# Why are dogs such adventurous eaters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 6, 2018, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678 "2018-05-06T00:50:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mrdeals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Mrdeals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrdeals)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2018, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/1 "2018-05-06T00:50:06Z")
At least mine is anyway, two favorite foods on Earth for him is peanut butter and cheese. Neither of which would occur naturally for them. When I introduce a new food to him, he gives a quick sniff and then swallows it whole. My question is, are wild dogs that adventurous too? Why? Seems like skepticism would be the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2018, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/2 "2018-05-06T00:54:51Z")
Yup, that’s why poison baits work so well on coyotes. Dogs have a very robust digestive system and they can handle some nasty rotten stuff without ill effect, plus they travel in groups and there are only two kinds of dogs–the quick and the hungry. The evolutionary advantage of being an “eat first, barf bad things later” type outweighs the chance that snack might be hazardous. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2018, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/3 "2018-05-06T01:51:57Z")
Although, I take it back, there are some picky eaters in the dog world. 😉 > **[r/aww - "Thank you, I guess..."](https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/8h9fsv/thank_you_i_guess/)** > > 6,664 votes and 65 comments so far on Reddit ---
**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:** [May 6, 2018, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/4 "2018-05-06T02:00:54Z")
God yes, my little Yorkie won’t hardly eat anything. I struggle to get her to eat much at all. Now the beagle would eat poop if it was set before her. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2018, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/5 "2018-05-06T04:05:46Z")
As your Yorkie is a Terrier and you live in the country, are you sure she isn’t supplementing her diet with mice? ---
**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:** [May 6, 2018, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/6 "2018-05-06T04:36:23Z")
She would run and hide if she saw a mouse. Ain’t much terrier left in her dumb little inbred self. Cute, but utterly helpless and slow witted. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2018, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/7 "2018-05-06T08:20:49Z")
Part of the reason this works for dogs might be that they have a relatively short digestive system so their food passes through quickly. (Meaning less time to incubate any unwanted microbes.) ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2018, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/8 "2018-05-06T12:52:48Z")
> [@Mrdeals](#): > > At least mine is anyway, two favorite foods on Earth for him is peanut butter and cheese. Neither of which would occur naturally for them. Those two foods don’t occur in nature for us humans, either, you know 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2018, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/9 "2018-05-06T15:24:40Z")
Our cocker spaniel will eat absolutely anything. The Shih Tzu is a lot more picky about what he eats. That’s totally ironic because the Shih Tzu has been dealing with some intestinal issues recently and the cocker is absolutely fine. If the cocker finishes eating first, (we switched her to a slow eating bowl,) we really have to distract her so the Shih Tzu can finish in peace. If the Shih Tzu finishes first, he’s very chill and could care less that she’s still eating. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/10 "2018-05-06T16:41:36Z")
I donno. My guy (Border Collie/Pit Bull) adopted last August ate two of my Wife’s running gloves. Very long weekend and 400 miles later he is ok. That cost $3000. He’s very lucky that I love dogs. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2018, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/11 "2018-05-06T17:45:56Z")
Dogs are primarily scavengers, they (or rather the animals we think they evolved from)will catch prey on occasion, but their main source of food is random dead stuff they find. My experience of dogs diet has borne this out completely. Cats on the other hand are at the other end of the spectrum. They are one of the few carnivores the will starve to death in the presence of meat, if it is not fresh. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2018, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/12 "2018-05-06T18:31:03Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Dogs are primarily scavengers, they (or rather the animals we think they evolved from)will catch prey on occasion, but their main source of food is random dead stuff they find. The animal they evolved from was a wolf and wolves are apex predators. They’re adaptable and will happily take carrion( as will many/most large predators ), but it is not the _primary_ part of their diet. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2018, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/13 "2018-05-06T19:32:44Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Cats on the other hand are at the other end of the spectrum. They are one of the few carnivores the will starve to death in the presence of meat, if it is not fresh. [Unless their owner dies.](https://www.quora.com/Do-cats-eat-their-dead-owners) ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2018, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/14 "2018-05-06T23:33:44Z")
Dogs evolved from wolves to become camp followers of human beings, eating their garbage and shit. Literally. That is what pariah dogs live on, the world over. Current thought is that this type of relationship with humans is the original one – and wolves thought it up, not humans. Wolves eat everything from rotting salmon to berries to mice, dogs are even more indiscriminate. Commensal pariah dogs have to compete with each other and often other mammals, for their meals, so eat fast and sort it out later is their m.o. That’s probably why they puke so easily. Easy in easy out. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/15 "2018-05-07T16:39:40Z")
My two vizslas will eat a cat turd, a live chipmunk, or a piece of cardboard tube with equal relish. It is unbelievable. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/16 "2018-05-07T19:18:43Z")
My late Malemute was very fond of small rodents and the like and traumatized my young grandson by catching and eating some squeaky critter right in front of him and later freaked out my BFF by translocating seven feet to the left to catch a baby bunny then swallowed the creature whole to prevent us from taking it from her. The only critter I know for a fact was safe was a star nosed mole that I found her and my big Maine Coon cat sitting and contemplating. It was dead on the ground and I don’t know which of them was responsible for it, but neither one was gonna eat that thing, nope. So gross. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/17 "2018-05-07T19:48:32Z")
I was dog-proofing the house today before I left, because my Dobes have a bad habit of destroying things. There was a bowl of apples on the counter I was unsure about, so I asked the boys, “Do dogs eat apples?” Iggy said no, but Victor said yes, so I had to put them away. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/18 "2018-05-07T20:56:56Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > My two vizslas will eat a cat turd, a live chipmunk, or a piece of cardboard tube with equal relish. It is unbelievable. I’m surprised they don’t put a bit of extra relish on the cardboard tube. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/19 "2018-05-07T21:30:44Z")
I had a dog who would eat bark (we had to protect the tree in our yard) and absolutely **loved** Vaseline (we were shocked, and it only happened the one time). Actually every dog I have ever encountered loves Vaseline. If I put it on my hands, they will come by for a lick. Vaseline is organic but it’s not natural, certainly nothing a wild wolf would encounter. My current dogs will not eat dog food unless you put meat into it… and then they’ll just pick out the meat. Buying “wet” dog food made no difference. Only one of them will eat spam. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678/20 "2018-05-08T01:12:49Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > Although, I take it back, there are some picky eaters in the dog world. 😉 > > [https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/8h9fsv/thank\_you\_i\_guess/](https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/8h9fsv/thank_you_i_guess/) [Rottweiler is not a fan of vegetables](https://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/8dfevo/rottweiler_is_not_a_fan_of_vegetables/). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-dogs-such-adventurous-eaters/813678.md?page=2)