While it seems like an obvious sign of distress, dog food aggression is a serious problem that is growing out of control in the United States. More shelter dogs are put to sleep thanks to this behavioral problem than any other. Personality tests consist of dog food aggression tests, and a failure means an automatic failure, even if every other aspect of the dog is perfectly acceptable. Aggression in all forms is unacceptable in our dogs but there are ways to prevent and cure it.
Preventative measures are highly recommended for any puppy or new shelter dog. Starting good behaviors right off the bat is an easier avenue than fixing bad behaviors once they are a problem. Leadership is a necessary element in curbing any dog's food aggression problems.
A dog that has been previously starved will have a much higher tendency toward dog food aggression than one that has always had a constant supply of food. Some dogs will figure out that they no longer have to guard their resources when they realize that they have security in the midst of everything else. Others need a reminder that they are not in charge.
Make sure before every feeding that your dog sits and waits for you to fill the bowl, put it down, walk away, and give him a command to eat. This lets him know that you are the boss of his food. Take precautions with a dog who has shown any type of aggression around food. Make sure that he receives his meals alone and in a quiet place. Children and other dogs are too unpredictable to help a dog get over his aggressive tendencies.
Do not feed the dog table scraps or any other form of people food. Keep him away from meal time for the humans. He needs a direct distinction between his food and yours. Do not permit children to run around with food around the dog.
He doesn't get to continue eating if he becomes aggressive. Take the food bowl away calmly without entering his eating space and correct his behavior immediately. Make him sit or lie down yet again. He must go through the entire command and release process each and every time if you are going to make progress. Getting angry or teasing him even just once will blow all of your hard work and you will be back beyond ground zero.
Make him sit and calm down before returning the bowl. Never use your hands. Push it back with the yard stick. In order to prevent this type of aggression, you should always make sure your dog is in the seated position and waits for you to release him before eating. This teaches him that you are the boss of when he eats, so being aggressive with you will never get him the meal he wants.
Make sure that you are not giving him mixed signals. Dog food aggression is a serious problem with devastating consequences. You have to be the one to remain consistent and keep training him to behave for his food. Over time you should start to notice that he understands that there is nothing for him to get worried about. If you are truly his leader, he will know that you will provide food for him.
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