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We know the scenario. You have a snack and your dog is watching you expectantly, even though you know she just ate. It makes you wonder if you are feeding her enough or maybe it was someone else’s job to feed her today and they have forgotten. The sound of candy wrappers will summon your dog like nothing else. Someone who did not know would swear he was starving, but you know he is not.
Why does your dog seem to be hungry all the time? Statistics show that obesity among companion pets has reached epidemic proportions, so it is safe to assume that every time your dog acts hungry, she probably isn’t physically hungry, but her actions would indicate otherwise.
To explain this, one must think about who your dog is and from whence he came. Canis familiaris has evolved with human beings and has developed a scavenger lifestyle. Early dogs lived in settlements with humans and ate what the humans had left. It was easier for early dogs to sort through man’s trash than to roll the dice on hunting like wolves do. According to Discover Wildlife, wolves are only successful in killing their prey 14% of the time, yet for dogs, rifling through trash would seem to yield a higher success rate with less danger for sure. The trash would not run off, costing valuable calories in the chase, nor would be fight back with sharp hooves or swinging heads.
Dogs have certainly proven street-smart when they developed their partnership with us. And what a good partnership it has proven to be! Nowadays, dogs don’t have to eat trash. Instead, we buy premium diets for them or cook their food ourselves. In exchange, dogs guard our territories, families, and possessions and they entertain us, making us smile and reminding us what friendship is all about.
Animal opportunists cannot afford to miss a chance at a handout. No effort is required (except a soulful look at you) to score a bit of what you are eating and your dog thinks it is probably worth a shot. We do not have to feed our dogs like wolves. They are too smart for that. Evolving with us has made them opportunistic and let’s face it, if you are eating, it is an opportunity!
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