Why Do Dogs Always Want My Food

Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you are eating a meal and your dog just keeps looking at you and begging for your food?

If you have ever wondered why this is happening, read on to find out the 7 REASONS.

It’s Just His Hunter Instinct

Dogs are natural hunters and are usually the first to spot any food in their environment. If your dog belongs to a hunting breed such as Beagle and Bloodhound, they are always on the lookout for a bite (food).

They will never be satisfied with food and will always want to get more from you.

This is because dogs are genetically programmed to be greedy. 

So when he sees you eating, he knows that there is food that he can get.

You see, dogs in the wild will find as much food as they can and keep it for rainy days.

This instinctive behavior in them never goes away even when they are now well taken care of. They still have the urge to find and hide food.

It is a natural instinct in them and nothing to worry about.

Having said that, you should never give in to your dog begging for your food, for the following reasons:

1. Human’s food is not suitable for your dog as they are high in sodium, sugar and calories, which could make him sick.

2. Giving in to his request will make your dog learn that this behavior – begging for food, will “earn” him your food. And it will only make him keep doing it.

simple training tricks
Every dog without exception - has a hidden intelligence inside. It’s an untapped resource to help you remove just about any troublesome behavior.

He Is Attracted to the Scent of Human Food

A dog’s nose is far more sensitive than ours. So, when you are eating your meal, your dog can detect the aroma of your food and will literally want to have his share even if he is not feeling hungry.

The aroma from human food is certainly going to be more overwhelming than his dry kibbles which come with little scent.

That is why your dog just can’t get his eye away from your food.

It is important that you do not give him any of your food as this is a behavior that you do not want to encourage. 

Keep in mind that dog food is designed to be a complete diet for your dog. It has all the nutrients that he needs in order to live a long and healthy life and this cannot be replaced by our food.

The nutrients needed for a human and dog’s body are different so foods that are good for you might be harmful for your dog.

For instance, a cup of milk daily is good for us, but that can cause discomfort for your dog if you give him milk every day.

Milk is not a good food for dogs. It is too high in fat and calories for them to consume. Also, it contains lactose, a type of sugar that can cause them to have diarrhea.

This is a common side effect for dogs who drink milk. So it is better to feed your dog only with a dog diet.

He’s Just Following His Scavengers’ Instincts

Do you have a habit of leaving lots of food on your plate after your meal?

The truth is that most dogs are very motivated to get to the table and eat what we have left over.

This is because dogs evolved from wolves who were scavengers. Their scavenger instinct is still in them today.

They will eat what they can find or foods that are left behind by other animals. This is part of their natural survival instinct in the wild.

He Sees You As His Alpha To Provide Him With Food

In order to understand why dogs always want your food, you must know the concept of pack behavior.

When a dog is hungry, he will look for his pack members to share the food they find.

You will be the first he goes to if you are his pack leader, as he is expecting the Alpha to take care of his needs.

He will not be snatching your food as he knows that Alpha will eat first and will wait patiently for you to feed him with your leftover food.

A Learned Behavior

If you have fed your dog with your food before, that could have made him feel that your food is his food!

He has been conditioned to believe that humans and dogs share the same food. The food on the table was meant for him. Your dog doesn’t understand why you are taking his food away from him.

It could also be the case that after tasting human’s food, he starts to love your food and finds his dry kibbles are not satisfying. He just needs to eat something more substantial.

Proven Training Tips
A PROVEN "Battlefield-Tested" system for creating an incredibly well-behaved, intelligent dog who follows your every command!

He Sees More Value in What He Cannot Get

You wouldn’t be feeding your dog with your food, especially that tasty chocolate cake or cupcakes that you are having now.

That makes him feel that what you are eating is certainly the best food, and he wants to have his mouth on it to satisfy his curiosity.

You see, dogs are full of curiosity, and they always believe that their pack leader (which is YOU) will have the best food.

If he sees you as his Alpha, he will think that you are eating something good, and will try to get a portion of the food you are having.

Lack Of Nutrient Is The Reason?

What would your health be like if you were to have only canned food all the time? Certainly it is not going to be promising!

This goes for your dog as well.

Canned foods possess a lot of preservatives and chemicals that can be harmful for your dog, and he will be missing the essential nutrients that his body needs to function.

What you should do is to prepare a raw diet for him at least 3 times per week and see if this helps in making him go away with the habit of wanting your food after a change to his diet regimen.

A raw diet is a diet that is made of animal meat and vegetables.

It is also considered as the best way to feed your dog as it has more nutrients than any other kind of processed food.

It will provide him with the necessary protein that he needs to grow and remain healthy. Furthermore, it will help him to stay active, agile and energetic.

You should also keep a lookout on your dog’s body conditions. 

Signs of undernourished dogs include dry skin and coat, thin hair, and dull eyes. The most common symptom is dry skin.

Undernourished dogs may also have hair loss, skin irritation, and wound infections.

Why Are Dogs Obsessed with Food?

Animals living in the wild, such as wolves and dogs, are obsessed with food. It is usually for the same reasons, food is scarce.

Food is very important to them as the most common cause of death for them is starvation.

This explains why dogs are so obsessed with their food. They are just trying to make sure that they won’t go hungry.

Although domestic dogs no longer need to hunt for their food, they still have that instinct to keep as much food as they can to prevent starvation.

Another explanation is that they are suffering from what is known as obsessive-compulsive behavior. This causes them to be obsessive about everything, such as toys, food and even YOU.

The last reason is that there is nothing to make them keep their thoughts on and food will naturally be their number one obsession.

Dogs love their food because it’s the only thing that never fails to make them happy.

This makes them extremely protective of their food, and will turn aggressive when they see anyone coming near their food.

If you are also interested in knowing how much food your dog should eat, this post will be of interest to you!

error: Content is protected !!