How to keep older dog from eating puppy food.

Pets Can Smile – 29 April 2024

Dinner time!

And suddenly your older dog steals food from your puppy.

What’s happening?

Is it normal?

And how to keep older dog from eating puppy food?

The short answer is: To keep older dog from eating puppy food you can try the following methods: 

• Separate feeding spaces
• Scheduled feeding
• Use elevated or puzzle feeders
• Supervise mealtimes

But there is more you need to know! 

This is why this article will tell you everything you need to know about: 

• Best training methods to stop your older dog from stealing puppy food
• Can adult dogs actually eat puppy food?
• Potential problems after your adult dog eats puppy food

Let’s do this.

Let’s see how to keep your older dog from stealing puppy food. 

This is how to keep older dog from eating puppy food

Here are the best methods of keeping older dogs from eating puppy food.

Separate feeding spaces

If you can, start by feeding your dogs in separate feeding spaces. 

I have two dogs in my house – German Shepherd and Doberman. 

To separate my dogs from each other during mealtimes, I use baby gates. The gates work perfectly for my dogs. 

But you can also use a crate. Or you can feed your dogs in separate rooms. Whatever works for your dogs.

For best results, ensure the dogs eat at the same time. 

After each meal, make sure to remove food from the dog bowls, especially if any of the dogs didn’t finish their meals completely. 

Scheduled feedings

In this method, you create a feeding schedule for each dog. 

Start by removing the puppy or the subordinate dog from the feeding area. 

Next, feed the dominant dog. 

Give the dominant doggy several minutes to finish its meal. 

When the dominant dog finishes its meal, remove the dog from the feeding room. 

Bring your other dog (puppy or subordinate dog) into the feeding area and let it have its food.

Such a feeding schedule should reduce the dominant dog’s anxiety about its meals. This should discourage stealing food from your puppy or your other dog that is subordinate to the dominant dog. 

Supervise mealtimes

You can also directly supervise your hungry dogs during each mealtime – which is what I tried with my two dogs. 

This hands-on approach ensures that each dog sticks to its own bowl. 

When any of my dogs attempted to steal food, I intervened calmly and redirected the thief to its own bowl. This usually worked. But not always. This is why I switched to feeding my dogs in separate feeding spaces (see above). 

Use elevated feeders

The job of an elevated feeder is to promote a proper and more comfortable posture during meals. 

But elevated feeders can also minimize the risk of dogs stealing food from each other. An elevated feeder simply makes it more difficult to reach over and grab food from the other bowl. 

Use puzzle feeders

I love puzzle feeders! 

The job of a puzzle feeder is to slow down your dog’s eating speed. A dog simply needs to work around some clever dividers to reach each piece of food.

But just like the elevated feeders, puzzle feeders make it more difficult for a dog to quickly grab food from the other bowl. 

Also, a slow feeder will keep your dog occupied during mealtimes. This will help to keep the dog away from the food of your other dog.  

Furthermore, if one dog finishes its meal too quickly, the dog may move to the other bowl for more food. But a puzzle feeder will slow down a dog’s eating speed and allow the other dog to finish its meal in peace. 

By the way, my German Shepherd used to just gulp down its food – almost no chewing involved! Introducing a slow feeder encouraged my doggy to start chewing food, rather than just swallowing it. Perfect! 

Use positive reinforcement

Make sure to reward your dog with praise for sticking to its own bowl and for not stealing food from other dogs. 

I use praise during every dog training session. This is because praise helps your dog make positive associations with the desired behavior, such as not stealing puppy food. 

Choose age-appropriate food

Feed your older dog food specifically formulated for older dogs.

Such food will meet all the dietary needs of your older dog and should persuade the dog to stick to its own food.  

Best training methods to stop your adult dog stealing puppy food

My Doberman (adult dog) used to steal food from my German Shepherd puppy. 

So I used the below training methods to stop my Doberman from stealing food from my puppy. 

Both below methods worked perfectly – I highly recommend that you try them on your dogs. 

This is what you’ll need during the training:

• High-value treat
• Separate space for each dog (room, baby gate, or crate)
• A bit of patience

Yes, you’ll need to separate your dogs from each other during the training. For this, you can use separate rooms or a crate. You can also separate your dogs with baby gates or other physical barriers. 

This method will teach the dominant dog (older dog) that you’ll protect puppy food on behalf of the puppy. 

STEP 1

Remove your puppy from the feeding area. 

Fill both bowls (older dog and puppy) with food. 

STEP 2 

Watch the older dog as it eats from its bowl. 

STEP 3 

When the older dog approaches the puppy’s bowl, insert yourself between the dog and the puppy’s bowl and say “leave it”. 

You can use either “leave it” or “off” command. 

