Previously, resource guarding over objects was discussed. But what if your dog resource guards his food? Most dogs that guard their food are worried when people or another dog is close by while they are eating. The dog usually will stop eating and hover over their food bowl. Some dogs may even growl a bit, and others may bite.
Dogs that resource guard their food and are willing to bite to guard their food most likely will wind up being euthanized. It is usually a poor outcome for the dog once he bites. So what can you do to help prevent this from happening to your beloved companion? If the dog resource guards food only around other dogs, the best way to settle this is to feed the dogs in a separate room. Besides separating dogs during feedings, you need to monitor them while they eat. So that way, if one finishes eating first, he doesn’t go over to the other dog and stare him down until that dog is finished eating. A dog staring down another is very rude behavior and can be the start of a fight.
If your dog has problems when you approach him while he eats, start hand feeding him. Yes, that’s right. Hand feeding does a few different things. It lets the dog know that you provide the food, not take it away. This allows the dog to learn to trust you. Hand feeding also shows you are a leader. It is a misconception that the leader of the pack does a whole bunch of “aggressive” or “dominant” displays. They have been misread by humans for quite some time. In fact, what makes a leader the leader is because that individual member of the pack posses the skills to keep the others alive, including ways to find or provide food, which is what you are doing.
This is a good idea to not only hand feed Fiesty Fido, but also the adorable sweet new dog or puppy. If your dog is one that clearly has issues, discuss this with a trainer. Make sure the trainer you are working with uses positive methods. Trainers that use punishment based training, dominant training, or electric collars usually make the situation worse. And if you clearly see something that your trainer is doing that you don’t think is right or fair, please stand up to the trainer. Please be your dog’s advocate. Just because they have TRAINER on the end of their title, doesn’t mean that they always know what’s best. Do research to find out what methods they use and their philosophies are on training before you hire them. Also, find out if they have any references.
The steps for hand feeding are as follows. First have the bowl literally on the counter, away from where the dog has issues, which is where the bowl usually is, on the ground. If the issues are really bad, such as the dog has already bitten, do this in a completely separate room. Pull the kibble from the dogs bowl and toss him the food . This is to be done for both meals, for several days. Then you can move to holding the bowl and pulling food out and hand feeding, for another 3-4 days. Then, still hand feeding, letting the dog feed out of your hand while you hand is over the bowl, for several days. Last step is to have bowl on floor and hand feed out of the bowl for several days. If for any reason, you move on to the next step, and let’s say your dog seems to do better and then gets worse, you’ve moved on too quickly. Go back to the previous step and stay there for another week. If you have had to do this training in a separate room, once you get to the last step and the dog is doing well, then you can start the process in the room where the dog normally eats. The process should go a little quicker, since the dog is now familiar with you hand feeding him. Just remember not to move too quickly, and if your dog starts showing signs of being uneasy, move back to the previous step. Do not have kids do this. Instead, once your dog is comfortable with eating on the floor while your hand feeding him, you can have the kids walk at a safe distance from the dog and treat the dog every time the kids passes while the dog is eating. This will make the dog think that every time the kid walks by something good is going to happen. Once your dog shows that he feels comfortable with you hand feeding him and being around his food bowl while you eat, intermittently drop a good treat in his food bowl while he’s eating so he doesn’t forget that hands being around his food is a good thing. Next week, we will discuss a little bit about doggy language.
This saying I absolutely love, "He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the winds. He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea. He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being; by the way he rests against my leg; by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile; by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him. (I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.) When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive. When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful. He is loyalty itself. He has taught me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant. His head on my knee can heal my human hurts. His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me... whenever... wherever - in case I need him. And I expect I will - as I always have. He is just my dog."
- Gene Hill
- Gene Hill
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