Pets Asking For Food. Isn’t That Familiar?

They can appeal to plaintive howls, perch on your lap, on your leg, or even catch your attention with their paws. Pets will do anything to get your attention for food. You will even be surprised by the number of domestic animals (some not so much) that have this habit: pigeons, pigs, cows, horses.

Eating close to an animal can create funny or even very uncomfortable situations. Let’s look at some of the most graceful situations of animals asking for food:

ANIMALS ASKING FOR FOOD LOOK IN YOUR EYES AND THEN LOOK AT THE FLOOR

There is nothing sadder than the look of your pet begging you for the delicious piece of meat you are about to eat. Mammals, in general, have remarkable gestures and much of our communication with them is derived from the way in which we interpret these gestures.

Pets are able to communicate through emotions expressed through the eyes, such as fear, joy and curiosity. When they’re hungry or hungry, wanting to eat their tasty meal, they’re more likely to let you know what they feel.

BABAR… THE UNFALLIBLE SALIVATION

Although this “gesture” is very unpleasant, it can turn out to be very graceful.  Not all dogs salivate when asking for food, this varies significantly by breed.

A few years ago I had a boxer named Zeus, we usually didn’t feed him while we ate our meals. However, when he saw us at the table, rivers of thick, hot saliva ran down his cheeks, forming large bubbles on occasion. The saliva production was such that, at times, we had to take turns cleaning Zeus’ cheeks, the floor and, when he shook, the walls.

HOWLS AND GROUTS

Some elements conserved as a form of communication between men and dogs is the use of barking and howling.

In fact, wild dogs, such as wolves or foxes, do not use barking to communicate with each other. Rather, it is a way that puppies find to indicate to their mother where they are or to let them know if they are hungry. As they grow, however, they begin to abandon these methods, which no longer prove to be so necessary.

So your dog will only bark, howl, or grunt when he’s interested in what you’re eating. Basically, this is one of the ways that pet owners most upset, and oddly enough, it’s behavior that can be corrected.

WHEN THEY REACH OR REACH YOU

Cats tend to be a little more invasive when it comes to asking for food. This is because they are not submissive like dogs and will not hesitate to approach and even climb on the table to try to get a piece of what you are eating. Luckily for cat owners , this practice is not very common and will possibly only occur when the animal has received little education.

Normally, cats approach and touch you with their paws and head, or rub themselves to indicate they are hungry… Be careful, sometimes when we don’t pay attention they can bite.

Some dogs tend to put their head on their legs looking directly into your eyes, with an “I’m starving” face, which can even wreak havoc on their pants.

HOW TO AVOID THESE BEHAVIORS?

It is known that many of the behaviors mentioned are acquired or learned due to wrong educational procedures. The most effective way to get your pet to stop asking for your food is to never give it to him.

When feeding your pet while you are at the table or having a snack, you imply that these spaces are suitable for it to feed and it will use all the resources it has in order to obtain these foods (I know extreme cases of animals pets that urinate to get attention).

The problem with this behavior is that, in addition to becoming extremely uncomfortable, it is much more difficult to eliminate the habit once it has been acquired.

We therefore suggest that a consensus be reached between the family and the people who visit your home, not to feed the pet with food from their own meals. In addition to making living with the animal more pleasant, this behavior will allow it to have a more controlled diet, which will be good for your health.