Why Do Dogs...

I'm hoping someone has read something that I haven't and can explain two typical (in our GSD at least) dog behaviours:

1. When given a treat, the dog always walks away with it to eat it, as opposed to just eating it. Why not just sit and eat it where given?

2. When allowed to sit on my chair with me, why would she always insist on placing a front-paw onto me, as though to "pin me in position"?

None of the above are "issues" but rather two behaviours I'm curious about and can't fathom.

Hollie eats a treat where it is given so I can't answer that, and rather than one paw on you she tends to put all of her on you - so can't answer that either!

My JRT takes his treat away and hides it for later!!!!

Roxy will eat a treat fine in front of me (the ferrets wont)

However If we are both on the sofa her WHOLE body has to be on me with her chin resting on my shoulder

With regards to the treat, if it's just a choccie drop or something, she'll eat that where I give her it. However, if it's a "meaty stick" she'll take that a good distance away before eating it.

On reflection I wonder if it's because (from memory) I think she tends to also lie down to eat it, and it might be easier for her to hold it between the front paws. (Even though she wouldn't really need to, as it's quite small.)

Zuki takes her treat away to eat it I think it is because when a puppy she would have had to take what she wants and run else one of her family may steal it from her, she has always done it and thats my best guess as to why. Also if she doesn't feel hungry she will take it away and hide it somewhere, which is really amusing, I once found a half chewed pigs ear under the letters which had come through my door and another time I found half a steak down the side of the sofa

As for the paw thing I have no idea, if zuki gets up on to the sofa she spreads out and i usually end up with her back feet digging into my side

LOL! I couldn't even believe they sold pigs ears until my partner brought a bag full of them home one day. Took me quite a while to adapt to anything eating a pig's ear I can tell you!

As for steak down the side of the sofa - yum! lol

Blondi used to hide food under soil in the garden when we first got her, but I believe that's because she was ill-treated before and couldn't be certain of regular feeding. She stopped doing it after a week or so.

She is so funny to watch when she is hiding something, will have to get my video camera out, she whines at it and pushes it around with her nose, the funniest thing ever was when she hid it in the tv cabinet which has a sliding glass door, so I slid the glass door closed, i completely forgot about it until my OH started moaning that Zuki was whining at the tv when he was trying to watch the footie

Pigs ears are gross, but dogs seem to love them (if they dont they are putting on a good act) we get a bag of 60 large ones for £15 lasts forever. I can see why dogs would rather eat our food than their own

A damn site cheaper than we get ours for, that's a fact!

I used to buy them and send them in a box to people, because everyone says thats alot cheaper even with the postage of around £10, but with the new system I dont think they will be that cheap, will let you know when i send some more how much it costs, cause I could always send you some and anyone else, when you recieve them send me a check