Handling the Food Possessive Pooch
Food Possessive Pooch
© 2002 Sophia Yin, DVM, MS
First appeared in SF Chronicle 2002.
Q) My 11 month old terrier is housetrained, goes to obedience class with me and is doing very well with one BIG exception: he is very aggressive at meal time. He used to only be aggressive with our other dog but now he jumps, growls and nips at me. When he was 7 months old, my trainer suggested that I discipline him by using a leash and collar correction when he got aggressive. I tried this for a couple weeks with no success; he got more aggressive and would scream and jump at me as I corrected him.
I consulted another trainer who suggested feeding him in a new place. I did this with some success at first but then he started jumping and nipping at me again at feeding time. He gets aroused as soon as I bring out the dishes for feeding.
It has occurred to me that this behavior arises out of anxiety not aggression, but the behavior is very problematic either way. HELP!
L.S.
A)
Like many dogs that are otherwise easygoing, Fido has a food fetish and he feels it's his duty to guard each bowl as if it held his last meal. This makes mealtimes a bittersweet affair.
Often in cases of food bowl aggression our instinct is to grab the whip and chain and show Fido who's boss. One problem here is that the boss may turn out to be "Fido." If so, the showdown could be uglier than Dennis Rodman in a dress and more dangerous too. Even if it ends in a quick K.O. and you're injury free, the situation may not be solved. Rather, you may be in for multiple rematches because now Fido knows each mealtime means a fight.
Sometimes after one all-out battle everything looks "A Okay" on the outside but get into Fido's head and you might see trouble waiting for your guard to drop. Instead of learning goodwill around the food bowl, Fido's just learned to hide his inner anxiety. So he smiles on the outside but he simmers and seethes on the inside when you're in his feeding space. Then when he can't take it anymore rather than warn you with stiff posture or growls and nips as before, he breaks out in a full-blown bite.
A third scenario for those who battle this bad behavior with brawn is that while Fido may decide you're top dog when it comes to the food bowl all other humans have to fend for themselves. Fido may even behave nicely around the bowl when you're there to back guests up, but if you're out of sight he'll tell them how it is.
So what can you do? Teach Fido that good things happen when people are around his food bowl.
At every meal, while Fido's eating his plain dog food, stand a safe distance away and toss treats that he loves. Then when he's finished and has nothing left to guard, move closer and toss more treats into his bowl. After a few meals using this method, move closer each day. If Fido tenses up or even growls, then you've moved too close too quickly. The key is that he stays relaxed at all times around the bowl and learns to expect even better treats from you.
A variation on this method is to teach Fido to sit for special treats when he's eating his meal. Start by teaching Fido to say please by sitting for all treats given by hand. Not by yelling ,"Sit, Sit, SIT," while he's jumping and growling, but by showing him the scrumpscious snack he can earn and then ignoring him by standing as still as a tree until he happens to sit on his own. Then quickly deliver the tasty treat.
When he's good at this, expect him to sit to receive his meals too. Hold his food bowl and wait for him to sit. Then slowly put the food bowl down, but swiftly pick it up if he starts to make a break. For your safety, stand far enough away (2-5 feet). In fact you may choose to have Fido on a leash and tethered out of reach for this and other sessions early on.
Once Fido's on a stable sit, let him have his meal. Then, when he finishes the meal, walk up with a mouth-watering morsel and give it to him when he sits. This is your new daily feeding routine. When Fido regularly sits every time you approach, you can up the ante by approaching during mealtimes but just to the edge of his feeding space at first and gradually moving closer as you chalk up your successes.
This plan may sound too good to be true, but stick to it and practice with many different people and Fido's food bowl fetish will gradually fade away.
To see these techniques in action visit www.nerdbook.com/sophia/movies.html and watch "Ben Guards the Food Bowl."
Related linksContact Sophia Yin
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