My dogs share a bowl. Why do they eat one side before the other?

It's a weird behavior, huh? I am not sure why they do it, but many dogs will do this. Sometimes it is that they are looking for a piece that they prefer to eat, they don't like the food, maybe they don't like the bowl the food is in, or they think they will save it for later. Some dogs do this all the time and other only sometimes.

It could be that Uno is moving the bowl to a place that is more comfortable for him to eat, he could be moving it to find a food odor he likes, or he might be moving the bowl so his left side isn't by a wall. Research has found that dogs have a dominant side based on gender, and male dogs tend to favor their left paw. Uno could be moving the bowl to that his left side isn't next to the wall. This is a common behavior in dogs to move their food with their nose before eating, and I wouldn't worry about it :-)

That is interesting behavior your dog is showing! It could be that it no longer smells fresh to him, and he wants new food. Try rattling the food around the bowl to make it sounds like you are giving him fresh food, and see if that helps him eat it. It could be that he doesn't like the feel of his whiskers brushing along the sides of the bowl when he goes deeper in, so try a shallower and wider bowl as well.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It could just be that Gina is a submissive animal and she is making sure that she isn't competing with your other dog. There are many reasons why a dog has certain behaviours, however if she is eating normally afterwards and is otherwise playing and doing well, then I wouldn't worry about it. She is just a polite puppy. Best of luck with Gina!

Remember if you transition to a new diet, do this over a 1-2 week period while slowing building up the amount of the new diet and reducing the old diet every few days until you make the switch completely. Rapid food changes can cause intestinal upset. Good luck

Hello. Dallas is sneaky, & perhaps a little bit jealous of his brother. This is a situation where Dallas thinks what is mine is mine, & what is yours is mine, too! There is nothing wrong with this other than if Dallas gets too fat, & his brother misses out. You might want to close one of the dogs in until both have eaten so that everyone gets their fair share. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

You should be glad Soska doesn't always finish her food. If she hasn't done much exercise she may not be as hungry. Dogs are better at regulating their intake to equal their calorie burning than humans. Most dogs who are allowed to free feed are normal weight because they don't over eat. As long as Soska is normal weight and feeling fine this is nothing to be overly concerned about. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Soska.