What do dogs like to eat? For most dogs, the answer is anything meaty, smelly, moist or fatty enough to get their attention — although every dog has their own preferences.
And then there are the things dogs apparently consider food despite absolutely nobody else agreeing: cat poop, socks, tissues, mulch and the occasional piece of household furniture.
As a dog trainer, I care about the distinction between what dogs find rewarding, what is safe to feed, and what they may try to swallow anyway. Those are three very different lists.
What Foods Do Dogs Usually Like Most?
Dogs experience food through far more than taste. Smell, fat content, moisture, texture, temperature and previous experience can all affect how appealing something is. Research into canine food preference has also found differences between animal- and vegetable-based foods, although individual dogs vary enormously.
In practical terms, many dogs are particularly interested in:
- Meat and animal-based foods — chicken, beef, pork, fish and similar strong-smelling proteins can be extremely valuable rewards.
- Moist or soft foods — these often smell stronger than dry foods.
- Higher-fat foods — fat can make food especially palatable, although that doesn’t mean fatty human food should become a regular treat.
- Cheese — wildly popular with plenty of dogs, but rich, so I use tiny pieces if I’m training with it.
- Dog-safe peanut butter — useful for Kongs and enrichment, but always check that it contains no xylitol (also labelled birch sugar).
- Novel foods — some dogs become much more enthusiastic when something different appears.
What your dog loves matters in training. A piece of kibble may be perfectly adequate for practising in your kitchen, while recalling away from a squirrel might require something significantly more exciting. Reward value belongs to the dog, not the packet.
What Human Foods Can Dogs Eat?
Plenty of ordinary foods can be offered to many healthy dogs in small amounts, provided they’re plain and appropriate for that individual dog.
| Food | How I might use it | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked chicken or turkey | High-value training rewards | Plain, boneless and without onion/garlic seasoning |
| Carrot | Crunchy snack or enrichment | Cut appropriately for your dog’s size |
| Apple | Small training or enrichment pieces | Remove core and seeds |
| Blueberries | Tiny rewards or food enrichment | Introduce gradually |
| Cheese | Very high-value reward | Rich and not ideal for dogs sensitive to dairy |
| Egg | Meal addition or occasional treat | Cooked plainly is the simple option |
| Peanut butter | Kongs, licking and medication | Check carefully for xylitol/birch sugar |
Treats and extras shouldn’t quietly turn into half your dog’s diet. If your dog has allergies, pancreatitis, gastrointestinal disease, is on a veterinary diet or has another medical condition, their appropriate treat list may be very different.
Foods Dogs May Love But Shouldn’t Eat
Unfortunately, dogs don’t come with an internal toxic-food detector. Something being extremely appealing tells you nothing about whether it’s safe.
Foods and ingredients worth keeping securely away from dogs include chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, xylitol/birch sugar, alcohol and products containing significant caffeine. Cooked bones can also splinter and cause serious problems.
If your dog has eaten something potentially toxic, don’t wait for symptoms before asking for help. Contact your veterinarian or a pet poison service and tell them what was eaten, approximately how much, your dog’s weight and when it happened.
Dogs Also Love Eating Things That Aren’t Food
This is where this article originally came from. I surveyed more than 1,500 dog guardians about the things their dogs tried to eat or ingest that they really shouldn’t.
The answers were spectacularly dog-like.
| Thing dogs tried to eat | Survey response | What I’d do |
|---|---|---|
| Poop | 13.5% | Management first: pick it up, prevent access and train a strong leave/recall. |
| Garden items | 12.1% | Supervise around mulch/sticks and provide safer outlets. |
| Clothes and shoes | 10.5% | Keep socks and underwear inaccessible; swallowed fabric can become an emergency. |
| Unattended food | 7.7% | Manage counters/tables rather than repeatedly testing your dog’s self-control. |
| Tech items | 6.5% | Block access to cables and electronics — especially anything connected to power. |
| House fixtures | 5.7% | Limit access, offer appropriate chewing and investigate persistent ingestion. |
| Dog toys | 5.4% | Choose toys appropriate to the dog and supervise dogs who dissect and swallow pieces. |
| Vomit | 4.3% | Clean it up and pay attention to why your dog vomited or regurgitated. |
| Paper towels/toilet roll | 4.3% | Keep used paper inaccessible, particularly if contaminated with food or cleaners. |
| Furniture, hair, cat food, children’s toys and bedding | Also reported | Manage access and take actual ingestion seriously. |
And yes, people also reported sanitary products, condoms, birth-control pills, soap, ear plugs and a hot-water bottle. Nobody reported homework. Apparently dogs have finally retired that excuse.
Why Do Dogs Eat Weird Things?
There isn’t one explanation.
A puppy chewing a chair leg may be teething and exploring. A dog stealing a sock may have learned that it reliably starts a magnificent game of chase. Shredding can be inherently satisfying. Scavenging is normal dog behaviour. A dog who eats non-food objects persistently may need veterinary investigation.
So I wouldn’t automatically label all of this “bad behaviour” or assume your dog needs firmer training.
Look at the function instead: are they chewing, shredding, scavenging, seeking interaction, hungry, under-stimulated, stressed, nauseous, or actually swallowing non-food objects?
If your dog seems determined to eat everything, my guide to why dogs eat everything goes into that problem in more detail.
What Should I Do If My Dog Eats Non-Food Objects?
Prevention beats repeatedly taking things out of your dog’s mouth. Puppy-proofing and management are training tools, not cheating.
- Keep socks, underwear, children’s toys and food packaging out of reach.
- Use bins your dog cannot raid.
- Give appropriate opportunities to chew, sniff, forage and shred safely.
- Teach a positive drop and leave it rather than chasing your dog around the house.
- Don’t deliberately provoke guarding by constantly grabbing objects from them.
- For determined outdoor scavengers, consider positive muzzle training with an appropriately fitted basket muzzle and scavenging guard.
- Know what to do if your dog is choking.
If an object has actually been swallowed, particularly fabric, string, batteries, medication, sharp objects or anything large enough to obstruct the gut, call your veterinarian. Don’t induce vomiting unless a veterinary professional specifically tells you to.
How to Find Out What Your Dog Likes
This is actually useful information, especially for training.
Try a simple preference test. Offer tiny amounts of two safe foods separately and see which your dog chooses first. Repeat the comparison a few times and swap sides so you’re not accidentally testing whether your dog prefers your left hand.
You can build a rough reward ladder:
- Low value: something your dog will happily take when nothing exciting is happening.
- Medium value: something worth working for around mild distractions.
- High value: the good stuff you save for difficult environments, recall and particularly important training.
And remember that food isn’t the only reward. For some dogs, sniffing, chasing a toy, tugging, going through a gate or being released to explore can beat chicken.
So, What Do Dogs Like?
Dogs commonly enjoy meaty, aromatic, moist and higher-fat foods, but individual preference matters enormously. Your dog’s favourite thing might be chicken. It might be cheese. It might be the opportunity to chase a tug toy.
And, regrettably, it might be goose poop.
The useful question isn’t just “does my dog like this?” It’s “is it safe, and can I use what my dog values to make their life and training better?”
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