Why Do Dogs Flip Their Food Bowl? 8 Reasons and Expert Tips
What's up with dogs flipping their food bowl over?
It seems to happen every morning: you feed your dog and he flips his food bowl over almost as if it's a ritual he just can't give up no matter what, what's going on?
Why do dogs flip their food bowl over? What's the underlying motive?
In order to better understand the behavior, it helps gaining a deeper insight into canine psychology.
You don't need to turn into a doggy psychologist: Dogs simply act the way they do because there's likely some type of reinforcement at play.
Reinforcement is what ultimately maintains doggy behaviors alive, allowing them to strengthen and repeat, and next thing you know, you have an established habit.
You may gain several helpful hints as well by observing your dog's behavior carefully.
For instance, does your dog flip the food bowl and then eats the spilled kibble or does he refuse to eat? Does he flip the bowl after he has eaten?
Let's discover several reasons why dogs tilt their bowls over, and most of all, what can be done about it.
1. A Form of Entertainment
Let's face it: many dogs were selectively bred for a variety of purposes and life can sometimes get dull when they're confined between four walls.
Long are the days when dogs herded sheep, chased rats out of factories and retrieved downed birds. Even meal time is way too easy nowadays, with dog food being readily served from bag to bowl with no effort needed.
Well, here's a fact: dogs thrive on mental stimulation and they like to "work for their food."
This explains why you find more and more food puzzles for dogs on the market so that we can add a "twist" to their meal times, making things a tad bit more interesting to our bored, understimulated dogs.
In an era of stuffed Kongs, Kong Wobblers, Buster Cubes and Nina Ottoson puzzles, dog owners are discovering that dogs have a kick from mental challenges.
So if your dog is flipping his bowl over before he starts eating, he's therefore getting a kick out of it and it can be said that puppy or dog is in for a "game."
Now that he has scattered all of the food around the room, he can go on his "treasure hunt" and start foraging!
Many dogs flip their bowl over to add an extra challenge.
2. Looking For Something Better
Does your dog flip the food bowl over after a recent diet change? Does he flip over the bowl, and then doesn't eat? If so, there may be chances that your dog is simply looking for something better.
Perhaps he liked the other food better and he is looking for traces of his former food. Maybe he's missing the tasty table scraps he used to add.
This often happens after dogs were fed a diet that was particularly tasty such as canned food or some tasty toppings were added to his bowl and now no longer are.
Imagine being served every day a delicious burger that is large and juicy and then one day you are served a tiny burger. It comes natural to lift the bun and say "where's the beef?" as a popular old-time commercial went.
By flipping the food bowl your dog is therefore wondering whatever happened to his good old food. Maybe it's hiding somewhere under the bowl?
3. Trying to Bury It
Is your dog making head movements as if he's digging with his nose? Then, there may be chances that your dog is trying to "bury his food."
Dogs have an instinct to bury their food when they feel full and there is a surplus of food.
In a natural setting, dogs would bury their bones or surplus foods in a hole, but since nowadays most dogs eat indoors and there is no dirt to dig, they can be seen making these odd nose movements as if attempting to bury things.
You may see this behavior when dogs have toys and they try to bury them in a blanket or in the crevices of a sofa.
The behavior is called "air caching" and it's one of those peculiar-looking instinctive things dogs just do.
4. A Reaction to Reflections
Dogs can sometimes develop weird compulsive behaviors such as dogs chasing shadows or lights.
It can therefore happen that, what looks like a dog tipping the food bowl around, is a dog reacting to the reflections seen on the metal food bowl.
5. Wanting More Food
Young puppies and dogs may have very strong appetites because they have lots of growing to do.
If your puppy or dog moves the food around and flips it after he is done eating, this can be a sign that he may want some more, suggests veterinarian Dr. Lee.
6. Something is Wrong With the Food
At times, you may need to consider giving your dog the benefit of doubt before labeling him as "spoiled"," and consider that something may be truly wrong with his food.
For starters, check out the dog food's expiration date. Maybe the food has gone rancid.
Or maybe there was some change in the ingredients. Sometimes it's worth checking the label for any recent changes or calling the company.
I will never forget, when working for a veterinarian, the major pet food recall of 2007.
I recall getting phone calls from owners worried about their dogs not eating their food as usual, and only afterward the truth came out: their food was contaminated with melamine and the dogs knew something was off!
So it's a good idea to give your dog the benefit of doubt: log in to your computer and look if there were any recent food recalls.
7. A Health Problem
If flipping the food bowl is a new behavior, it may be important ruling out a health problem.
Perhaps your dog isn't feeling well and the flipping of the food bowl is a key manifestation.
For example, if your dog has tooth pain, he may not understand why eating has become so uncomfortable. He might associate the particular food he is fed with the pain and by flipping the food bowl over he is hoping to find a different food that is less painful.
This phenomenon is similar to cats with urinary tract infections who start associating their litter boxes with pain and start looking for another place to urinate such as a bathroom or sink.
Other possible health problems may include mouth pain, nausea, digestive problems, loss of appetite, vision problems (like dogs with depth perception problems), neck pain or back pain to just name a few, but any type of discomfort or pain can cause this behavior.
Perhaps your dog isn't feeling well and the flipping of the food bowl is a key manifestation.
