Dog is protecting its food (resource guarding)
Resource guarding is a protective behavior that can be exhibited by some dogs. Dogs can guard their favorite toys, bed, treats and you guessed it – their food too. It’s a common behavior you may see especially when feeding multiple dogs at the same time. A growling may accompany barking, which is the dog’s way of telling other dogs or humans to back off and stay away from its food. Proper training or behavioral conditioning can manage this behavior. An animal behavior expert or professional dog trainer can help you with this.
Dog is in pain (pain while eating)
If you notice your dog barking in between mouthfuls of food, whimpering, or even giving out “yelps!” while eating, then your dog could be suffering from pain. Pain can be caused by a variety of reasons, including:
- A sore tooth, causing dental pain with each bite
- A cut or injury in the mouth
- Something stuck in the throat, causing pain when swallowing
- Injured or dislocated jaw from a fall, chewing on a hard object or even yawning in certain dogs
If your dog is in pain, then visually inspect its mouth for signs of dental problems or mouth injuries. Or, you can check for any swelling in its jaw or lumps in its throat. In any case, it’s best to take your dog to the vet immediately if you suspect pain. Pain can discourage your dog from eating and cause it to lose weight.
Dog is scared of the food bowl
While dogs can be quite intelligent, they are still only considered to be as smart as a 2 to 3 year old child. Not to mention, they are also known to do silly things such as chasing their own tails! Therefore your dog may be barking because it is getting frustrated at something as silly as its own collar clinking on the food bowl. Alternatively, the bowl may also make noises each time your dog reaches down to feed, scaring itself in the process. In these instances you may want to remove your dog’s collar and name tag before feeding, or secure the food bowl so it doesn’t move around and make noises.
Dog is unfamiliar with its new diet/food
If you’ve recently changed your dog’s diet in anyway, your dog may bark at its food bowl either out of anxiety, fear or unhappiness. You could be introducing new foods to your dog’s diet – or you could be changing from a wet to dry food and vice versa. Any changes to your dog’s diet should be done slowly to give your dog time to familiarize itself with the new food. For example, you can try slowly increasing the proportion of a dog’s new food over the course of a week, rather than instantly. This may reduce food-related barking.
Dog is excited
Dogs can exhibit excitement, especially around play time or feeding time. It is normal behavior. However, if it becomes excessive and disruptive, then you may want to control the barking. Teaching the dog commands like “quiet” allows you to instruct your dog to stay quiet during feeding time. Alternatively, you can try a form of training called negative punishment, in which you take away the food when the dog is barking to teach it that barking is bad. When the dog quietens down, you can then return the food (we don’t recommend that you starve your dog!).
Dog is having a seizure
According to VCA Animal Hospitals, idiopathic epilepsy is the most common cause of seizures in dogs. They also state that:
“Seizures often occur at times of changing brain activity, such as during excitement or feeding, or as the dog is falling asleep or waking up. Affected dogs can appear completely normal between seizures.”
Seizures can range from mild shaking or aimless staring, all the way to erratic body spasms. Confusion and disorientation are two behaviors that can occur after a seizure, amongst others. If you observe your dog having a seizure, your veterinarian will be able to examine and properly diagnose your dog.
Other reasons why your dog is barking
Dogs bark in a variety of situations and for a variety of reasons. If your dog’s barking is constant, and not just when it’s around food, then read this article about barking where we cover more possible causes and solutions. Or, if you are unlucky enough to live next to a neighbor with a barking dog, read some tips here.
