Working for food

[SkyeSue]

Not sure if this is in the right place Mods....it may come across as a Feeding thread at first, but I think its behaviour 

OK, so...ever since Chloe was a pup, I've often got her to work for her food....be it in a scrunched up plastic bottle, kibble scattered over the floor, or hiding her food in various cartons around the house and sending her to find them. Just recently, I have taken to hiding her food around the house for every morning feed and she has taken to doing this little whine at my feet whilst I'm preparing the cartons (I presume with excitement at the task ahead of her  ). She will then sit in the kitchen on a stay command, with the door open, whilst I go around the house hiding the cartons. I use 3 rooms to hide them, and have taken up to 4 minutes to hide them all...yet still she sits calmly.....she will never sit (out of sight) that long in ANY other situation! I then tell her to go find and she NEVER fails.

THEN.....guess what she does...within half an hour she goes to sleep

Does this hunting for her food tire her out THAT much  And you know what? If I serve her breakfast in a bowl, she ignores it for 10 minutes and looks at me as if I've done her wrong 

Is she weird, or just being a normal working cocker, with a not very normal Mum  My personal opinion is that she is using some of her wired instincts whilst doing this wee hunt, and it is mentally tiring for her.....am I right?

[fifer]

No def training/ behaviour, you are tiring her brain, this is pure mental stimulation and essential in a balanced training programme. 

[Sarah.H]

Perhaps she enjoys hunting for the food more than actually eating it?

[Linz13]

Yip I agree you're making her use her brain and that is just as tiring (if not more) than physical exercise. 

Murphy is always knackered after playing 'seek' which is us hiding his toys and him running around finding them by name   

[MaggieR]

Sounds like you're really keeping your girl busy Sue Poor Maggie has no idea that tomorrow her breakfast will be a "search & devour" operation 

Fab idea... thanks!

[black taz]

funny you should post this, i was reading an article recently about dogs having to "find" their own food.  excellent idea.

its funny how they get into their little routines though.  I have just been away for a few days with our dogs, and one night i forgot to give them their dentastick (always give them one just before bedtime) and they both stood at the bottom of the stairs looking at me as if i had lost my marbles expecting them to go to bed without one!  It took me a few seconds to realise why they wouldnt come up.

[Top Barks]

Sounds very normal and very enlightened of you to me Sue!