Dog Community

Food Agression

Posted : 10/28/2010 5:26:01 PM

We have a Shepherd Collie mix about 7 years old. We love her and she loves us but she has one problem. Food agression, only with me. When she was a puppy I would put my head into her bowl and pretend to eat her food. I thought it was cute but I guess she didnt. If she is eating and I walk by her, she growls. My wife and can do anything and nothing. I feed her a lot of treat out of my hand, I feed her dog food out of my hand, I feed her some people food out of my hand, frosty paws out of my hand and no problem. None at all but if I walk over to her food dish she will come flying over. Sometimes I get up to walk out of the room and she jumps off the bed and runs to her dish and waits until I leave. Sometimes I think she is mixed up or confused. I will pet her nose and she will growl at me. If I stop she growls at me. I pet her again and she growls again and then rolls over and puts all her feet in the air and is in heaven. It's almost like she thinks that she needs to growl to get me to pet her! She has never bitten me or come close. Once or twice if Im feeding her a part of a hotdog with her medication in it and the cat walks by, she may snap it out of my hand but if the cat wasnt there, it would not happen. Is this food agression or just a mild case of food agression. Is there any hope at this point in breaking it? Thanks for any help.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 10/28/2010 5:31:34 PM

Is this dog being free fed? It sounds like she is. If she is, I'd stop that, RIGHT NOW. Not in 10 minutes, go pick up the bowl, now.

k9deb.com/NILIF would be my first step. Nothing, absolutely nothing, the dog gets would be free, at my house. She doesn't get to sit on a peice of furniture, walk through a doorway, or eat a bite of food without working for it.

spiritdogs

Posted : 10/29/2010 10:43:38 AM

Actually, my first step would be to get a copy of "Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs" by Jean Donaldson. It's got the whole protocol for training this behavior away. Also, some people advise that you change the food location each day, as well as feeding from a different bowl each day. NILIF is a way of life that has the dog asking permission for everything it does. People who believe in dominance theory often think it helps the dog understand that you are the "pack leader" but I think that's just poppycock. However, it IS useful to be able to communicate and be able to ask your dog to do things, or require good manners, so if you take it in that light, perhaps it's useful. But, the best trained dog in the world can still be a resource guarder, and the behavior modification protocols for that are what you really need.

Now you understand that the best way to create a food guarder is to always take their stuff, or eat their food;-) The way to create a dog that trusts you is to drop food IN to the bowl;-))) That way, your hand becomes a predictor of great things and the dog welcomes it near the food bowl. Best to do the protocols now that you already have a problem, though.

senex

Posted : 12/2/2010 7:11:28 AM

Some dogs are growlers, I've a Dally who is very vocal. I trained him to "talk" on command and this might be why. It may be your dog is being aggressive, your the best judge of that. From pup to adult my dogs have to wait, later down,then and increasing of time and distance from the food bowl. Why, it reminds them who is the food source. B

Burl

Posted : 12/2/2010 7:31:56 AM

Our mix breed Sissy has always been a mild growler. Sometimes its to say she is displeased, like moving her around doing her nails, but also when she rolls over for more rubs. In either case, it could lead to a loud air snap if you fed the growl and let it escalate. It has never been an issue for us, it just seemed her way. Likely I played too rough with her as a pup.