# Food rituals are very important to mini-Yorkies. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 9, 2019, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249 "2019-06-09T12:01:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/1 "2019-06-09T12:01:25Z")
Piper pup is barking at 5.30 am. Barking means needs to go out. let her out. 5 minutes later, barking to come in. I let her in. She stares at me expectantly. Yes, I know - now comes the wee bowl of milk. She slurps it down. Then she goes up to the bedroom where her food bowl is, away from the thieving piper cats. Starts barking again. Yes, I know that it is my humble task to feed you. Check bowls. Plenty of yummy Yorkie kibble left, but no water. Fill water bowl and wander away. Irritating, periodic Yorkie yaps start coming from upstairs. Go back. Piper pup is staring at me intensely. I check bowls. Yes, both full. More irritating yaps. Light dawns. It’s not enough that there is kibble in the bowl. There must be fresh, yummy kibble, added according to the daily food ritual, whether or not there is already kibble in the bowl. I open the kibble container, where the kibble in her bowl came from last night, take out a minor scoop of kibble and deposit in the already full kibble dinner bowl. Piper Yorkie settles down to breakfast. Irritating yaps cease. Yorkies apparently have an ingrained love of tradition, approaching the Japanese tea ritual. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/2 "2019-06-09T12:07:25Z")
No pictures? _glares_ ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/3 "2019-06-09T13:45:24Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > No pictures? > _glares_ [Here](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71FKR7cdj-L._SY355_.jpg) [you](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/jms-s3-cx-rel-p-pmc5/tmp/image-thumbnails/kibblesnbits/products/image-thumb __45__ auto_e45afeb1c48b0f20b2b327a68691d288/dry-beefy-bits.png) [go](http://japanese-tea-ceremony.net/images/teaceremony.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/4 "2019-06-09T13:51:17Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > [Here](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71FKR7cdj-L._SY355_.jpg) [you](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/jms-s3-cx-rel-p-pmc5/tmp/image-thumbnails/kibblesnbits/products/image-thumb __45__ auto_e45afeb1c48b0f20b2b327a68691d288/dry-beefy-bits.png) [go](http://japanese-tea-ceremony.net/images/teaceremony.jpg). None of those are Yorkies. And I don’t mean [these Yorkies.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue7wM0QC5LE) ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/5 "2019-06-09T14:41:20Z")
Picky, [picky](https://smhttp-ssl-60529.nexcesscdn.net/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/image/700x560/e9c3970ab036de70892d86c6d221abfe/y/o/york-mini.jpg). ::glares back:: ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/6 "2019-06-09T14:55:17Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Picky, [picky](https://smhttp-ssl-60529.nexcesscdn.net/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/image/700x560/e9c3970ab036de70892d86c6d221abfe/y/o/york-mini.jpg). > > ::glares back:: _Now_ you’re talking! _plucks at monitor_ Hey! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/7 "2019-06-09T15:45:45Z")
4lb Yorkie. Dumb as 2 doorknobs. Diagnosed by a vet as developmentally delayed. She is properly potty trained. But I think that’s all her pea-brain can manage. I swear she wouldn’t eat if I didn’t put the food in her mouth. I love her desperately, anyway. ETA, she is yappy for no obvious reason sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/8 "2019-06-09T17:05:18Z")
**Piper** she has you well trained. Let me know when you start wearing a chef’s outfit for serving. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/9 "2019-06-09T17:54:52Z")
Gibbs is only 3/4 Yorkie and a rather chunky 15 pounds. His only food ritual is that if he sees food he eats it. He’s also damn smart. So there’s that. Right now he’s telling the mailman that he can’t park his truck on that side of the street. (I do not have any pictures 'cause that would involve me getting right with Imgur or some such organization. Sorry.) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/10 "2019-06-09T20:23:36Z")
Who’s the boss? My impression is that the boss in the relationship is the one with initiative. Sine you are reacting to the dog’s actions, it seems to me that the dog is the boss. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2019, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/11 "2019-06-09T22:14:43Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Who’s the boss? > > My impression is that the boss in the relationship is the one with initiative. Sine you are reacting to the dog’s actions, it seems to me that the dog is the boss. Any dog servant knows this is true. The dog calls the shots. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/12 "2019-06-10T00:48:10Z")
I suspect from a dog’s perspective, being pack animals, your putting new food in the bowl is good since you’re the alpha providing the food and giving her permission for her to eat. Cats on the other hand, truly do see you as that “thing” they allow the privilege of feeding them! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/13 "2019-06-10T02:43:25Z")
Dog: “He feeds me! He pats me! He gives me a cozy bed! He must be a god!” Cat: “He feeds me. He pats me. He gives me a cozy bed. _I_ must be a god!” ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/14 "2019-06-10T03:17:51Z")
Yorkie must have learned from the thieving cats that getting a refill while the bowl is still half full is a thing. That’s a TOTAL cat move. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/15 "2019-06-10T03:23:57Z")
Beagle never leaves any food available. She has no off switch. I don’t need a roomba, I have Betsy, the obese beagle. She loves when the grandkids are around. No crumb hits the floor without her diving for it. (Don’t judge, she’s on a diet) ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-rituals-are-very-important-to-mini-yorkies/835249/16 "2019-06-10T16:14:05Z")
Try just putting one or two kibble in the bowl, or even moving the kibble around. Does she eat down the middle of the bowl? Cats can get whisker fatigue from holding their whiskers out of the way when they eat. I don’t know if dogs have the same problem - might depend on the length of the snout and the fussiness of the dog. Mine will eat down the middle of the food, so I mound up the food when they act like they’re hungry when there’s plenty of kibble.