Dog Training Food Aggression
Food aggression in dogs stems from their wild ancestors. In a wolf pack, each wolf must guard his or her own food. A wolf who is not aggressively guarding his own food is a wolf that won’t get to eat. Domesticated dogs still have the instinct to protect their food, so if your dog feels that he is being threatened while he eats, he will growl, snap, or even bite at whatever is threatening him.
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Some dogs are food aggressive because of the way they were raised as puppies. It could be that they were the runt of the litter and always got pushed away from the food bowl by bigger siblings. Some dogs become food aggressive due to the home environment – either they feel threatened by another dog in the household or they have been tormented at mealtime by children who just want to “play” with their pet.
If your dog is already impossible to approach while he eats, you will want to see a dog behavior specialist. Your vet may have one on staff or can recommend one. If your dog is showing warning signs of food aggression (growling, snapping), then these dog training food aggression techniques may help nip it in the bud.
Early prevention is the best way to keep dogs from becoming food aggressive. This needs to start immediately when you bring your puppy home. Pet your puppy while you serve his dinner, building his comfort level. Walk away. As your puppy is eating, walk by and toss a tasty treat into his bowl. This will train him to think that people coming by his food bowl is a good thing! Don’t always feed him in the same spot, since some dogs become aggressive in the area where food is served. If your dog is comfortable eating in any room in the house, this will not only curb food aggression, but will make him more comfortable about eating while he’s traveling or boarded.
But sometimes your dog is already showing food aggressive behaviors and these tricks aren’t working. What do you do then? One trick is to take up your dog’s food bowl between meals. Don’t leave it on the floor for him. When mealtime rolls around, put the empty bowl on the floor. He’ll look to you, confused. Put a tiny amount of food in his bowl and walk away. When he’s done, he’ll look to you, wondering “Where’s the rest?” Keep repeating the process, feeding him a bit at a time. When he has consumed his full meal, put the food bowl away. You can also try feeding by hand without the bowl. (Remember, if your dog is already nipping or biting, this probably isn’t a good idea. See a dog behavioral specialist.)
Don’t punish your dog if he’s being food aggressive. He doesn’t understand that what he’s doing is wrong and will be very confused and upset if you punish him. This will only make the problem worse. The key to curing food aggression is building up your dog’s comfort level. He needs to know that his food is safe and that he is safe while eating his food. Once this comfort level has been achieved, your dog will no longer have food aggression problems.
