Why do dogs flip their food bowls?
On the face of it, your dog flipping their food bowl over seems to make little sense. All it does is create a mess! Because of this, it’s easy to think your pet is doing it to be deliberately mischievous. However, this isn’t normally the case. Rather, the behaviour is usually a response to an innate instinct or genuine need that’s not being fulfilled. It could be to do with their dining environment, a medical condition, something psychological, or the meals themselves. Of course, there’s also the possibility that your pooch is just clumsy!
It’s important to try and understand the reason your dog is flipping their food bowl. Knowing why they do it will help you figure out the best strategies for stopping this unwanted behaviour. For example, switching brands of kibble is unlikely to make much difference if it’s anxiety causing your dog to flip their bowl.
One of the key points to remember is to not shout at or punish your pup for doing it. All this will do is stress out or scare them, and it’s not an effective way to teach animals. Instead, be patient with your pooch as you try to tackle the issue. Once you’ve worked out what they’re trying to communicate, you can fix the problem in a positive manner.
Before we dive in, although unlikely, there’s a chance that your pet’s behaviour is due to an underlying medical condition. Flipping their bowl may be their attempt to tell you they’re not feeling well. If you’re at all worried about this or your pup is experiencing other symptoms, take them to the vet.
So, why does your dog flip her food bowl? Let’s go over the most common explanations.
Instincts at play: is this behaviour natural?
The act of your dog flipping their food bowl becomes more understandable when you consider their ancestry. Our furry friends evolved from wolves, who lived together in packs in the wild. Food was often scarce, which would give rise to competition for those meals from both their packmates and other predators. Like burying food, tipping over their bowl may be your pup’s instinctive attempt to hide their grub from other animals. That’s particularly true for mutts who aren’t the only pet in the house. This innate drive also explains the tendency of many pooches to eat excessively quickly.(1)
We know what you’re thinking. Why is my dog flipping his food bowl when he lives in a safe home with plenty of snacks? Well, they may still feel those evolutionary instincts despite the fact they’re no longer required. The urge to guard their resources is part of their very nature, which makes it difficult to ignore. Especially because, from their perspective, there’s nothing wrong with what they’re doing!
Positive training can be an effective method for helping your pooch to override this inbuilt instinct to flip their bowl. And if your mutt is feeling territorial about their food, feeding them in a separate place could help. Making sure all your pets have their own bowls rather than sharing may also be useful.
It’s not always easy to tell if instinct is the reason why your dog flips their food bowl. As such, it might be simpler to first rule out the other potential explanations below. If none of them apply, you probably have evolution to blame!
Environmental factors: is it about the setting?
Having other animals around isn’t the only way the environment can affect your pup’s eating behaviour. Even if they’re the sole pet in the home, their surroundings may be why your dog flips their food bowl. For instance, if your pooch eats in a noisy or high-traffic part of the house, they might find it uncomfortable. Flipping over their bowl could be a response to this feeling of discomfort or vulnerability.
Another factor to consider is the bowl itself. For example, if it’s placed on a slippery floor and moves around a lot, your mutt can find this frustrating. Tipping over the bowl could be their way of solving this problem. But that’s not the only reason your pooch may dislike their food dish. If it’s not properly rinsed after washing, there could be a lingering scent of washing-up liquid they don’t like. Conversely, if it’s not washed thoroughly enough, there might be an off-putting unpleasant smell to the bowl.
Bowl material matters too. Lightweight dishes are easier to flip over, so it could simply be that your dog is doing so by mistake! Your pet may also prefer one type of material to another, and tip over bowls that don’t make the grade. If you have multiple kinds of food dishes, try a little experiment. Switch them around and see if your dog only flips certain ones. If they do, you can stick to serving their meals in those they leave upright.
Picky eaters: could it be the food?
Sometimes the answer to the question ‘why does my dog flip her food bowl?’ is to do with the meal inside it. Tipping over their dish could be your pet’s way of saying something’s wrong with it or they don’t like it. And it may surprise you how many factors can impact your pup’s enjoyment of their meals!
For example, it’s possible that the kibble bag wasn’t sealed properly and now the biscuits have gone stale. Serving your mutt low-quality meals is another reason they might upend their bowl in protest. Then there’s the possibility that the manufacturers have tweaked their recipe, and your pup isn’t a fan of the new flavour, aroma, or texture. Conversely, perhaps the recipe is identical, and your pooch has simply become bored of their usual food. Experimenting with different brands, textures and tastes should help determine if this is why your dog flips their food bowl.
