Having a puppy is fun and exciting! But it gets a lot less fun when he starts acting out.
Sometimes, puppies start to misbehave when they’re hungry. So what can you do about it?
Here’s everything you need to know.
Table of Contents
Do puppies misbehave when hungry?
Your puppy probably loves food. Most dogs do! Dogs tend to be food-motivated animals, which means that they are more likely to do something if they know there is a food reward involved.
It’s important to feed your dog regularly. When he’s still a puppy, eating a regular, healthy diet will help him grow up into a healthy adult dog.
But even though you feed him regularly and feed him right, you might find hungry puppies will misbehave on occasion. If you’ve noticed that he tends to act out when it’s close to his meal time, you may be wondering if it’s because he’s hungry.
After all, when people get hungry, many of them tend to get short-tempered. The combination of “hungry” and “angry” is known as being “hangry”.
But do puppies get hangry? Yes and no. They experience ‘hunger tension’, which can encourage them to act out. Apart from making sure that your puppy actually eats enough and doesn’t have any underlying conditions, you can use training to reduce ‘hangry’ behavior.
Before we go deeper into the topic, don’t forget to take a look at these related articles about dogs and food:
- Why Is My Dog Refusing to Eat Dog Food?
- How to Stop Your Dog Guarding Food
- 7 Tips to Stop a Dog from Begging for Food
Do puppies and dogs get hangry?
“Hangry” might not be exactly the right term for what’s happening to your dog. That said, your dog’s hunger can certainly affect his emotional state.
When dogs and puppies get too hungry, they experience what’s called “hunger tension.” They might start acting out because of this and doing things they know they shouldn’t.
Have you become concerned about the way your puppy is acting when he’s hungry? You might be worried that your puppy is showing signs of aggression.
An aggressive puppy should be dealt with right away to prevent the problem from getting worse. For more info on aggression, take a look at these articles:
How can you tell if your puppy is hungry?
There are usually a few pretty obvious signs that your puppy is getting hungry. One of the biggest ones is the time. Has it been a while since your puppy’s last meal?
If it has and you’re noticing other signs, then it might be time for you think about getting his next meal together.
When puppies get hungry, they may also start to misbehave and act out a little more. He may also try to look for his own food by getting into things he shouldn’t.
Other signs of a hungry puppy include whining, barking, and even nipping at you to let you know he wants his food!
Is it normal for puppies to act hungry all the time?
Does it seem like your puppy is constantly starving? Is he acting incredibly dramatic about getting food?
If your puppy is always acting hungry, then that could be a sign that something is wrong. Sometimes it’s really just your puppy’s personality, annoying as that may be. There are a few different ways you can tell what’s going on.
You’ve encouraged your puppy to act hungry
You may have inadvertently been using positive reinforcement dog training to teach your dog to act hungry all the time.
So what does that mean, exactly?
Positive reinforcement means you reward your dog when he performs a particular behavior, and thus encourage that behaviour. When your dog acts super dramatic and hungry and you respond by feeding him, that rewards and encourages that behavior.
When you do this consistently, puppies will think that when they misbehave or otherwise act hungry, he’s guaranteed to get food.
There are a few different ways you can deal with this particular problem. More on that later.
Signs you are actually underfeeding your puppy
One thing that might be going on is that you are actually underfeeding your puppy.
It’s important to make sure that your puppy is getting the right amount of food. Remember to take a look at your puppy’s food to determine what that amount is. Most foods will have some kind of chart or indicator to help figure out how much to feed your puppy.
There are a few signs you might notice if your dog isn’t getting enough food. For one thing, he’s likely to beg constantly. You may also find that he’s acting out a lot.
If your puppy seems particularly skinny, then that’s another sign he’s not eating enough. Underfed puppies misbehave because they’re so hungry that they’re genuinely miserable.
There may be an underlying reason
If your puppy always seems hungry and you’re feeding him regularly, then there could be an underlying problem.
You might want to think about visiting your vet to get your dog a check-up. He might have an issue like worms or parasites that are affecting his digestive system.
