Won't Eat His Bone Alone?

[Guest hankodie]

Hank and I have been doing a funny little ritual at the moment whenever I give him his raw bone for the day. He usually gets lamb flaps or a turkey neck for breakfast and I put him outside on the deck where he can eat it in peace and I can have the occasional peek over to supervise.

Anyway, lately he's been refusing to eat his bone unless I am standing near him or next to him. The ritual goes like this: I put him outside to eat his bone, he licks it enthusiastically, I go back inside (where he can see me), he stands at the sliding door and whines and after a while I let him back inside, thinking that he's probably not hungry. Then he stands in front of the door and looks at his bone forlornly, then back at me. This goes on and on until I go outside and stand next to his bone and point at it (sometimes picking it up and going "oooo look what's this?"), then he gets a look of relief like "OH THANK GOD" and starts eating it happily (usually bringing it over to me with his tail wagging, sometimes he drops it on my foot to "share")

After standing around for a while I can usually sneak back inside and by then he's too into his bone to notice.

Anyone have any idea what this is about!? Obviously it's not a huge problem so I'm not too worried but it is a tad weird :laugh:

Oh also I should mention that he's fine on his own if I'm inside and he's outside and he can see me, he doesn't whine. He only does it when there's a bone around!

[sheena]

Hank and I have been doing a funny little ritual at the moment whenever I give him his raw bone for the day. He usually gets lamb flaps or a turkey neck for breakfast and I put him outside on the deck where he can eat it in peace and I can have the occasional peek over to supervise.

Anyway, lately he's been refusing to eat his bone unless I am standing near him or next to him. The ritual goes like this: I put him outside to eat his bone, he licks it enthusiastically, I go back inside (where he can see me), he stands at the sliding door and whines and after a while I let him back inside, thinking that he's probably not hungry. Then he stands in front of the door and looks at his bone forlornly, then back at me. This goes on and on until I go outside and stand next to his bone and point at it (sometimes picking it up and going "oooo look what's this?"), then he gets a look of relief like "OH THANK GOD" and starts eating it happily (usually bringing it over to me with his tail wagging, sometimes he drops it on my foot to "share")

After standing around for a while I can usually sneak back inside and by then he's too into his bone to notice.

Anyone have any idea what this is about!? Obviously it's not a huge problem so I'm not too worried but it is a tad weird :laugh:

Oh also I should mention that he's fine on his own if I'm inside and he's outside and he can see me, he doesn't whine. He only does it when there's a bone around!

He is probably just asking for your permission to start eating :) Do you make him wait for permission to eat his dinner???? What a good boy :)

[Guest hankodie]

He is probably just asking for your permission to start eating :) Do you make him wait for permission to eat his dinner???? What a good boy :)

I do! I do the same for his bones, I put it down and he sits and waits until I say OK and then he starts eating it but lately he's been waiting around until I come outside again and we do our strange little dance before he starts eating it, very happily and enthusiastically I might add :laugh:

Also forgot to mention that I've tried ignoring his whining and leaving him out there with the bone, I go off and do something else and when I come back he's usually asleep on his bed and the bone is untouched! Weeeeird....

[Kobi'sDaisy]

No advise as such, but our boy did this with his food when he was little, wouldn't eat (after we said OK) unless we were by his side. Doesn't happen much anymore, only when he is a little under the weather or trying to be fussy (once in a blue moon) and while it is quite nice it is a little impractical. Interested to hear what others think in regards to the 'why' as its a funny little habit.

[cassie]

Is he alone at any other times? Maybe he's used to you being around all the time that he feels uneasy when you're not?

[Guest hankodie]

Cassie I do work from home so I make sure he's alone during periods of the day because I don't want him to develop separation anxiety. Any other time he's alone he's OK (unless I have someone over and I put the dogs in their crates as they get excited, then he whines but it's usually because he wants to greet the guest). Right now he's alone in the yard and he's happy as a clam chewing on sticks, my other dog is upstairs snoozing in her bed.

When I leave them to go out I put him downstairs and he's fine - I leave him with a kong and then he goes to sleep.

I really hope it's not a case of him feeling uneasy being alone but that definitely is a possibility seeing as I spend so much time with them!

[Rebanne]

He's trained you very well hasn't he :D Just put him outside and leave him to it. If he whines to come in too bad, ignore him. Or if you must let him in, then the bone gets put away for another day. Hank is controlling what is happening not you.

[Sandra777]

He's trained you very well hasn't he :D Just put him outside and leave him to it. If he whines to come in too bad, ignore him. Or if you must let him in, then the bone gets put away for another day. Hank is controlling what is happening not you.

x2

Demanding attention is never something to encourage :)

[Roova]

Sorry for butting in, but this behaviour is something Im curious about because my Frenchie Maggie does it too.

She's nearly 3 and has been like this since she was 8 months (when I got her). She's quite a submissive dog and only chews or eats when I'm home. I can leave bones or her favourite chew items with her when I go to work and they're still in exactly the same spot when I get home. Sometimes she'll greet me with one in her mouth and do a little parade in front of me like 'look how good I was not eating this'. She'll more than likely trot off and eat the item then but doesn't try to sit near me to do it.

