{"id":47337,"date":"2026-09-08T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/?p=47337"},"modified":"2026-09-08T13:57:57","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T13:57:57","slug":"how-to-bond-with-your-dog-at-mealtime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/how-to-bond-with-your-dog-at-mealtime\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Bond With Your Dog at Mealtime"},"content":{"rendered":"<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><p><strong>In this article:<\/strong><\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#Can-I-use-food-to-get-my-dog-to-like-me-more?\">Can I use food to get my dog to like me more?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Can-I-use-food-to-train-my-dog?\">Can I use food to train my dog?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Can-mealtime-bonding-make-my-dog%E2%80%99s-life-better?\">Can mealtime bonding make my dog&rsquo;s life better?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#What-are-some-mealtime-bonding-activities-to-try-with-my-dog?\">What are some mealtime bonding activities to try with my dog?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div><hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"><div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div><p>If you&rsquo;re looking for a hack to make your dog more fond of you, it&rsquo;s hard to do better than associating yourself with one of the highlights of their day: mealtime.<\/p><p>&ldquo;Food is something that is usually inherently pleasurable for all animals, including dogs,&rdquo; said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kristibenson.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kristi Benson<\/a>, a certified dog trainer and behavior consultant in British Columbia, Canada. &ldquo;It is something we have to give our dogs a few times a day anyway, so we may as well use it thoughtfully and in a way that increases our bond.&rdquo;<\/p><p>Here&rsquo;s why mealtimes make for such great <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/how-to-bond-with-your-dog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bonding<\/a> opportunities, and how to turn dinner into a moment to connect&mdash;even if you only have 30 seconds to spare.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/woman-feeding-her-dog-on-the-floor-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A white woman wearing a striped sweater and blue jeans feeds her dog, a small beagle, eating out of a teal bowl on the kitchen floor.\" class=\"wp-image-47397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/woman-feeding-her-dog-on-the-floor-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/woman-feeding-her-dog-on-the-floor-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/woman-feeding-her-dog-on-the-floor-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/woman-feeding-her-dog-on-the-floor-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/woman-feeding-her-dog-on-the-floor.jpg 1733w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Can-I-use-food-to-get-my-dog-to-like-me-more?\">Can I use food to get my dog to like me more?<\/h4><p>The answer to this question is: Yes, probably.<\/p><p>It&rsquo;s hard to overstate food&rsquo;s importance to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/do-dogs-love-us-because-of-food\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">relationship<\/a> between humans and dogs. In fact, the process of domesticating wolves into the cuddly pet dogs we love today began when humans started feeding them <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/do-dogs-love-us-because-of-food\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">some 40,000 years ago<\/a>.<\/p><p>If a few treats could fuel that dramatic transformation, you can imagine the power food has to solidify your relationship with a dog who&rsquo;s already evolved to get along with you.<\/p><p>All animals must eat to live, so food becomes what <a href=\"https:\/\/animalbehaviorclinic.net\/our-team\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Katherine Pankratz<\/a>, DVM, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, a veterinary behaviorist at the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon, called a &ldquo;primary reinforcer.&rdquo; And dogs can learn to associate food with its source&mdash;in this case, their human.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ad2f72ca wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p>&ldquo;Since &lsquo;food&rsquo; equals &lsquo;positive emotion,&rsquo; then &lsquo;people&rsquo;&mdash;or &lsquo;person&rsquo;&mdash;equals &lsquo;food&rsquo; equals &lsquo;positive emotion,&rsquo;&rdquo; Dr. Pankratz said. (This may remind you of the transitive property from math class.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Human-feeding-dog-illustration-300x300.png\" alt=\"An illustration of a person with short curly hair kneeling and offering their small dog a treat.\" class=\"wp-image-47414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Human-feeding-dog-illustration-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Human-feeding-dog-illustration-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Human-feeding-dog-illustration-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Human-feeding-dog-illustration.