Scavenger Behavior in Puppies

Dogs, and therefore puppies, are scavengers by nature. This is why it is ill-advised to leave a full bowl of food out for a puppy. The puppy will not stop eating and will make itself sick. On the other hand, being scavengers makes your canine companion a fantastic vacuum for cleaning up spills in the kitchen.

  1. Predator History

    • The ancestors of today's companion dogs were scavengers as well as hunters. Just like wolves and coyotes, dogs are scavengers by nature. Every breed of dog has this in common and will scavenge anything on the floor, in the trash or within their reach even if their stomach is full.

    Reinforcement

    • Many dog owners reinforce the behavior of scavenging without realizing they are doing it. A dog that is fed anywhere except the place where it eats its dinner will see that it is OK to scavenge for extra tidbits of food.

    Recognition

    • When you realize your dog is discovering the joy of scavenging, you need to act quickly to help it get rid of this habit before the pup is old enough to dig into worse areas.

      Puppies that eat feces are also scavenging through a process called coprophagia. The earlier a puppy is taught that this is not acceptable, the easier it will be to reinforce the proper behavior.

    Curbing the Behavior

    • Scavenging behavior can lead to other issues, such as food or toy aggression because the dog thinks it must fight for every scrap it is given. Even happy, well-fed dogs can become food aggressive if they are allowed to scavenge.

      If your puppy is caught scavenging, do not scold it. Instead, set up a trap to scare but not hurt the puppy. Shaking a plastic jar with several pennies or craft bells in it works well if the puppy is "counter-surfing." If it is digging in the trash, buy a lid for the trash can or put it in an area where the puppy is not allowed.

      Curbing the behavior in an adult dog may require seeing a behaviorist or trainer, depending on how severe the problem is.