8. A Problem With the Bowl
Sometimes, the problem resides with the bowl. Perhaps you got a new dog and he was used to eating in a certain type of bowl and now he's struggling.
It is not unusual for dogs used to eating in plastic bowls to act a bit oddly when fed in a shiny aluminum bowl where they see their reflections.
Many puppies or dogs are afraid of food bowls. Or maybe, the dog is bothered by his collar tags clanging against the metal.
Some dogs may dislike bowls that move too much or maybe the food bowl is giving off an odd smell.
Maybe your dog doesn't like the sensation of his whiskers on his cheek bending against the food bowl as he eats.
Sometimes, you may need to put your investigative hat on. Maybe you moved the location of the bowl and your dog is having a hard time adjusting.
Maybe the air from a vent is coming his way or maybe the place is too crowded and he's distracted.
How to Stop Your Dog From Flipping the Food Bowl
As seen, dogs may flip their food bowls over for a variety of causes.
It may take some investigation and experimenting to find out what element may be bothering your dog so as to restore his usual eating habits.
Below are several tips and suggestions.
Skip the Food Bowl
Who said dogs are destined to eat from their bowls all their lives? Why not turn meal time into a fun event?
Try adding some fun challenges to meal time. Scatter his meal around the home for a fun treasure hunt, or place his food portion in a Kong Wobbler.
Dogs benefit from the additional challenge, and this keeps them busy and mentally stimulated, a win-win!
Check With The Food Company
If your dog is tipping the food bowl and not eating, call the dog food company and ask if there are any changes in ingredients or whether the food has been recently recalled.
Try Making the Food More Appealing
All it may take is trying a different food, soaking the kibble with some warm water, adding some interesting topping or mixing the food with some canned dog food.
Remember to always introduce new foods very gradually. Here is a guide on how to switch your dog's food to reduce chances for an upset stomach: how to transition dog food.
A disclaimer is warranted here: once you change food or add toppings or mix the food with canned food, your dog will expect these things all the time and may go on strike that day something is missing, which may lead to more... you guessed it: bowl tipping!
In some obstinate cases, dogs may try eating only the toppings or licking the canned food off the kibble.
Don't want to risk your dog becoming dependent on food additions, but you're worried about your dog starving? Here a vet shares important tips: will my dog starve if he doesn't like his food?
See Your Veterinarian
Have your dog see your vet if flipping the food bowl over is a new, out-of-the-blue behavior that concerns you. See your vet sooner than later if your dog is not eating normally.
There may be chances your dog may have some discomfort or pain and he's associating it with the food bowl.
Implement Some Changes
Try feeding in a different bowl or in a different location. Remove metal tags from your dog's collar if they clash against the bowl.
If you suspect a compulsive issue due to reflections, try to use a bowl that is shine-free.
Feed on a baking pan or plastic try or try scattering your dog's food on a Snuffle Mat and see if it makes a difference.
If you suspect your dog is trying to bury excess food, avoid free-feeding (leaving your dog's full portion of food out all day) and rather serve smaller amounts of food frequently during the day.
Break the Habit
The more dogs rehearse a behavior that they find reinforcing, the more the behavior establishes and becomes habit-forming.
It's therefore important to prevent rehearsal of the problem behavior.
To break the habit, you may need to sit by the empty food bowl and make your dog sit and stay. Then you can place a few kibbles inside, release her to eat a few bites, then have her sit and stay, again and repeat the same sequence until her whole meal is finished.
Afterward, you can start giving more and more food in each setting, so you need to do less reps each time (like only 2-3 times) and then progress to having your dog sit/stay and release with access to the whole food bowl.
Use a Non-Tip Food Bowl
If the food bowl moves too much, you can try investing in one of those food bowls with a non-skid silicone bottom.
Try investing in heavy food bowls or non-tip food bowls. You can also try using an elevated food bowl stand and see if that helps.
See a Professional
Complicated cases such as compulsive disorders, resource guarding or other behavior issues may require the intervention of a board-certified veterinary behaviorist.
Should I Remove The Food Bowl When My Dog Tips it Over?
As tempting as it is, removing the food bowl warrants some caution, because if your dog has interest in the food, he or she may think you're stealing it, which in the long run may lead to problematic resource guarding.
It may be best removing it once your dog is in another room or in the yard.
If you really absolutely need to remove the food bowl, toss your dog a treat far away past a door, so that you can close the door and remove the food bowl safely, but don't make a habit of this: you want to tackle the root cause of the behavior so to prevent it from happening over and over.
Once again, the more dogs rehearse problematic behavior, the more they put roots and establish.
Should I Hold The Bowl to Prevent it From Being Tipped or Flip it Back When Tipped?
Once again, the more we touch a dog's food bowl, the more our dogs may misinterpret us and think we're trying to take possession of their food.
Of course, this doesn't happen to all dogs, but there are risks for it, so why take the chance?
It is therefore best not messing with the dog's food bowl and trying to tackle the root cause of the behavior.
This article was published Mar 26, 2020 at 11:11 PM
Disclaimer: this article is not meant to be used as a substitute for professional veterinary advice or behavioral advice. If your dog is acting sick or aggressive please consult with a qualified professional for proper diagnosis and treatment.