STEP 4 

After the older dog backs off, reward it with a high-value treat. 

Let your older dog finish its food. 

Intervene with the “leave it” command whenever the dog tries to steal food from the puppy’s bowl. 

Make sure to reward the dog with a high-value treat after each time the dog backs off. 

STEP 5

Remove the older dog from the feeding area. 

Allow your puppy to have its meal. 

STEP 6 

Repeat Step 1 to Step 5 for several weeks. 

STEP 7 

After the older dog no longer tries to steal food from the puppy’s bowl, allow both dogs to eat together (from separate bowls). 

STEP 8

If the older dog again tries to steal food from the puppy’s bowl, intervene with the “leave it” command and reward the dog for complying. 

STEP 9

Continue supervising your dogs during each mealtime and intervene with the “leave it” command as long as required. Don’t forget to reward the dog with treats when it obeys your “leave it” command. 

The older dog should eventually stop stealing food from the puppy’s bowl.  

This “leave it” method is different from the above “leave it” exercise. 

STEP 1 

Hold a treat in your closed hand (fist) and present it to your dog. 

STEP 2

When your dog starts sniffing your hand, say “leave it”. 

STEP 3

When your dog backs off, say “yes” and open your hand to offer the treat. 

STEP 4 

Place a low-value treat on the floor (dry kibble is a good choice).

When your dog approaches the low-value treat, say “leave it”.  

STEP 5

When your dog leaves the kibble, reward it with a high-value treat. 

STEP 6 

Repeat this exercise (for several weeks) in different locations. 

STEP 7 

Once your dog learns to obey your “leave it” command, use the command to control your dog during shared mealtimes with your other dog or dogs. 

Consult your vet

If you’re concerned about your older dog’s eating behavior, contact your veterinarian for advice tailored specifically to your dog. 

Can adult dogs actually eat puppy food?

We can all agree that we need to stop an older dog from stealing puppy food. 

But is eating puppy food actually bad for your older dog? 

Let’s see. 

Your dog’s nutritional needs change with age

Puppies, adult dogs, and senior dogs need certain nutrients in their diet. 

These nutrients include protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.  

But while these key nutrients remain the same for all life stages, the amounts will usually vary.

The difference between puppy, adult, and senior dog food

A dog has different nutritional needs at different stages of its life. 

This means that your dog’s diet needs to change over time to accommodate your dog’s changing nutritional needs. 

A puppy needs more of everything. 

The American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recommends that a puppy consumes: 

• Around 1.2 times more protein (on a caloric basis) than an adult dog
• Around 1.5 times more fat (on a caloric basis) than an adult dog

A puppy also needs more minerals like calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and sodium, compared to older dogs. 

But don’t overdo it!

Too much of the good stuff can lead to health issues. 

This is why I recommend that you always feed your puppy a diet specifically created for puppies. 

Dog food for puppies is formulated to meet the needs of a rapidly growing and developing young dog. 

Here are the main features of dog food specifically created for puppies:  

• High in calories (to support healthy growth)
• High protein count of at least 22% (to support healthy development)
• A balanced calcium and phosphorus content (to support healthy bone growth)
• Added DHA (a component in omega-3 fatty acid) to support optimal brain development

As you can see above, the role of puppy food is to support the rapid growth and development of a fast-growing young dog. 

The role of food for adult dogs, on the other hand, is to help an adult dog maintain its good health and activity level.  

Here are the main features of dog food specifically created for adult dogs:  

• Moderate in calories and protein (to ensure healthy weight and to prevent obesity)
• A balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats (to ensure optimal health and energy)
• Protein count between 18% to 26%, depending on your pup’s activity level

In case you wondered, you should transition your puppy into adult dog food based on your dog’s breed.  

• Medium-size breeds are considered adult dogs at the age of one year
• Toy and small breeds usually reach maturity slightly earlier than medium-size breeds
• Large and giant breed dogs take longer to reach adulthood (between 18 and 24 months). 

A senior dog usually becomes less active, compared to younger dogs. 

As your dog grows older, its body and digestion begin to change and its immune system may need extra support.

The body of a senior dog will also start showing signs of advancing age. 

This is why most senior dogs will benefit from dog food specifically formulated for senior dogs. 

Here are the main features of dog food specifically created for senior dogs:  

• Lower in calories & fat (to maintain a healthy weight)
• Higher in fiber (to ensure optimal digestion)
• Added joint supplements (to ensure optimal mobility and healthy joints)
• Packed with minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants (to boost the weakening immune system of your senior doggy)

By the way, a dog becomes senior around the age of 7, depending on the dog breed. 

In general, larger breeds become senior earlier, compared to smaller breeds.