Other medical problems like canine Cushing’s disease could also be at work here. Your vet will take a look at your puppy to see if there is anything going on that you should be concerned about.
He might just be bored
Boredom in dogs can cause a lot of problems—maybe more than you think! When dogs and puppies get bored, they start looking for ways to entertain themselves.
Dogs are very mouth-focused animals, so it makes sense that they’d look for something to eat when they’re bored. Puppies that misbehave by chewing on stuff don’t have to be hungry, they just can’t think of anything better to do.
And: Even well-exercised dogs can get bored, because mental stimulation is an important part of it!
Mental stimulation can also be a wonderful training tool if used correctly. Check out Braintrainingfordogs to learn how to train your dog to be the best dog he can be by using mental stimulation! Or have a look at Dogpackr’s review first to see if it’s a fit for you and your dog!
The best way to fight doggy boredom is to prevent it in the first place. If you’re looking for things to do with your dog, these articles might provide a little inspiration:
- 10 Brain Games for Dogs to Play at Home
- 11 Tips to Keep Your Dog from Being Bored When Home Alone
- 21 Fun Things to Do With Your Dog at Home
How can I stop my puppy from misbehaving when hungry?
It can be difficult to deal with hungry puppies that misbehave. Issues like biting, barking, crying, and getting into trouble are all super frustrating.
So what can you do about it? There are a few great ways to deal with issues like this. Here are some tips that can help you.
Observe what happens
It’s hard to make sure you’re doing the right thing for your puppy if you’re not paying enough attention to what’s going on. Different causes require different solutions. That means you need to keep an eye on your puppy to learn what his specific problem is.
Pay attention to how he acts as well as what seems to be the trigger for his behavior. Does he start acting out closer to meal time? Consider splitting his food into several smaller meals throughout the day to help keep him full.
Remember to pay attention to your own responses as well. If you’re giving him food whenever he starts acting hungry, that could be what’s encouraging the behavior.
Only reward good puppy behavior
You don’t want to encourage bad behavior. If your puppy is acting out, you should ignore him until he starts behaving more acceptably.
It can be hard to ignore bad behavior, especially is your puppy is being particularly obnoxious. But if you give him what he wants, that’s only going to encourage the behavior more.
Wait until your puppy is behaving a little more calmly before you feed him. If he’s still acting out, then you might want to give him a time out to help him calm down. A crate will be useful in this situation.
Haven’t started crate training your puppy yet? Here’s how to crate train a dog easily in 13 steps.
Change his feeding schedule
Your puppy’s feeding schedule could be the reason why he’s acting out.
It’s important to give your dog the right amount of food every day. But when you give your dog his food is also going to make a difference. Are you only feeding your puppy once or twice a day?
Consider splitting his food up into smaller portions and giving him more meals to help keep him feeling full.
You may also want to consider his current feeding schedule. Dogs are routine-based animals. If you feed your dog around the same time every day, he’ll know when he can expect food, which helps him stay calm.
Change your puppy’s food
What kind of food are you feeding your dog? You need to make sure that his food is rich in healthy nutrients to help keep him not just healthy, but also feeling full.
If your puppy consistently acts hungry, then he might not be getting enough fiber.
Some dog foods contain a lot of fillers, or ingredients that aren’t actually beneficial and just provide empty calories. Take a good look at the ingredients in your dog’s food to make sure that he’s getting all the nutrients he needs.
It might also be a good idea to consider something like fresh-cooked dog food. Learn more about the best dog food delivery service for fresh cooked food here.
Make him work for it
Are you just putting your dog’s food down in front of him and letting him eat?
If you do this, then in your puppy’s eyes, you’re rewarding him for acting out before eating. You want to be rewarding him for something else.
So, instead of just giving your puppy his food, try making him work for it first. You can do this by having him perform a few basic tricks.
This gets your puppy’s mind off of whatever he was focused on before and helps calm him down before his meal.
Don’t know enough tricks to get your puppy working for his meals? Here are 11 easy dog tricks for beginners.