I feel sorry for her that she doesn't chew things to keep herself occupied while alone all day (but at least I know she's not chewing things she shouldn't!). How do you determine whether its controlling or submissive behaviour?

[W Sibs]

He's trained you very well hasn't he :D Just put him outside and leave him to it. If he whines to come in too bad, ignore him. Or if you must let him in, then the bone gets put away for another day. Hank is controlling what is happening not you.

x2

Demanding attention is never something to encourage :)

This.

I was going to say he is attention seeking.

[BC Crazy]

I'm afraid my male BC Sonny has me well trained then too.... of late he hasn't been eating his dinner out of his bowl unless I hand feed him.

Then he very slowly eats it bit by bit. I actually didn't give it any thought that he may be demanding attention in a round about way. Will have

to stop helping him out. Said by a very red faced BC owner :)

[Rebanne]

Sorry for butting in, but this behaviour is something Im curious about because my Frenchie Maggie does it too.

She's nearly 3 and has been like this since she was 8 months (when I got her). She's quite a submissive dog and only chews or eats when I'm home. I can leave bones or her favourite chew items with her when I go to work and they're still in exactly the same spot when I get home. Sometimes she'll greet me with one in her mouth and do a little parade in front of me like 'look how good I was not eating this'. She'll more than likely trot off and eat the item then but doesn't try to sit near me to do it.

I feel sorry for her that she doesn't chew things to keep herself occupied while alone all day (but at least I know she's not chewing things she shouldn't!). How do you determine whether its controlling or submissive behaviour?

to me this is totally different and I think might be a slight case of anxiety.

[Cosmolo]

What Rebanne said.

[Guest hankodie]

He's trained you very well hasn't he :D Just put him outside and leave him to it. If he whines to come in too bad, ignore him. Or if you must let him in, then the bone gets put away for another day. Hank is controlling what is happening not you.

x2

Demanding attention is never something to encourage :)

This.

I was going to say he is attention seeking.

Haha I will freely admit that my 2 sometimes manage to train me on more than one occasion makes perfect sense. He's a giant sook, all I need to do is look at him and he rolls on his back for belly rubs and attention! What I'm wondering though is why does he exhibit the behaviour only around the bone? He seems to be OK when I leave him alone in all other circumstances (to eat his regular food, putting him outside if he's rowdy, etc)

I'm afraid my male BC Sonny has me well trained then too.... of late he hasn't been eating his dinner out of his bowl unless I hand feed him.

Then he very slowly eats it bit by bit. I actually didn't give it any thought that he may be demanding attention in a round about way. Will have

to stop helping him out. Said by a very red faced BC owner :)

Red faced goldie owner here, I'll come and join you :laugh:

[Rebanne]

Haha I will freely admit that my 2 sometimes manage to train me on more than one occasion makes perfect sense. He's a giant sook, all I need to do is look at him and he rolls on his back for belly rubs and attention! What I'm wondering though is why does he exhibit the behaviour only around the bone? He seems to be OK when I leave him alone in all other circumstances (to eat his regular food, putting him outside if he's rowdy, etc)

cause it started innocently enough, one day Hank was bored or something, you responded, Hank liked it, tired it again and before you know it you have a behaviour. :D

[Guest hankodie]

Haha I will freely admit that my 2 sometimes manage to train me on more than one occasion makes perfect sense. He's a giant sook, all I need to do is look at him and he rolls on his back for belly rubs and attention! What I'm wondering though is why does he exhibit the behaviour only around the bone? He seems to be OK when I leave him alone in all other circumstances (to eat his regular food, putting him outside if he's rowdy, etc)

cause it started innocently enough, one day Hank was bored or something, you responded, Hank liked it, tired it again and before you know it you have a behaviour. :D

LOL! That makes perfect sense. Here I was trying too hard to read into it. I thought maybe he felt bad because every morning he gets a delicious bone while I only have a cup of tea in my hand, he then took great pity on me and started insisting that we share his bone to be polite........ :laugh:

[Rebanne]

Haha I will freely admit that my 2 sometimes manage to train me on more than one occasion makes perfect sense. He's a giant sook, all I need to do is look at him and he rolls on his back for belly rubs and attention! What I'm wondering though is why does he exhibit the behaviour only around the bone? He seems to be OK when I leave him alone in all other circumstances (to eat his regular food, putting him outside if he's rowdy, etc)

cause it started innocently enough, one day Hank was bored or something, you responded, Hank liked it, tired it again and before you know it you have a behaviour. :D

LOL! That makes perfect sense. Here I was trying too hard to read into it. I thought maybe he felt bad because every morning he gets a delicious bone while I only have a cup of tea in my hand, he then took great pity on me and started insisting that we share his bone to be polite........ :laugh:

except he didn't share, he rubbed it into your face he had the bone and you, poor human, had nothing :laugh:

aren't puppies fun :D