For example, Great Dane may be considered senior at the age of 5 or 6, while smaller breeds such as Beagles or Schnauzers become senior around the age of 8 or 9.

By the way, I recommend that you consider suitable pet insurance for your aging dog to ensure financial protection in the event of any expensive medical procedures.

Potential problems after adult dog eats puppy food

As discussed earlier in this article, puppy food is higher in calories than food formulated for adult dogs. 

A puppy needs a diet rich in calories and protein to help the young dog grow and develop strong, healthy bones, muscles, joints, and organs.

In contrast, an older dog is usually less active than a younger dog. The metabolism of an older dog is also usually way slower. This means that an older dog needs fewer calories, compared to a younger dog. 

So yes, feeding an older dog puppy food can lead to the following health issues.

Obesity

Given that puppy dog food has more calories than adult food, it’s no surprise that feeding your adult dog food formulated for puppies may lead to obesity. 

Obesity can lead to many health issues in dogs, such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and urinary problems. 

Joint issues

Feeding an older dog puppy food can also lead to unwanted weight gain.  

More weight means more strain on joints.

Obesity can also increase the risk of arthritis or inflammation of joints. 

Research also shows that obesity can make arthritis worse. 

Kidney Issues

Feeding your older dog puppy food won’t usually cause kidney issues. 

Still, too much protein in the diet of an adult dog is not recommended for dogs suffering from kidney issues. As discussed earlier, puppy food comes with a high amount of protein. 

Liver problems

The high protein and fat content of puppy food can also be hard on the liver of older dogs.

Vitamin and mineral toxicity

Dog food formulated for puppies is also high in vitamins and minerals, which can be toxic to adult dogs if consumed in excess. 

Frequently asked questions

Why is my dog throwing up undigested food hours after eating?

Your dog may be throwing up undigested food hours after eating for a number of reasons, including:

• Eating too quickly
• Blockage in the esophagus
• Poisoning
• Health problems

How long does it take a dog to digest food?

Dogs usually digest food between 8 to 10 hours. 

But in some dogs, the digestion may take as little as 4 hours or as much as 12 hours. 

It all depends on the dog’s breed, age, health, diet, and more.

Why is my dog not eating its food but will eat treats? 

Your dog is not eating its food but will devour treats for a number of reasons, such as:

• Behavioral reasons (bored with normal food, dislikes its current food, pregnancy)
• Medical reasons (dental issues, gastrointestinal problems, pain)
• Other reasons (spoiled food, wrong food bowl, getting old)

Why is my dog spitting out food?

Your dog may be spitting out food because of health problems or because there are issues with the food, food bowl, or environment.  

Why my dog doesn’t chew food but just swallows?

Your dog doesn’t chew its food but just swallows for a number of reasons, including: 

• Instinct & biology
• Problems with food
• Underlying health issues

Why is my dog guarding its food but not eating? 

Your dog may be guarding its food but not eating for one of the following reasons: 

• Instinct
• History of resource guarding
• Personality
• Territorial aggression
• Stress
• Pain or illness

Why is my dog trying to bury food with its nose?

Your dog is trying to bury food with its nose for one of the following reasons:  

• Hoarding instinct
• Attention seeking
• Overfeeding
• Health problems 

Why is my dog eating poop?

Your dog may decide to eat poop for one of the following reasons:  

• Boredom
• Attention seeking
• Stress
• Avoiding punishment
• Learning from other dogs
• Likes the taste
• Nutritional deficiency
• Health issues 

Are there any foods I should avoid feeding my dog?

Yes, several foods are potentially harmful to dogs (some are even toxic). 

Avoid feeding your dog these foods:

• Grapes & raisins
• Chocolate
• Garlic & onions
• Tropical fruits and nuts (Macadamia nuts, cashews, papayas, and mangoes)
• Xylitol (artificial sweetener used in sugar-free candy & gum)

Can I feed my dog a diet formulated for all life stages? 

Some dog food brands advertise their products as suitable for all life stages. 

These foods usually contain the minimum nutritional requirements for any given life stage. 

While those all-life-stage diets can be suitable for some dogs, they are not optimal for most dogs. This is because puppies have different nutritional requirements than adult dogs. 

As discussed in this article, feed your puppy food that is specifically formulated for puppies and give your older dogs food specifically created for older dogs. 

Conclusion

In this article, you found out how to keep older dog from stealing food from puppies.  

In short, to keep older dog from eating puppy food you can try the following methods: 

• Separate feeding spaces
• Scheduled feeding
• Use elevated or puzzle feeders
• Supervise mealtimes

You also found out about:  

• Best training methods to stop your older dog from stealing puppy food
• Can adult dogs actually eat puppy food?
• Potential problems after your adult dog eats puppy food

Our team wishes your dogs a good appetite!