[Frankie Flowers]

Every evening, like clockwork, I fill my dog Koda’s bowl with her favorite kibble. Same brand, same flavor, every time. And every evening, without fail, she’ll take a mouthful, walk a few feet away, and then spit out exactly two or three pieces onto the floor. Not dramatically, just casually drops them like they offended her. Then she circles back ten minutes later and eats them, sometimes after giving them a suspicious sniff, as if they’ve passed some invisible test.

At first, I thought something was wrong with the food. Maybe stale bits? Maybe her teeth hurt? But she wasn’t in pain, and she only did it with random pieces, not consistently the same ones. I even caught her tossing one in the air like she was playing with it. Why would she do this?

• This topic was modified 3 weeks, 6 days ago by Frankie Flowers.

[Danielle DeGroot]

Hi Frankie, Koda’s quirky dinner ritual might seem confusing, but it’s actually not that unusual. Some dogs have playful or particular eating habits that can look like they’re being picky or strange. What you’re seeing might be part food inspection and part play behavior. Dogs sometimes “cache” food, instinctively setting it aside to eat later, or they may spit out pieces to inspect them more thoroughly. The tossing could be her way of entertaining herself or engaging her prey drive in a harmless, kibble-focused way.

Since she’s eating normally overall, showing no signs of dental pain, and happily returns to those rejected pieces later, there’s likely no cause for concern. It sounds like this is just one of Koda’s unique quirks, her way of turning dinner into a mini-game. Some dogs are more theatrical and picky than others when it comes to food.

That said if you ever notice changes in her appetite, chewing behavior, or signs of discomfort, a quick vet check wouldn’t hurt. But in Koda’s case, it sounds like dinner is just a little more entertaining than usual, and she’s loving every bite (eventually).

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