Food aggression?

[WilsonsMom]

So, every time Wilson eats I try to make it a point to touch him or pet him sometimes I even put my hand right in his bowl, and I've been doing this since we first got him, always with good results.  He'd either back off until I was done messing with him or just eat around me.  This morning, he growled at me and even snapped.  I know, if you put your hand in a dogs bowl enough times, you're just asking to get bit but I won't tolerate food aggression, with kids and cats and everything else in the house you never know what accidentally winds up in the bowl.  Anyway, needless to say it scared the heck out of me, since he'll be 6 months old on the 27th and already weighs 67 pounds.  Do you think it's just his age? I have an appointment to get him neutered Oct 5, that's the soonest I could get him in, but he hasn't really shown any signs of aggression or maturity at all yet?  Anyone elses Pyrs go through this?  Oh yeah-  I probably didn't react well when he snapped at me, I grabbed him by the collar and put him in his crate for a time out.  Thanks for reading!

[Moni]

Actually, unfortunately that's a good way to teach some dogs TO become food aggressive.  Not all of course will react like that, but certain ones definitely do.    I was always taught to treat the dog when its eating and you want to bother it.  So walk by and toss some high value treat into his dish.  Then the dog learns "people by food dish, means YUMMY things". 

Another good thing to do is start him on a NILIF regime.  Make him sit or down for things, like his food, going outside, before playing, etc...

If he really makes you nervous, then don't even use the dish for awhile.  Instead handfeed him piece by piece and make sure that he works for them.

Supposedly this is a great book when dealing with object guarding:
MINE! A GUIDE TO RESOURCE GUARDING IN DOGS
by Jean Donaldson

http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB740


I've yet to read this book, but it comes highly recommended by many trainers I know.  Good luck and I'm sure you'll have no problem getting it in hand. 

[RedyreRottweilers]

Think of it this way:

Suppose you were really hungry, and you sat down to eat. Just as you did, someone comes along and starts messing with the things on your plate, interrupting your dinner.

This may be just fine on most days, but there will come a day when youa re gonig to look at that person and say "if you touch my plate again, I'm going to kill you." Same for your dog.

Now imagine this. Suppose you are eating, and someone keeps passing by quietly and putting chocolate treats on your plate for desert.

Pretty soon you are going to smile when you see the person coming, because maybe they have a nice piece of something delicious to put on your plate.

Same for your dog.

I DO NOT disturb dogs when they are eating. Food and eating is a survival instinct in dogs. Messing with their food is, in their minds, messing with their SURVIVAL. Think of how dogs protect their food from other dogs. Caping their food. Freezing. Staring. Growling. They defend their food because in the wild, eating is surviving. Dogs retain these instincts. STOP messing around with the dog and his food when he is eating.

If you feel you have a real issue, then put the bowl away.

Hand feed this dog a handfull of food at a time for 4 days. No bowls whatsoever.

On day 5, put the bowl down on the floor, and put the food in handful by handful. Let the dog eat what is in the bowl before you put in more. Wait until the dog looks up at you for more food before you put it in the bowl. Feed this way for 4 meals.

Then after 4 meals fed IN the bowl, handful by handful, put the dog's bowl down with the food. 3 times during his meal, go up to his bowl, ask for his attention, and feed him a treat from your hand. At the end of his meal when he is done, go put one more treat in the bowl for him to eat.

Remove bowls and all eating paraphernalia immediately when the dog is finished eating.

For the next 2 weeks, pass by the dog's bowl 2 to 3 times per meal and drop in someothing really tasty. It has to be something really good, like cooked chicken, beef, cheese, etc.

This regimen will solve most dog's food aggression issues. I feed my dogs in crates or outdoors where they are not disturbed during their meals.

I do not find it necessary to hover over my dogs, or bug them while they are eating.

In addition, I play "trade" a lot with puppies. I always have a pocket full of treats. I trade treats for toys, bones, food, etc etc etc.

I NEVER reach for a puppy to take something away, I always extend a treat to trade, and AS they are spitting out whatever they have, I say out.

So puppy earns a treat, I get what he had, he's happy, and he's learning a valuable command: spit out what you have, and you will get a reward.

[WilsonsMom]

Thanks so much for all your insight.  I obviously was going about this all wrong and am stopping right away.  I was probably adding to the problem.  An old vet I had back in Maine with my Collies told me to do this occasional interuption, but Red you make much more sense.  I printed your instructions for future use!  Thank God for this board! 

[tanimara]

Just something for you to think about.  Pyrs are often food agressive toward other dogs.  They should NEVER be people agressive unless guarding you from another person.  What ever you decide to do, you are right in not tolerating this behavior.  I would watch him closely for agression at other times towards people.  This could be a genetic based temperament issue.  At 6 mo he is starting to feel his oats and that time to challenge all of his "alphas" is coming ( about 10 mo).  Neutering may or may not help this situation.  You MUST get control of this dog now and establish yourself as alpha as well as all others in your family establishing themselves as alpha.  He should accept you reaching into his dish without being agressive.  Human agression in Pyrs can not be tolerated for obvious reasons.  Be sure he gets neutered and get him and yourself in obedience classes.  Your option is, if this continues he might end up having to be put down. 

I know this is not something you wanted to hear and I am not one to recommend euthanazia except in rare circumstances.  I told a friend who owns a Pyr that was having the same type of problem (her Pyr was not trustworthy with people and would growl or snap on occassion).  I told her she should have the dog put down.  She did not.  He's a 6 yo and they had gotten by this long without anyone getting bit.  Well guess what?  They ended up putting him down yesterday after his regular care taker fed him this week and he attacked him over food.  Thank God this was an adult and thank God it only took minor surgery to repair the damage.  This is a last resort for you but one you need to keep in mind if all efforts to curtail this behavior fails, and or he exhibits further human agression... Jackie

[RedyreRottweilers]

Before you resort to anesthesia, (*wink wink*) try this.

http://www.chowwelfare.com/cciw/alpha.htm