Why does my dog hide food, pace, and whine? Is it normal behavior?

She is training you. Do not allow her to do that. Speaking to her at all or standing there while she is eating is giving her positive feedback for a negative behavior. The tendency to hide food and belongings relates to natural instincts of attempting to buy food to "save" for later. First, slightly reduce the amount of food you give your dog. Try to determine the exact amount that satisfies her hunger. Feeding more frequent, smaller meals would be best if possible. Ignore the behavior when your dog is doing it (again, you are giving positive feedback). Any attention to the food dish or her behavior is encouraging her to seek your attention. Put the food down for 10 minutes and then walk out of the room (not saying anything or looking at her). If after 10 minutes she doesn't eat, pick up the food and repeat this again at a later time. Eventually she should learn to eat when the bowl is placed down.

While these changes in behavior pattern are curious, I don't see a need to be overly concerned if everything else is normal. However, it is true that these small changes may be an early sign that something is wrong. Pay attention to how much she eats and drink. If it seems more or less, then this can indicate a problem. Also run your hands over her entire body and feel for anything out of the ordinary. Also, I am seeing that Lalya is 72lbs. This is rather heavy for a husky. Make sure that she is not getting too chunky or this can cause problems like diabetes in her old age. They can easily get fat without you noticing, because of all that fur. I've added a link below that can help you assess her body condition. You want Lalya to be at a 3. http://petobesityprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DogBCS_APOP.pdf I hope this is helpful.

She may be "saving his food for later". not be hungry or you are giving her too much food. Try feeding her smaller amounts three times a day and take away whatever she has not finished in 10 minutes.

What Mia is doing is training you to feed her what she wants, when she wants it. You can turn it around by sticking with one diet and feeding her on a consistent schedule. Dogs thrive on routine. Prepare her food and leave it down for 30 minutes before picking it up whether she has eaten or not. Repeat this at the next mealtime. Offer no food or treats between meals other than tiny training rewards. Be firm and be consistent. She will not starve. You can warm her food slightly or mix in a bit of warm water to stimulate the appetite. Being that she is young and tiny, watch for symptoms of hypoglycemia and offer a dab of Nutri Cal or Karo syrup if she becomes lethargic. Once she perks up, feed her.

Mia is adorable! It definitely sounds like she isn't feeling well. It could be that she's just having an off day or is feeling lethargic due to the warmer weather. However, if she is still not herself and not eating/drinking well I would recommend that you have her seen by your veterinarian to make sure there's nothing serious going on

Thank you for your question. Many dogs like to hide things, including treats and food. This is probably a remnant from their ancestors who may have had to hide some of their food items to protect it from other members of their pack or predators. We would not consider this a problem behavior unless he is becoming aggressive around his buried food/toys.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Abby. Is she maintaining a healthy body weight? If so and if she is acting like herself, then I would not be concerned about her food habits. It may just be her preference to eat at night. If she is consuming enough calories, then I do not have a concern. However, if she is continually dropping weight and shows signs of illness such as vomiting or diarrhea, then she needs to be seen by her veterinarian. Some dogs that go close to 24 hours between meals will vomit due to a build up of stomach acid. In these patients I encourage the owners to feed them more frequently. If this is not occurring with her, then you do not need to worry. I hope this information helps!