Food Agression/Territorial

[The Dude and his person, Kristi]

Dude is showing occasional aggression with highly valued meals/food and can grumble when being moved off the bed or couch from time to time.  He has never bitten me but got my boyfriend twice when he was reaching near the food bowl etc.  I've scheduled a private training and will see what the trainer says and work on it, but I'm wondering if anyone else here has dealt with these issues.

 

He has improved but reverts a bit.  I'd like to allow him up on the couch to cuddle etc. but I'm wondering if I'll have to set strong limits with this pup where he is banished from sofa and beds forever.

 

Of course, most of the time, he a big wiggly charmer and everybody loves him.  They have no idea that he'd got a Mr. Hyde side. 

 

 

[Katherine Hatch]

Food aggression. Pumpkin had a little of this with my 6 year old son. I was told to make sure Pumpkin new I was in control of her food. I achieve this by putting my hands into her dry food so she would know I brought her the food. I guess it is for her to know who is in charge. It seem to work.

 

I wish you luck with Dude. keep us all posted.

[Joyce,David"Mochi,Latte,Popcorn"]

Mochi never guarded his food. I guess it was because when we first got him, he wasn't interested in kibbles so we had to make it like a game, throwing kibbles in air for him to catch, and hand feed him.

Everything he eats he knows they came from our hand.

I even hand feed Mochi marrow bones and bully sticks, he enjoys me holding those for him while he chew on them, and sees me as a helper not as a threat. 

But don't think we're lucky, Mochi used to growl and show us teeth a lot. I'll continue my story later, I gotta go now, sorry!

[Joyce,David"Mochi,Latte,Popcorn"]

Mochi used to growl and show us teeth when he got something he shouldn't. and it got worse when we tried to take things away from him in a hard way. (raise our voice or dragged him to time out room). We found that Mochi listens better if we ask him to drop stuff in a nice way.

We didn't really have any special techniques but things just got better and better after he turned 1, now he's 2 and is the sweetest dog!! (although I have to say he still does this, but rarely, it's now a lot easier to manage!).

[Shelley and Riley]

When Riley was about 10 weeks, my parents gave Riley a bone at the same time they gave their dog a bone. Riley turned into a different dog with snarling and growling at the other dog. The other dog wasn't even interested in Riley or the bone. I took it away.  We started giving him a periodic bone and if he would growl when we took it away and he wouldn't get it back. He quickly learned that when he didn't growl, he got it back. We haven't had a problem since.

 

They are quite cuddly and cute most of the time, aren't they? I just love my dog.

 

Good luck.

[The Dude and his person, Kristi]

Thank you all.....I think I need to practice the "drop it" command with him.  I've also started feeding him by hand entirely.  I mix wet food with kibble....it's kind of messy, but well worth the effort if it takes care of the agression.  I also think getting him neutered may help.  My vet recommends 7-8 months.  He's a little over 6 months now.  I think I will schedule it this week.

[The Dude and his person, Kristi]

Ellen...we deal with the couch issue too.  I think I need to keep him off entirely until he's older and can handle it.  I'd like for him to come up sometimes, but only when invited.  He knows it's off limits but will sneak up there when home alone....and he's smart so he'll go out of his way and around the other side when he hears the key turning to make us think he was asleep around the back of it.  But we can see him through the window!  LOL

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

Charming 90% of the time is good:) Quite a few of us has had to deal with this "resource guarding"  We did one on one training with Lucca at around 6 months for this also. Most will grow out of it as Joyce said BUT the issue has to be addressed and nipped ASAP. Once we got it under control and he got older it was fine. At 2 1/2 he still shows his pearly whites every once in a while but we don't react other than saying "no" and pet his nose and he backs down. Curious to see what the trainer says.

I swear it's these boys...I have had no problems (so far) with Izzy. I have both extremes here. Mr Moody Lucca and Miz La La Izzy

[The Dude and his person, Kristi]

I'm sorry others have dealt with the same issue.....but it's also helpful to know that The Dude is not the only one.  There's hope! :-)

 

I'll keep you all posted on the training.

[Diane and Alma]

Alma used to guard some of her bones.  (I never give her pigs ears anymore because she was so bad, plus they upset her stomach.)  We also hand fed her for a few months when she was a puppy - even my kids took turns - so that Alma would know the pecking order.  I believe she is now gentle with her mouth because of it.  When she started guarding her bones we would drop a small treat by her as we walked by.  She associated us coming up to her as a good thing.  After a bit we would get down and exchange the bone for a treat and then give it back to her.  We also started holding the bone sometimes instead of giving it to her and then putting it away when we were done.  She doesn't guard anything now.  Ocassionally we will go up to her when she has a bone now and ask her for it and then praise her and give it back.  She does guard her food on camping trips when other dogs are around.  We just feed her seperately.  I'm not sure what to do about the couch/bed thing.  I'm sure your trainer will have some good tips. 

[The Dude and his person, Kristi]

Great tips!!  Thank you.