Just curious as to the observations of everyone as to the effects of a full stomach on their dog's/dogs' temperament in comparrison to an empty stomach.

I recently had it brought to my attention that not everybody pays attention to this factor when assessing a dog's behavior. While that is ok, I just have been adding it as a variable to situations for so long I got into the rut of it and thought EVERYBODY did it lol.

Working dogs, house pets, etc. Who has noticed differences in their dog's/dog's actions and reactions depending on them having a full stomach or an empty stomach, and what were they?

Just wondering all of what everybody has observed in various situations with all sorts of different types of dogs.

~Jenn

My dog is pretty reved up most of the day but definitely in the key of Z after a meal. Along with all that energy comes some minor disobedient behavior, but nothing too outrageous.

He also goes into a pillow-humping frenzy after each meal It is the only time he ever does this. Gotta love that raw diet.

I often think it's too bad I can't run him around because he really seems to need it most after feeding times.

Thanks for the response Sarah - I must say, I've never noticed a problem with dogs pillow humping after meals, that's a new one to me!

My dogs both like like to play right after meal.
Then go to restroom 45 min later.
Then go to sleep.

During the day they are more lade back then in the morning and evening.

I've noticed that my dogs are more intense before meals. If one of them is going to squabble it is just as I'm bringing the food or on a fast day. They also watch me veeerry closely when meal time is approaching.
They have had their fill of deer scraps this past week and are more mellow than I've ever seen them.

Bayley usually goes to sleep after eating. If she's been playing and doing alot of running, I wait a couple of hours, give her her food, then wait about 2 hours let her out, then she's gone for the night.

Interesting topic.

My dog is hyper after eating (raw fed). Though he can be convinced to go back to sleep after an early morning feeding, no such luck after a evening feeding..crazy zoomies.

He is a grumpy SOB before dinner around other dogs. Even dog friends of his better watch out if he is outside the back door waiting to be fed. On a non work day, he will start anticipating/waiting for dinner hours before it is time to be fed if we are at home doing nothing.

His mind is so one track when it comes to dinner that he would ALMOST rather sit and wait to be fed rather than go for a walk (if the walk comes in the hr before feeding).

If we are away from home he obviously does not anticipate being fed with the same intensity, but I think he is jonesing to go home and be fed after a late day at work none the less.

As far as searching goes, I have searched him on a full and empty stomach many times. I can't say I notice a difference in intesity full vs. empty. He is pretty consistant with his search drive.

To put it more succinctly: happy and perky when full, grumpy and more intense when empty.

I have noticed that with fearful or nervous dogs, they are less reactive within 2 hours after a meal. The hungrier, the more sensitive to stimuli they are, but on a full stomach they are not as nervous. While they may not be comfortable or easy-going, and the degree at which the sensitivity is reduced varies by the dog, I have noticed most (75%) of the nervous/shy/fearful dogs I worked with were "calmer" following a meal. Not to say they were happy go lucky of course.

I noticed with a few of my dogs that being hungry/empty stomach made them sharper, 4-5+ hours after a meal or before the first meal of the day. A dog that was naturally pretty sharp would be 15-20% sharper on empty, versus say a dog that was less sharp to begin with only increasing by about 10%. I don't "work" a dog on a full stomach though, waiting at least 2.5 hours, generally more, but I did tend to notice a degree less sharpness in the dogs that head eaten "Recently."

My rotties, all 4 of them, essentially crashed after a meal, being quite unresponsive for about a hour. Most of my dogs have been lower key directly following a meal. I've had APBTs, Rotties, American Bulldogs(and my mixed breed rescues), worked with Dobies, Cane Corso, Presa, GSD, Mal, G. Schnauzer and various mixes, on various things. I saw less difference in the Mals, my AB, and the GSDs than in the other dogs.

This could all be in my head as being on the look out for variables I may have noticed things to a greater degree than was truly there, just by being overly watchful at times.

The pillow humping thing still gets me I look forward to hearing other people's observations !

....this is really interesting. i'm usually sleeping or at work after the dogs eat, so....i'm not sure.

but i have noticed the dogs get edgy prior to being fed, a bit hyper - i think it's mostly the anticipation. i keep them separated during this time to make sure there is peace since they're still sorting out behaviour between them (though teagan is definitely in charge) they seem to have pretty even energy throughout the day - luc likes to nap in the afternoon, but if you ask him to go, he's happy to.