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ad2f72ca wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p>In other words, your dog comes to associate you with the good feelings they get from eating. Every time you feed them, you reinforce this positive association. &ldquo;Feeding time, to me, is a solidifier of that [relationship],&rdquo; said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/veterinarian-bios\/victoria-rhoads-dvm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tori Rhoads<\/a>, DVM, veterinary medical affairs manager at The Farmer&rsquo;s Dog, &ldquo;because we&rsquo;ve got to feed them every day. So I definitely utilize that as a bonding moment.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Can-I-use-food-to-train-my-dog?\">Can I use food to train my dog?<\/h4><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/why-treats-are-essential-in-dog-training-and-why-snap-sticks-are-a-good-choice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Food is the most effective training tool for dogs<\/a>. &ldquo;As my mentor Jean Donaldson has said so clearly,&rdquo; Benson said, &ldquo;all dogs are food motivated.&rdquo; They have to be, because food is necessary for survival.<\/p><p>And regularly training with food is not only a great way to shape your dog&rsquo;s behavior and offer them enrichment and stimulation. It also boosts your communication and trust, because it&rsquo;s one more way to associate yourself with good things in your dog&rsquo;s life. You&rsquo;re the source of the fun games they&rsquo;re playing <em>and<\/em> the tasty rewards they receive when they learn something new.<\/p><p>You can use your dog&rsquo;s regular food and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/4-reasons-to-treat-your-dog-with-crunchy-biscuits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">treats<\/a> as part of training, and doing so is a good idea as you strive to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/myths-and-facts-about-dogs-weight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">keep them at a healthy weight<\/a>; remember to subtract any food used in training from their daily meal servings, and to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/what-is-the-10-percent-rule-for-dog-treats-and-why-is-it-important\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">keep treats to no more than 10% of their daily calories<\/a>.<\/p><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Can-mealtime-bonding-make-my-dog&rsquo;s-life-better?\">Can mealtime bonding make my dog&rsquo;s life better?<\/h4><p>In addition to associating you with good things, fun mealtime rituals can help alleviate the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/is-your-dog-bored-right-now-heres-how-to-help-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">boredom<\/a> that some pet dogs experience.<\/p><p>Most pet dogs don&rsquo;t need to hunt for their food anymore, but they still may get some satisfaction from working for it. This sense of pleasure from earning their keep is called &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/is-your-dog-bored-right-now-heres-how-to-help-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">contrafreeloading<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p><p>Turning mealtime into a bonding opportunity through activities and asking your dog to perform certain behaviors can &ldquo;scratch an itch for your dog that is a part of their breeding,&rdquo; Benson said. Never force your dog to work for food, of course&mdash;but if they enjoy a challenge, give it to them.<\/p><p>Consistently using mealtime as a bonding activity pays off over time. &ldquo;When you can use food for games and training, that will help your dog build confidence and connection to you,&rdquo; said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.compassiondudedogs.com\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ilya Fischhoff<\/a>, PhD, a dog trainer and behavior consultant at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.compassiondudedogs.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Compassionate Dude Dog Training<\/a>.<\/p><p>If bonding becomes part of your feeding ritual with your dog, this can help build excitement around what may typically feel (to you) like a chore or just another part of the day. &ldquo;It doesn&rsquo;t become, &lsquo;Here&rsquo;s your food, have a great day,&rsquo;&rdquo; Dr. Rhoads said. &ldquo;It becomes a moment between the two of you.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p><p>Dr. Rhoads&rsquo;s dog, Onion, gets so jazzed from mealtime that he launches straight into playtime by grabbing a toy to play fetch with, so their bonding moment arises from his food. She added that finding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/the-farmers-dog-highly-palatable\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a food your dog enjoys eating<\/a> is also an important part of getting them excited about mealtimes.