How to Stop Dog Aggression Over Food
30 Sep 2009
If your dog is aggressive at dinnertime, you will want to correct this problem behavior. That is because the aggression over his dog food could easily develop into other types of aggression-and possibly end up causing some serious problems, including someone getting bit.
The watch signs of this type of aggression are very distinct and not all that uncommon. The aggression only shows up at mealtimes when the dog feels the urge to protect his food. Dog aggression over food is usually aimed at either another dog or at people who are nearby when the dog is fed.
A dog that feels the strong need to protect his food from other dogs, will get aggressive if another dog is allowed to be nearby during feeding time. A dog will sometimes get so uptight that it will spend the meal time growling and lunging at any nearby dog, and not even eat his meal. Some dogs even want to stop other dogs from eating their own meals-they want total control of the dining room.
Usually this problem can be solved with a little common sense. You should feed the dogs in completely different areas of your house, so the aggressive dog doesn’t feel threatened over his food supply. During the meal make sure the aggressive dog does not leave his area to bother the other dog, and vice versa. You want to be sure he finishes up his dinner without any distractions. If your dog leaves part of his meal uneaten, do not leave the bowl out-put it away until the following meal. If you leave any uneaten food out, in either dog’s bowl, you are creating a situation that could lead to more aggressive behavior and you definitely want to put an end to that. Also, it is a good policy for your dogs to learn to eat their entire meals at the designated meal times.
Some dogs direct their food aggression at the very people who are feeding it. Obviously you cannot ignore this type of aggression, as someone in your family, maybe you, could end up getting bit. Your dog’s aggression can be solved once you have made sure he understands that you are the boss-by teaching your dog that you are the Alpha dog-the pack leader.
Begin correcting his aggression over food towards people by teaching him that you are the one who is in total control of the food. You will show him who is boss by immediately taking away his food bowl the moment he displays any aggression towards you growls for being nearby at dinnertime. For instance, if you reach to move his food bowl and your dog growls at you to keep you away-immediately remove the bowl of food and put it somewhere out of his reach. His growl has cost him his food privileges for the time being. This demonstrates very clearly that you are the one that controls the food, not him. Your dog will soon learn that growling gets him no where, and will recognize that he must be calm to get his meal.
If your dog is one that snaps treats out of your fingers, instead of gently accepting them, you are also seeing some signs of a food aggression problem. You can also correct this, by denying the treat. Do not give your dog a treat unless he has stopped trying to snap for it. Snapping at food can cause the dog to try to steal a treat from someone’s hand, especially children, and may cause an injury or trauma to whoever was holding the snack. It is a better idea to offer the snack on the open palm of your hand instead of between your fingers where a dog may be tempted to snap. By offering the food on your palm your dog will learn to accept offered treats more gently, because food on the palm isn’t reachable with a quick snap.
You need to be the Alpha dog in your relationship, as it will lead to the bond of trust and confidence and respect that your dog will feel for you. Your dog must first understand that you are the boss before you will be able to solve his behavior problems. Don’t neglect any types of aggression problems you notice with your dog-you never want to take the chance of the aggression becoming worse.
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