Food Aggression in Dogs

Dog food aggression is a common problem in adult canines.  Preventative training with puppies is a must.  The key to avoiding food aggression in adult dogs is to not stress your puppy during feeding times.  We have all seen video of food aggression testing where a rubber hand is placed in the food dish to see if a dog will bite or growl when the bowl is pulled away.  Do not try this at home!  By reaching your hands in and out of a bowl, dropping your face down or taking food away during feeding you can accidentally help your puppy develop food aggression instead of preventing it.

Here are some tips to stop dog food aggression from developing:

• Feed your puppy in his crate – Also helps with crate training as it reinforces the crate as a GOOD place.
• Once you put food down walk away – No one likes being watched while they eat. It can make a puppy nervous as to your intentions.
• Do not reach in while your puppy is eating – To avoid adding stress, wait until your puppy is finished eating to pick up any spilled food or the dish

Food aggression is a behavior that can lead to other problems and should not be ignored.  Aside from the possibility of getting yourself bit it can also be dangerous for your pup.  In an emergency situation involving your pup getting into something that may be fatal if ingested you need to be able to safely stop them or take the item away.  It’s important for your pup to see you as his pack leader so that when you need to take something away you can.  However, if you constantly stress you pup by taking things and giving them back they can see you as more of a littermate and be less likely to give something up when it poses a danger.  If you have a dog that has already developed food aggression you should seek the help of a professional