Dogs are always entertaining and unpredictable as pets. Their friendly behavior and inquisitive nature make them the ideal companion.
Dogs have a variety of personalities that vary depending on the breed and individual.
They can be bold and brazen on some days, jumping around fearlessly or snarling at dogs twice their size. Even the tiniest poodles have a strong spirit.
One of the most common personality traits, regardless of breed, is food motivation. Your dog frequently spends the entire day begging for food.
They almost always usually end up making a mess by dragging their bowls, eating on the floor, and dumping food all over the place. Dogs look forward to feeding time and value their food.
There are, however, some behaviors to be aware of.
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5 Reasons Why Your Dog is Afraid of its Food Bowl
1: Steel Bowl
A dog may develop a fear of its bowl, especially if it’s made of steel. The sound may seem trivial to humans, but it’s far louder to dogs.
Dogs have extremely sensitive and acute hearing. They can hear higher frequencies that humans cannot.
Steel bowls make loud noises when they hit the floor or are hit by another object (dog’s collar, teeth), which may startle your dog.
Another possibility can be the mirror reflection of your dog as they are about to finish their meal. It can be pretty frightening for our little fellows.
They might not recognize themselves and assume it to be another dog trying to snatch their meal and creating a fear in your dog to stop eating or acting weird.
With a super hearing, sensitive dogs can also get sensitive to touch. Steel or metal bowls are cold, which might cause them discomfort during meals.
2: Plastic Bowl
Dogs can be afraid of plastic bowls as well for a number of reasons. Allergic reactions to plastic bowls are uncommon in dogs and difficult to diagnose when they do occur.
It can be frightening for your dog, especially if this reaction happens after mealtime. This may cause them to be afraid of their food bowl and avoid the source of the main issue.
It can, however, appear at any age and with a sudden onset, causing your dog distress. Color can also be a factor.
A few of the indications of an allergic response are:
- Skin rashes
- Hives
- Shallow breathing
- Rubbing face
- Biting paws
- Hair loss
- Skin irritation
If your dog isn’t exhibiting any of these symptoms, the size of the bowl itself may be frightening them.
A larger bowl of food may cause them to eat more than their appetite, making them sick and creating a negative experience that they want to avoid next time.
3: Medical Problem
Dogs are foodies, and they’re always curious about what everyone else is eating. A dog is unlikely to refuse food for a single day unless something is wrong somewhere.
When this behavior appears suddenly and unexpectedly, it may indicate a health problem. Yes, it does sound frightening to a dog owner.
Because these loving creatures can hide their pain very well, a behavior change in dogs can indicate serious problems. They may be in pain and too worried to eat properly.
In their canine minds, the food itself may be responsible for their pain and discomfort. It could simply be a cavity caused by the sugary food your dog has been eating.
Another reason could be neck pain from bending too far to the food bowl, which strains their muscles. Or the collar in the neck is getting in the way, startling your dog.
4: Location of the Bowl
Another reason could be that they’re unhappy with the location of the food bowl. For dogs, mealtime is the major highlight of the day.
They want to eat in peace and without interruptions.
Dogs may not be afraid of the food bowl, but they might still lose focus because noisy environments may divert their attention and irritate your dog’s comfort.
Background noise from the TV or other family members chattering around them. You may also be aware that dogs have far superior hearing abilities than humans.
They quickly become aware of sounds that we haven’t even heard. They may also become agitated if there are other dogs in the house.
This can cause them to guard their food and become aggressively possessive of it.
A stinky bowl or room may bother your dog and divert their attention away from the food bowl, which appears to be a fearful reaction to the food bowl.
5: Bowl Appearance
When it comes to the presentation of the bowl, your dog can be picky.
In such cases, they may avoid or become anxious about a specific food bowl, giving the impression that they are afraid and frightened of it.
The color, shape, or material of the bowl can trigger your dog’s senses. A bright, highly reflective food bowl is one of the most common problems observed by many dog owners.
Whether it’s water in the bowl or their regular meal, your dog will notice movement in the food bowl if they bend their neck.
They’ll associate it with something suspicious, which will frighten them. It’s important to find a bowl that your dog likes.
What You Can Do About It
1: Change The Bowl
You can calm your dog down by changing the food bowl to minimize the fear response. It would be beneficial to have an alternative to a loud and noisy metal bowl.
Ceramic and silicone food bowls are two alternatives. Both of these will be useful if your dog has an allergic reaction to a plastic bowl.
A shiny reflective bowl that frightens your dog should be replaced with a less reflective opaque bowl.
Replace a metal water dish with a different bowl, such as plastic or ceramic, to reduce the offending sounds.
When a plastic or ceramic bowl is touched, it makes far less noise than a metal bowl.
The reason to use ceramic bowls is that they are:
- Easy to clean and durable
- Eco-friendly
- No excessive movement
- It goes well with popular home aesthetics
- Less production of noise which may frighten the animal
- Reduced reflection during mealtime
2: Consult a Veterinarian
Animals can cover up their pain. However, it can often be tricky to tell whether your dog is in pain or just feeling anxious.
Ask your vet if your dog presents signs of pain, and the cause is unknown. A professional veterinarian can assist your pet in determining the true cause of the problem.
Several potentially severe causes for pain that may interfere with your dog’s eating are:
- Damage to organs
- Stomach bloating
- Injury to mouth or gums, with or without bleeding
However, you shouldn’t always consider any pain to be a life-threatening condition. Instead, concentrate on the dog’s overall well-being.
Knowing where the pain is coming from is the best way to deal with it promptly.
For example, if your dog is in pain due to tooth extraction, consult your veterinarian about pain management.
Vets have received professional training to provide additional management and care to the dogs during their recovery period.
3: Move The Location
Moving the bowl to another part of your house is a simple way to eliminate the fear. While preparing to move the location, keep the following factors in mind:
- Airflow
- Noise
- Smell
You should never forget that dogs’ smelling instinct is essential to their survival. Scientists estimate that dogs have 10,000-100,000 times the ability to smell like humans.
As a result, any foul or negative odor can cause the dogs to avoid the food bowl, which can be a real issue.
If you have more than just one dog in your home, you should monitor their needs and place their food bowls in different locations.
In this way, all dogs will adhere to their diet and won’t allow the competition to leave them hungry for food.
To solve any animal’s problem, you should always consider their intelligence level andunique needs.
Takeaway
Every dog owner should be aware of any behavioral changes in their pet. Don’t be alarmed! Dogs can communicate, but only to those who know how to listen.
You should also educate yourself on the possible causes of your dog’s strange behavior. Once you do, this allows you to be able to address the issues at the appropriate time.
More importantly, remember to be patient and accept them, making it easier to deal with this issue.
It happens all the time, and you may recognize it after hearing the stories of other dog owners.
However, if nothing else works and your dog continues to behave in the same manner, consider seeking professional advice. We hope you found the above steps helpful.