If you do decide to switch to another food, it’s important to do so gradually. Sudden changes in diet might cause tummy troubles for your pet – or be the reason your dog flips their bowl. Mix the current and new foods together, slowly increasing the proportion of new to old until that’s all they’re eating.
Even temperature can have an effect. For instance, adding a splash of warm water to dog food makes it more palatable for some pups. Plus, it’s a quick and cost-free technique that could stop your dog from flipping their food bowl. Lastly, it might be your dog flips their food bowl because they’re full and don’t want to eat any more. To test this, try reducing their portion sizes and seeing if it stops the behaviour.
Behavioural and emotional triggers for food bowl flipping
If you’re still wondering ‘why does my dog keep flipping his food bowl?’, maybe the reason is emotional. Our pets can’t use words to express their feelings like we can. The behaviour could therefore be an attempt to communicate how they feel in a different way. And the emotions they want to convey might be positive or negative.
In the positive category, perhaps they’re excited about dinnertime and knocking over the food bowl is an expression of that. Alternatively, maybe your mutt wants more attention from you and thinks tipping the dish over is a way to get it. If so, you might have inadvertently reinforced the action by giving them just that!
On the other hand, it could be that your dog is flipping their food bowl over because they’re bored. The behaviour may be a game to them, or a means of expressing their frustration. If this is the case, they likely need some more mental stimulation. Try taking them out for longer walks, teaching them tricks, or spending more time playing together with toys.
Finally, stress and anxiety may be why your dog is flipping their food bowl. Lots of things can cause our pets to feel nervous or stressed. It could be big changes like moving house or a new baby joining the family. Or it might be more long-term concerns, such as separation anxiety. Even minor alterations to their daily routine result in worry and stress for some of our fluffy friends. So, if there have been any changes in your pup’s life recently, this could be behind their bowl-tipping behaviour.
Solutions: how to stop your dog from flipping their food bowl
That covers the principal explanations as to why dogs flip their food bowls. Now let’s look at some of the most effective ways to prevent this behaviour. The most appropriate techniques to use will depend on the reason your pup does it.
For example, if the issue is environmental, you could try feeding your pet in a different location. The best spot to pick is somewhere quiet, so they won’t be distracted or disturbed. If you have multiple pets – and enough space – it might be helpful to dish up their food in separate areas. Alternatively, if the problem is with the bowl itself, we recommend using a heavier one. These are harder for your mutt to tip over. And placing a non-slip mat underneath the dish is a great option for stopping it moving as your pooch eats.
Turning to emotional reasons why your dog flips their food bowl, enrichment tools are a wonderful way to bust boredom. For example, snuffle mats and puzzle feeders make mealtimes more fun and interesting – and most can’t be knocked over! Meanwhile, if you think your pet feels stressed, try creating a safe and comforting space for them to relax in. And, where possible, introduce any changes to their environment or routine gradually.
Ideally, you want to use positive reinforcement training techniques to teach your dog not to flip their food bowl. For instance, when they eat calmly and don’t knock over the bowl, reward them with cuddles and treats.
Boosie functional pet foods for a happier mealtime
Improving the quality of the grub you give them could also stop your dog from flipping their food bowl. At Boosie, we offer a range of functional foods to add to your pup’s meals to make them more nutritious. For example, sea buckthorn powder is bursting with beta-carotene, omega-7 fatty acids, folate, and vitamins C and E. As such, it may help to keep your pet’s skin healthy and their fur soft and shiny. Meanwhile, lion’s mane mushroom could support their brain and gut health.(2)
One ingredient that’s of particular relevance to dogs who flip their food bowls because of stress is ashwagandha powder. That’s because research shows that this adaptogenic herb can significantly ease signs of anxiety in our canine companions.(3)
And if you think your pooch is getting bored with their meals, extra ingredients like these could rekindle their interest. More everyday additions you might want to incorporate include meat, cooked eggs, fresh blueberries, beans, brown rice, and vegetables.
We recommend checking with a vet before adding any functional foods to your pet’s diet. This enables you to confirm that they’re appropriate for their individual health needs.
Final thoughts
We hope this post has helped you to understand why your dog is flipping their food bowl. Once you’ve narrowed down the possibilities, you’ll be able to test out the most suitable suggestions for preventing the behaviour. With any luck, the ideas above will solve the problem and ensure mealtimes are enjoyable (and tidy!) for you both.
