puppies love attention and to get in everyone’s faces, so during mealtime, this can lead to them heading straight for their sibling’s bowl. How else will they find out what the other dog is eating?!
When Isla hovers over to Harley while he’s eating, I instruct her to keep away from him so he can eat comfortably. When Harley has finished eating before Isla, I ask him to lie down in the next room until she is finished her meal. These actions keep the distance between them needed to make feeding time pleasant for everyone.
Reduce guarding behaviours
A common concern is that dogs will become guarded and aggressive when they feel their food might be stolen. It’s important to do everything you can to reduce this behaviour in any scenario. You do NOT want your dogs to learn that kind of aggression, especially around other dogs.
Whenever your dogs are playing and one is showing signs of guarding or aggression, calmly remove the toy or object of affection. Give your dog a treat for letting you take their toy without resistance. They will soon learn that it’s okay to have something taken away, and are less likely to turn to aggression in scenarios like feeding time.
I have to say, these methods have truly helped us keep the peace at mealtimes! Do you have tips for feeding your dogs together? Share your advice for feeding time in a multi-dog household in the comments below!