Do Dogs Only Care About Food? 7 Things You Need To Know

You’re excited to come home to Fido.

But they’re not too thrilled to see you.

Heartbroken…

You open their bag of treats.

Now your dog’s all over you.

And this makes you wonder whether they really love you…

Or do they only care about food?

Continue reading to learn:

9 dog breeds that are more food-motivated than others.
7 amazing things you need to know about dogs and food.
3 surprising reasons why dogs seem to care a lot about their meals.
And many, many more…

Table of contents

Do dogs only care about food?
Do dogs only love you for food?
- “The fastest way to a dog’s heart is through their stomach.”
Do dogs like the person who feeds them more?
Dogs and food – 7 things you need to know

Do dogs only care about food?

Dogs don’t only care about food. According to researchers, some dogs prefer praise over treats. Though, most canines equally care about their human parents and snacks. However, some dogs might be into food more than other breeds.

Do dogs only love you for food?

Dogs don’t only love you for food.

However, I get why some fur parents might have doubts.

After all, some people would say:

“The fastest way to a dog’s heart is through their stomach.”

And this is also true.

But it doesn’t mean that’s all Fido cares about.

In fact, there’s plenty of research that proves a dog’s love for humans.

And I’m speaking from personal experience.

You see, I sometimes visit my friend who raises 3 dogs. When I drop by, her fur babies seem very excited to greet me.

Even though I’ve never given them any treats before.

And that feels like love or affection to me.

Now I guarantee that you’re going to meet many dogs that love you…

Just for being their new hooman friend.

You might also like: My Dog Is Too Friendly With Strangers: 5 Reasons + 5 Tips

Do dogs like the person who feeds them more?

Dogs favor the person who feeds them more in most cases.

And this also works for humans.

Like Fido…

People also prefer someone who gives them a lot of nice gifts, right?

After all, this act makes them feel special.

Now, the same thing applies to most dogs.

However, not all Fidos are the same.

That said, some of them might take time to like a person.

For example…

Other fur parents even jokingly say:

“My dog prefers my partner over me, I feel cheated!”

Even though they’re the primary caretaker and not their significant other…

Some Fidos still end up liking another hooman instead.

With that, it’s safe to say dogs don’t always favor whoever feeds them more.

Dogs and food – 7 things you need to know

#1: Dogs prefer praises over treats

As you’ve read early in the article…

Research found:

84.62% of dogs in this study prefer praises over treats.

These furry pals would rather go to their fur parents…

And they’d wag their tails just to receive some ear rubs.

However…

Scientists also suggest:

Those Fidos seem to equally love both their hooman and the treats.

That aside…

Only 2 out of 13 pups from the study went after the free meal.

With this, you can safely say:

“To dogs, your praises are worth more than 10 treats.”

Reading tip: 7 Real Reasons Why Dogs Are So Nice (#3 Will Surprise You)

#2: Fidos don’t taste food the same way you do

Fun fact: Your dog has fewer taste receptors than humans.

And that’s according to science.

Specifically, Fidos only have 1,700 flavor sensors. Meanwhile, you and I have over 9,000.

Why am I telling you this, you asked?

To show that your pooch doesn’t enjoy food as humans would.

So it’s not always true that they only care about their meals.

After all, flavorless dishes aren’t fun.

“Then why does my dog always beg for food?”

There are plenty of reasons for that. And I’ve listed them for you below:

They’re copying you.
Fido got used to human food.
Meat is more appealing to dogs.
You reward your pooch when they beg.
They like the texture of some human food.
Fido’s just bored and curious when you’re eating.
Your dog only wants to eat with you even if they’re not hungry.

With these 7 habits…

It looks like Fido only cares about food at first glance.

But in reality, they’re not even hungry at all.

#3: Dogs naturally expect food from you

Until today…

It’s unclear how dogs became man’s best friend.

But there’s one popular theory that goes around:

Science says that wolves approached hunters in the past. They did this in hopes of finding leftover food.

And the hunters would throw some bones at the wolves.

But as time went on…

Hunters realized they could tame the canines.

“What does that have to do with their drive for food?”

The goal’s to explain 1 thing.

And it’s the fact that dogs are wired to expect food from you.

Simply put, this habit is in their genes.

How so?

If you’d look at Fido’ past…

You’ll see that humans used them for many jobs, like:

Hunting.
Herding.
Tracking.
Guarding.
Delivering.
Dog fighting.
Sports events.

And these dogs won’t work for free.

That’s why their fur parents gave them food in exchange.

