Feeding Rituals, Does Yours Do It?

[speedyjaney]

Jessie is effectively a hoover is called JessieDyson lol 

[Hurtwood Dogs]

Mine don't have a ritual as such but both my last cocker and Dave will not eat until someone tells them too (then it gets wolfed down at 100 mph ) Trev took this to an extreme one night when myself and ex were having a 'disagreement' one of us fed him and put the bowl down but forgot to say ok, then we continued our 'heated discussion' until 30 mins later my ex realised that Trev was still sitting next to his bowl watching us and waiting for someone to say 'OK' so mid rant he said 'OMG...... OK!!!!!' and Trev smiled appreciatively and calmly ate his dinner... we ended up in fits of giggles.... end of heated discussion!

My Weim however, doesn't have such good manners.....

Hannah x

[Jeeves]

Parker opens his mouth and sucks in air and his entire bowl of food

Mrs B comes with me into the room where the food is kept then gets all excited and runs round and round in circles about 90 (and yes, I have stood there and counted! ) times until she eventually circles her way into the kitchen where shes kicks the cupboards until the bowl is put down

Ronald just sits patiently and waits to be fed!

[Sheryl]

Kali just eats normally but Chloe used to fill her mouth until her cheeks bulged like a hamster and then she would go away, spit them all out and chomp through them slowly

[Robbie34]

Charley has his food, Frolic, in his bowl permanently, but he always has something else after the evening meal.  This depends on what we have - chicken, steak, pork, beef etc., and some is cut up for Charley and given to him in another dish.  He always takes the first few pieces into the hall and eats them there.  He will then finish the rest of it in the kitchen. 

He has his Frolic whenever he wants it, and will usually go to the kitchen and bring a few pieces to eat in the lounge.

[jools]

There are far too many of them doing that whole walking away with the first mouthful for it to be coincidence. I wonder what the reason is for them doing it.....any clever behaviourists out there?

[Helen]

mine does it too  with kibble, and even with chicken wings.

He picks the first wing one out like it's covered in poison and gently lays it by the bowl, and then will eat the rest quite happily.  He then scoffs the toxic one he's left by the side of the bowl last.

I'm quite relieved that he doesn't follow the same procedure with tripe 

he also needs to be encouraged to come to his bowl, even with Tripe.  Maybe he thinks we're trying to poison him permanently and we should hire His Highness a royal food taster?

[PennyB]

Buddy's ritual is to inhale his food as quickly as he can then have a good look around to see if there's any more

Sounds a bit like my two, though if Ruby finishes 1st she nicks Wilfs but if Wilf does he just hovers as her daren't nick Ruby's

[Karma]

Honey definately needs to be encouraged to eat - though she has improved recently!  Her kibble she will sniff, wander away, wander back, pick some up, drop it somewhere, then she *may* start eating.
Her chicken wings she *must* take through to the hallway (our poor carpet!) - and at times she will sit and look at it as if it is poisoned... before wolfing it down! 

She was very funny after her recent spay, as she still did the take a mouthful, wander away, wander back routine, but was *so* hungry it was sped up about 50 times - she'd inhale a mouthful then do a quick little circle around before inhaling some more - I have *never* seen anything like it - I was in stitches (even at 4am, when she had decided she was *still* hungry!!!!!!).

[Letichia]

Buddy's ritual is to inhale his food as quickly as he can then have a good look around to see if there's any more

Same ritual as my two!!

[Beth]

I know she's not a cocker, but Lucy does this with every single mouthful. I'm sure you can imagine, dinner takes quite a while in this house.

[Countrygirl]

I am so glad you have put this thread on.  Ellie takes 2 pieces of kibble into the hall, comes back and eats all the rest straight out of her bowl then goes back to the hall to eat the 2 pieces she left there. 

I have always found this fascinating and its really interesting to know so many other cockers do similar things.

[barnacle]

My Barney has done this since the day we got him, he gets out a couple of peices of kibble, takes it away from the bowl, puts it on the floor, eats it and then finishes the bowl. Weird, I wonder what it means?

[bracken]

my 4  just dive in until every last bit has gone 

[LucyJ]

When Daisy was an only dog she would do the same sort of thing - pick up a mouthful of food and bring it to whichever room I was in to eat, then go back for a bit more.

Cooper inhales all of his food within 10 seconds then goes hunting for more, so after he arrived Daisy learned quite quickly to stay by her bowl and eat as fast as possible, or she wouldn't have any left  .