Related topic: For dog training in general I highly recommend you get a program that walks you through step by step, such as Braintrainingfordogs. Certified dog trainer Adrienne Farricelli teaches you to train your dog to be the best dog he can by be using mental stimulation! Check out Dogpackr’s review to see if this is a fit for you!
Take your puppy to the vet
There could be an underlying medical problem that’s making your puppy act out like this before meals.
If your puppy has something like parasites or worms, it might be hard for him to feel full. There might be other medical problems at work here.
Other signs that you should head to your vet include restlessness, vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive panting.
If you suspect that your puppy might be sick, you should get him to a vet right away. They’ll figure out what’s wrong and get you started with treatment.
There’s no denying that vet visits can get expensive fast. If you’re looking to save money on your vet bills, here are some helpful articles:
Get help from a trainer or behaviorist
Sometimes a problem is too big for us to handle on our own.
There’s never any shame in getting the help of a professional when you need it. If you’re struggling with your puppy’s misbehavior and you’re at the end of your rope, it might be time to bring in a trainer.
Take some time to look into local trainers near you who have experience working with puppies. Remember to focus on finding someone who uses positive reinforcement dog training. This is the most effective and the safest type of dog training.
Once you’ve found somebody you’re interested in working with, remember to interview them and ask them questions. Ask things like how they’d handle your situation, what experience and certifications they have, and how they’ve handled similar issues before.
Thier answers will help you see if this trainer is right for you and your pup.
Hungry puppy behavior FAQ
We may have gone over the basics, but you might still have some questions about your hungry and troublesome puppy.
Here are the answers you’ve been looking for.
At what age are puppies the naughtiest?
Raising a puppy is really rewarding, but there’s no denying that it’s tough too. Puppies are a lot of work, and there are times when it can be really frustrating.
You might be asking yourself questions like “when do puppies get easier?” If only you could mark a day on your calendar and know that that’s when you’ll stop having to deal with all the super frustrating parts of your puppy!
Sadly, that’s not the case. Your puppy is likely to experience a lot of ups and downs in terms of being naughty.
But as long as you keep up with training and stay consistent, over time your puppy will learn to stay calm and well-behaved.
Why is my puppy misbehaving all of a sudden?
Does it seem like your puppy is suddenly acting out when he used to be calm? There could be lots of reasons why that’s happening.
Your puppy might just be entering a new phase in his life. Like kids, there will be times when your puppy wants to push boundaries and see how far he can go.
But your puppy’s misbehavior could be occurring for a variety of other reasons too. For instance, he might be sick or injured. If you think that’s the case, get him to the vet.
Misbehavior can also be caused by anxiety. For problems like separation anxiety, check out these articles:
How do I know if my dog is hungry or greedy?
Are you wondering if your dog really is hungry, or if he’s just greedy?
Dogs are food-motivated animals. So it might make sense for your dog to be greedy, right?
It’s possible that your dog just really loves food and wants to eat as much as possible! But it could also be that your dog really is hungry.
You can usually tell if it’s hunger or greediness by considering other factors at work. For instance, if your dog’s food isn’t providing enough nutrition, that’s going to make him hungrier.
Take a good look at the ingredients in his food. You might also want to split his food up into smaller meals.
Do puppies not eat when they first come home?
Have you just brought your puppy home? Does he seem uninterested in eating?
When you first get your puppy, having him at home can feel a little stressful. You’re still getting used to each other! And if he’s not eating, you could be worrying that something is wrong.
Most likely, everything is fine. He might just be a little too stressed from the change of leaving his littermates to eat.
If he doesn’t start eating in a day or two, though, you can call your vet to see if there’s something wrong.
Can puppies be fed once a day?
If you want to prevent your puppy from getting hungry and acting out, you should feed him at least twice a day.
If possible, giving him another meal mid-day is even better.
Feeding puppies only once a day means he’s very likely to get hungry and misbehave!
Conclusion
It’s hard to deal with a puppy that’s misbehaving. If your puppy tends to act out when he’s hungry, knowing the reasons why that’s happening is the first step. Once you have that information, you can use the above tips to ensure your puppy stays well-fed and well-behaved.
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