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/woman-feeds-her-dog-holding-paw-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A smiling woman wearing a pink sweater and blue jeans holds her dog's right paw as she gives them a white bowl.\" class=\"wp-image-47399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/woman-feeds-her-dog-holding-paw-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/woman-feeds-her-dog-holding-paw-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/woman-feeds-her-dog-holding-paw-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/woman-feeds-her-dog-holding-paw-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/woman-feeds-her-dog-holding-paw.jpg 1732w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"What-are-some-mealtime-bonding-activities-to-try-with-my-dog?\">What are some mealtime bonding activities to try with my dog?<\/h4><p>You won&rsquo;t always have time to go through an elaborate training routine with your dog at dinner&mdash;but even if you&rsquo;re on a tight schedule, you have options beyond putting their bowl down and walking away.<\/p><h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mealtime bonding in five minutes<\/h5><p>When you have a few minutes, play some repetitive games.<\/p><p>Dr. Fischhoff suggested sitting on the couch and tossing food or treats to different spots across the room for your dog to chase, one by one. This option gets them moving, provided you have the space.<\/p><p>He also likes a game he called the &ldquo;Two Bowls Game.&rdquo; Set down two bowls, one or two feet from each other. Spoon some food in one bowl; as soon as your dog eats it, put some food in the other. Continue as long as you like or until you&rsquo;ve doled out their entire meal. &ldquo;I find pattern games like this super relaxing for me and my dog,&rdquo; Dr. Fischhoff said.<\/p><p>He also suggested hiding food around a room for your dog to sniff out. If they don&rsquo;t track down all the hidden treasures quickly, put them closer together. Dr. Pankratz added that you can also cue your dog to wait until you&rsquo;ve placed all the food before releasing them.<\/p><p>Make sure these games aren&rsquo;t too challenging for your dog, Dr. Fischhoff said. If they consistently earn food, then they&rsquo;ll continue to repeat the behavior that got them the food. If it&rsquo;s too hard or not rewarding enough, they&rsquo;ll stop. &ldquo;Go at your dog&rsquo;s pace,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Keep the games and training easy so your dog wins a lot.&rdquo;<\/p><h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mealtime bonding in one minute<\/h5><p>In just a minute, you can treat your dog to what Dr. Fischhoff termed the &ldquo;Up-Down Game.&rdquo; Drop some food or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/treats-can-be-tricky-snap-sticks-arent\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">snacks<\/a> by your dog&rsquo;s paws. As soon as they eat it and look up at you, asking for more, drop some again. Repeat for a minute or until their food is gone. You can also, and then scatter treats throughout the room for them to sniff out.<\/p><p>This is also a great time to reinforce training, Dr. Pankratz said, practicing skills like &ldquo;sit&rdquo; or &ldquo;down.&rdquo;<\/p><h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mealtime bonding in 30 seconds or less<\/h5><p>If you don&rsquo;t have time for more than just feeding your dog, you can still give them a toy or a puzzle. Prepare by stuffing a Kong toy with their food; for hard mode, freeze it first. You can also spoon food or treats into the slots of a muffin tin.<\/p><p>Don&rsquo;t feel bad for tossing your dog a food-stuffed chew or puzzle mat; they still get plenty out of it. &ldquo;It may be satisfying, like a good book or movie is to us,&rdquo; Benson said. &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t want to deny dogs this special alone time with a food toy.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p><p>Even if a food toy or puzzle mat seems more like a single-player game, Dr. Rhoads underscored that they &ldquo;can definitely help make mealtime a bonding experience.&rdquo; Your dog knows who set up the game.<\/p><p>These tips can help you find extra bonding opportunities with your dog, but don&rsquo;t put too much pressure on yourself to make every single dinner a bonding bonanza; mealtime is only one of many opportunities to get closer to your pal. &ldquo;Most pet owners will find other ways to bond: in playtime, walks, things like that,&rdquo; Dr. Rhoads said. But when you&rsquo;re able to make the time, it can elevate dinner from a meal to another way to feed a lifelong connection with your best friend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Feeding time is a built-in chance to strengthen trust and communication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":47395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[416],"tags":[184,459],"class_list":["post-47337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-wellness","tag-dog-food","tag-training"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47337"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47428,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47337\/revisions\/47428"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}