Stashing Away for a Rainy Day

Question:
My Brittany spaniel, Chelsea, has a weird habit. When I feed her kibble, she picks up each piece from her bowl and places it on the kitchen floor or in other rooms of the house. After she had removed all the kibble from her bowl, she tracks down each piece throughout the house and eats it. Why does she do this?

Answer:
Chelsea's odd eating habits are a throwback to her ancient roots as a hunter and scavenger. Her ancestors could not count on people to serve them two meals each day. Because food was not always available to wolves and other wild dogs whenever they needed it, they would stash parts of their kill in various places so they could return to it later when they were hungry and couldn't find prey. Some domestic dogs, particularly hunting breeds like spaniels, still retain this instinct. In fact, some dogs will actually hide each piece of kibble in corners or under furniture before they go back and eat it.

Even though Chelsea receives regular meals, this ancient instinct is telling her to stash the kibble in different places so she can return to it later to eat it. Of course, "later", may only be a few minutes after she has performed her food-relocation ritual. But in Chelsea's mind, her behavior helps ensure a constant source of food in the future. May dog Clifford does this occasionally with his chew bones. She will sit politely for me to hand over the meaty treat and then dashes out the doggy door to bury it in the backyard.

To human observers, this food-spreading behavior doesn't make sense unless you think about the instinct that is driving it. Just remember as soon as you watch Chelsea spread her food around that she is heeding the call of the wild. If you don't want kibble surprises all over you house, I recommend that you keep bedroom and bathroom doors closed during feeding time. Stepping on hard kibble with bard feet is no delight.