Strange behaviour

[Rachel]

Hi everyone,
I have 6 dogs and we feed them all together. They all eat whilst we stand watching over them, but recently one of my bitches is showing a strange behaviour. The moment she finishes her food, she turns and wee's in her food bowl. It is almost like she is marking her food bowl. I have noticed ,because I have one very greedy dog that she scoffs her own food then goes around others to knick their food, but since this bitch has started to wee in her bowl, it has stopped this other bitch eating the little bits of food left in the bowl.

Is this simply the reason why my girl has started to wee in her bowl, to stop others ?
I have not seen this before, and she does is so quick, and she seems to turn on the spot and wee straight into the bowl. Very odd.

Any suggestions ? Apart from grab the bowl before she does it. But she honestly does it the moment she has finished eating. She is the dominant bitch of the pack I add.

Rachel

[marjolein]

Very weird indeed. Never heard about this b4. Watching this topic with interested, to see what others might have to say about it.

[rute_paredes]

Actually, my boy Iago did something similar to what you are describing a couple of times at his obedience school. During "recess" (between the first and second halves of the class), owners take turns leading their dogs to the large fresh water bowl placed in a shady spot, where the dogs can drink.
Out of courtesy, I would let other owners go first with their dogs and then lead Iago to the bowl. To start off with, Iago was not very keen on drinking somewhere where other dogs had already scoffed and drooled (snotty little so-and-so). He actually rejected the water. I was CERTAIN he was thirsty but he would sniff the water and turn away. The instructor discarded the "left-over" water and filled the bowl with a fresh supply. IAgo went ahead, drank his fill, looked around and then peed on the bowl. (He was about 12 months when this happened)
When he as a pup of 4 months, he did not peep in the water but got his muddy paws inside it, so the water got really dirty and yucky. On both occasions, the instructors said he was trying to make sure nobody else had any of "his" water.

From what you're describing Rachel, it does look like your bitch is trying to prevent the other dogs from getting close to her food. So she "protects" it with her peep, making her bowl really unappetizing to everyone else.

don't know if my story is any help... Iago has never done anything like this at home but he is an only dog. Whenever his friend the Highland Terrier comes over to visit for the day (an older bitch, about 2, whilst he is 17 months old), he lets her eat his food without complaining.

r.

[aktyson]

I've seen dogs at US Field Trials exhibit this behavior. Groups of dogs that are in training with pros are staked out on chains for feeding and some will "mark" in their dishes after they are done eating or drinking. AFAIK none of them do that at home.

Anne

[Cheryl]

Horses do such things, the stallions. Sounds the same, such as when you feed hay to a herd of horses, the dominant one, stallion or not will stand in the middle of the bales and kick it up, tossing it w/his teeth, and generally making a mess but claiming "I'm king of the Hill!"

I didn't allow horses to do this after seeing it a few times, I'd grab the big guys' halter and lead him off to eat his own away from the rest since they all held back while he messed up their dinners. He'd get his first, they would get their's further away from him, best behind the barn and out of sight.

As for dogs doing this, males and females will. I take the (again, dominant) "one" and don't always feed that one first. That one has to have manners and sit, do not be aggressive nor steal another's, and follow me as I feed each one, never knowing if it will be fed first, middle or last. But must sit, hold a sit/stay, and then I hold the bowl, at times giving a few bites from my hand, reminding them to be gentle, all while calm, and at the first flicker of muscle another reminder to sit/stay, and look who is in charge and how happy we can all be. Any inappropriate behavior would include a near 5 minute time out in crate and back to starting over, daily. This way you catch any problems early and its easiest to keep the routine as it should be.

The only thing I found was not to feed on a tight schedule or some, like Slade, begin to get up earlier and earlier in the morning, sitting and staying but adjusting the sit/stay, while you are trying to sleep, since YOU are NOT getting the idea:( We tend to have a feed around this time or that times! Keep you thinking, all the time!

Inappropriate behavior to me is dashing in and taking another's food after many attempts to ingrain in the brain that this is not acceptable. Or, actual fighting, I don't allow that. Well socialized mannerisms should be all that is needed in progressive stages but once things ever escalate, I do step in to remind I'm in charge and we will not step over the line unless its absolutely necessary to save a life/lives.

[Rachel]

Hi
Thanks everyone. It does seem like its marking and from what you have said, it has been seen before. I do think that she is trying to stop other dogs sniffing around her bowl after she has finished eating. She does scent an awful lot like a dog too when we are out on our walks, I have seen her squat nearly cocking her leg over dogs pee. Her behaviour is also more when she is coming up to a season.
Rachel

[Cheryl]

I love that, years ago when my kids were small I had Funny Girl Pearl who cocked her leg outside:)