Ask the Pet Care Expert

Ok, my 4 1/2 year old Schnauzer mix and my son's 2 1/2 year old Lab puppy have eaten out of each other's bowls for five months now. 

They are fed at opposite ends of the house, and until now, neither one seemed to care if the other one helped him/herself to a couple of bites of kibble out of the other's bowl. 

Now, this week, the Lab puppy has begun to growl at my dog, if my dog even wanders into the room where his bowl is.

I'm just wondering where that is coming from and what I should do about it.

I know ya'll will give me good advice. 

I don't know what's going on. But at 2-1/2 years old, the lab is no longer a puppy. A growl is a warning, of course, and the bigger dog appears to have become more concerned over ownership.

What does the Schnauzer do?

My best advice is two-fold. First, pick up the bowls after the dogs have finished eating. Leaving them out with anything still inside asks for trouble, and gives both dogs something to guard/argue about. And second, within reason let the dogs work it out between themselves. Usually, such growls are mostly posturing and jockeying for who's in charge in a given circumstance. Whichever dog is rightfully in charge in that particular area (the Lab cuz he "owns" that bowl/location?) should be supported...but with the bowl gone there shouldn't be a reason for him to growl.

Interfering or trying to stop the growls could backfire, and make him more determined to show the Schnauzer who is boss in other ways.

best,
amy

Amy D. Shojai, CABC
IAABC-Certified Animal Behavior Consultant
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PETiQuette: Solving Behavior Problems in Your Multipet Household
Complete Care for Your Aging Cat/Dog
Complete Kitten Care
The First-Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats
Chicken Soup for The Dog/Cat Lover's Soul

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Thank you for the insight, Amy.  As to what the Schnauzer does when the Lab growls, she mostly just stands and looks.  Since SHE is our resident dog and will remain here after the Lab goes overseas, of course we are concerned at his behavior.  Plus the fact that he weighs three times as much as she.

We will follow your advice about picking up the bowls.  Should this be done, even if it appears the dog[s] have not yet eaten?

Regards,

Val

Hi Val,

I have multiple dogs and we feed them twice a day and give them about 20 - 30 minutes to eat and then pick up their bowls.  If they are not finished then depending on how much is left I will either discard the leftovers or save it and add it to their next meal.

Our dogs are all fed in different areas of the kitchen - usually when I am in there preparing our meal - so that I can keep an eye on them.   I measure out their food so that each dog is given an appropriate portion at each meal.

This provides several benefits such as knowing which dogs are eating well and which may not be which could point to a potential health problem.  I have found that measuring the food keeps them from putting on too much weight.  We also noticed that because they know their bowls will be picked up they usually stay at their bowls and eat until the food is gone --- or they are satisfied.

Hope this helps!