From an internationall y known trainer
My question is about food and how to avoid food aggression. I am getting a new dog, an English Springer Spaniel, this coming Summer, and I am wondering how to make him comfortable with me near him when he eats and when I need to take his food from him. I have a Cocker Spaniel who is already food aggressive – that is, he snaps at me if I try to remove his food bowl, and he growls when I sit down beside him without doing anything. I’ve tried a range of methods – from harsher to softer. Now I have pretty much decided to accept that he is the way he is, but I want to avoid that my new puppy becomes like my Cocker.
ANSWER:
Food is important for any animal who wants to survive. Growling only means “Stay away”, especially if the dog expect that someone wants to take away his food. I feel that the way I have always done it is the safest way to avoid guarding of food, and that is to allow the puppy to become completely confident that you are not going to steal its food. Leave it alone while eating. Put the bowl down on the floor and walk away. From time to time, you walk casually by him and drop an extra snack into its bowl, but without bending over or remain standing beside the dog. Simply drop the treat into the bowl while walking by. When your new dog arrives, feed them in separate rooms since the older one is already guarding his food.
You can use the same technique with your present dog too, as a way to teach him that there is no need to growl over his food. Let him eat in peace while you’re in another room, then after some time you can pass him from a distance (like by the entrance to the room where he’s fed) at the same time as you throw an extra treat over to him. Sitting down near him has been too threatening, and the dog’s growling is a clear signal of what he feels.
I’ve always let my dogs be eat in peace during meals. That’s why they don’t get defensive the time when someone is getting too close or when I for some reason have to take their food away. I can put my entire hand into their mouths if necessary, or ask them to drop on command. It’s very important for dogs to feel this secure when it comes to food. Try my suggestions on both your dogs, and I am absolutely sure that it will work. The way you do things now, they will never get accustomed to your taking the food away, instead they will learn to defend the food by stronger and stronger means. Quite naturally, really, as you are proving them right each time you take their food away.
Turid Rugaas
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