It can be interesting to observe instinctual behaviors with puppies.
They will often do things that are going to cause you to perk up in interest. You will notice this when the puppies are walking around and it might seem odd at first.
You will need to take the time to see what’s going on with the puppy and pinpoint whether or not this is normal.
This includes asking, why are the puppies circling the food bowl?
Puppies often start circling a food bowl out of instinct as they would in the wild. It is common to surround or “circle” the prey before attacking. It’s also possible the puppies are creating a safe space around the food before eating and marking their territory.
It’s important to note that there is nothing wrong with a puppy circling its food. This is normal and something they would do in the wild.
For those who do want to find out how to stop puppies from circling the food bowl, it’s best to go through this guide on a few tips that will work.
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Last update on 2023-09-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
How To Stop Puppies From Circling Food Bowl
1. Use A Different Food Bowl
It’s always best to start with the food bowl.
This might be the reason your puppy is not moving around the food bowl as they need to. This is going to create a scenario where the food bowl is not going to be helping control how the puppy behaves.
This is going to make them more erratic as they quickly circle around the food bowl. You might notice the puppy get aggressive too.
This is sometimes a sign the food bowl is the wrong one for your puppy.
It is best to take a look at changing the type of dog bowl you are using for the puppy. Look for something that is shaped differently or set at a different height as that might help.
2. Relocate The Food Bowl
You will also want to take a look at where the food bowl is set up in the house.
Are you putting it in a safe spot?
There might be a lot of activity and/or noise around the food bowl and this will make the puppy’s instincts act up. They will want to “protect” the food and that is going to cause them to circle it more.
If you relocate the food bowl to a quieter part of the property, this will ease the puppy’s nerves. You are more likely to see results by doing this and that is what you should be aiming for.
3. Put Out Smaller Meals
You will now want to take a look at the type of meal you are working on.
You will want to see what can be done to make sure the puppy is getting enough food during a 24-hour period but not all of it at once.
This is one option that you can work on.
The premise here is to spread out the portions.
You are going to break down the amount of food a puppy is eating into smaller portions and then see how it responds. It is likely going to eat the food right away and not circle it.
4. Train The Puppy To Wait
The last tip is to train the puppy to wait for its food.
This is often a long-term strategy but one you should be working on with the puppy. You don’t want this to become a constant issue.
You will want to take the time to teach the puppy to wait for the food to be put out. This is how the puppy will know when it is time to eat and when it is time to sit back.
They will know that being calm and waiting is what will get them the food. This will also make it easier for them to adapt.
Final Thoughts
Why are your puppies circling the food bowl?
Puppies will start circling the food bowl out of instinct as they would in the wild. This is done to circle the prey and then attack it. It’s also common for puppies to circle the food bowl to create a comfort zone around it before eating and/or marking their territory.
This will often vary depending on the environment around the food bowl at the time the puppy is there.
If there is a lot of activity (i.e. noise, people) this is going to cause the puppy to start doing this right away.
Look into this when it comes to maximizing how you are using the food bowl.
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