Here's Why Dogs Bring Their Food to a Secondary Location

Dogs are endearing and funny little creatures, and anyone who has loved one at some point in their life knows one thing for sure – we don’t deserve them.

There are any number of curious dog behaviors that don’t really make sense to humans. Why do they sniff poop? Why do they eat gross stuff? Why don’t they liked to be watched while going potty? Why is it always your favorite shoes that get chewed?

And yeah, why do they sometimes take food out of their dish and bring it to a second place to eat it?

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As far as the answer to that last question goes, it’s actually pretty interesting – though it could be more than one thing.

One thought is that the behavior is rooted in the dogs’ wolfish ancestry, says veterinarian Tory Waxman.

“Although our bed-loving, spoiled pups are distant relatives to their wild wolf counterparts, they still have some of their behaviors ingrained in their DNA.

When wolves eat their prey, they will often bite off chunks and carry them off to be eaten at a distance to prevent their portion from being stolen by another wolf or having to fight over it.”

He says they also might stash it for later if they’re not hungry, which could also explain the reason your dog hides certain treats or bones throughout the day.

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Gary Richter, a vet expert at Rover.com, says it could also have something to with safety.

“Even though a domestic dog may not be in danger when eating, it may be the instincts override everything else.”

Basically, wherever your dog takes the food si where he feels the safest, or maybe even where they feel most comfortable.

It could be something simpler, too, like he doesn’t like his food dish – it should be clean and easy to eat from – or he’s a social pup who prefers to eat where his people are. Vets have also seen the answer be something like the dog’s collar hitting the dish and making a loud noise.