But once again…

If your pooch stares at you while you eat…

It doesn’t mean that’s all they care about nowadays.

#4: Some breeds are more food motivated than others

As I mentioned in #3…

Expecting food is just in Fido’s genes.

But there are additional details about that.

You see, some dogs are more food motivated than others.

And I’m talking about breeds such as:

Pugs.
Beagles.
Labradors.
Elkhounds.
Rottweilers.
Bull Terriers.
Dachshunds.
Golden Retrievers.
Pembroke Welsh Corgis.

From this list, let me tell you more about a certain pooch.

And to understand why, a study states:

About 23% of Labradors tend to be heavy eaters

This is all due to a DNA mutation.

Specifically, the POMC gene’s missing in these Fidos.

And VCA hospitals say this DNA controls your dog’s hunger.

So without it…

Labradors don’t feel full, even after eating a whole meal.

But how’s this related to the main topic, you asked?

It’s to tell you why Fido seems to care a lot about food.

And it doesn’t mean they don’t love you.

Instead, your pooch simply can’t ignore snacks.

Especially when this trait is in their DNA.

“Okay, now I know why they keep begging for food.”

In that case…

This video teaches you how to make Fido calm down around food:

Check out also: 7 Real Reasons Why Dogs Always Want To Eat

#5: Food makes it easy to befriend a dog

Did you know?

Dogs can bond with just about anyone…

Including robots.

“How’s that possible?”

In a news report, pros shared the process:

First, the robot acted like a human.

And fur parents interacted with it too. They treated the machine like a friend.

Now, Fido saw that happen.

Later on, the robot started offering treats to Fido.

From there, the pooch befriends the machine.

And this leads to a conclusion:

As long as there’s food, befriending some dogs can be easy

But this is why you’d also think…

That your pooch only cares about snacks.

“Right. What if there’s a thief? So they can just bribe Fido with a meal?”

Let me explain further…

The robot in this experiment had the qualities of a typical person.

Specifically, the machine also:

Had the face of a human.
Sounded like their fur parents.

Not to mention…

The fur parents also interacted with the robot. Treating it like their friend.

And that’s why your pooch thinks the machine isn’t an enemy.

With this…

You don’t have to worry if there’s an intruder

Most dogs would know that they’re not your friend.

So if that ever happens…

Your pooch would still think about protecting you.

And the real conclusion is:

Snacks only make it easy for people to befriend a dog.

But in the end, their loyalty still lies in their real fur parents.

#6: Some dogs expect to eat whenever you do

It’s time for lunch.

As you set your plate on the table…

Fido suddenly popped up.

It’s almost like a jumpscare from a horror movie.

That got you asking Fido:

“Hmm. I was calling you earlier, but you didn’t come. Now that I have food, you’re here?”

And this makes you think your pooch loves food more than you.

But let me explain why they act like that.

You see…

Some dogs expect to eat whenever you do.

“Why would they?”

The answer lies in Fido’s ancestry.

As I explained in fact #3…

Most experts believe that dogs came from wolves.

And research says:

Sharing food is common in wolf packs

After all, they hunt together as a team.

Thus, wolves share food with each other. Now, some Fidos still have that instinct.

So even if they aren’t hungry at all…

They’ll still rush to your side during meal times.

And that’s because your dog sees you as their family.

Note: Don’t confuse it with a pack. They simply want to share meals with you. That means no one’s an alpha between you and your pooch.

Find out more: 9 Reasons Why Your Dog Stares At You When You Eat + 3 Tips

#7: They’ll still love you even when you have no food to give

“Dogs can love.”

That’s something Dr. Charles Darwin once said, research claims.

Now, what does that have to do with your main concern?

Well…

It just shows that dogs can love humans beyond their love for food.

“How can you be so sure?”

For that, I’ll have to tell you a story.

Have you ever met a homeless man with a dog?

No matter how rough they lived…

The loyal pooch never left their fur parent.

And despite receiving food from strangers…

Fido didn’t try to follow them or leave the man.

It’s almost like dogs are a living example of the famous vow:

“Stay together, through thick and thin.”

So if pups only care about food…

Then why are they so loyal?

And if you think I’m making this all up…

Here’s one study that says:

Dogs remember humans who were mean to their fur parents

And Fido doesn’t accept treats from those bad people.

See?

Even if your pooch could get a bite of a yummy snack…

They’ll still choose you over the bad guy who treated you wrong.

And that should tell you…

It’s not always about food for dogs.