Food Aggression

[neni18]

Any advice greatly appreciated. Tilly is nearly 6 months old and over the last month or so she has started growling when we go near her food or near her while she is eating. I had a look on the net about this before i found this brilliant site and it was saying to take her bowl away for a few minutes and then put it back we did this but it hasn't really stopped her growling. Even if you just stroke her gently while eating she still growls. We have always made her sit and wait for her food from being young so she doesn't lunge to it. On Monday i was preparing her food and Tilly normally sits and waits while im doing it, i prepare it high up upon the work top so she is not near it, my son who is 12 only walked at the side of me to get a drink and Tilly growled and went for him and marked his wrist, she sounded like she proper meant it, now my 2 children,i have another son at 15, are frightened of coming near me or Tilly  when im preparing her food, its the first time she has done this whilst preparing her food,  it really upset me because apart from this food aggression she is a fantastic dog, so loving, loyal, obedient. Shes not aggressive with her toys or any chew treats, its just her bowl at meal times.   

[Bluebell]

Add food to her bowl as she is eating, preferably something yummy! If you don't feel comfortable getting that close atm just drop it on the floor near her bowl. She will associate, humans near food bowl = yummy food 

Absolutely do not take her bowl away, as you will just re inforce her reasons for guarding it, making the problem worse    You do not want to dicourage her from growling as this is the only way she can communicate to you that she is unhappy with what you are doing - remove the growl (which is a warning),
and next time she may bypass the warning (as you didn't listen) and go straight for the bite 

If you crate her you could also consider feeding her in her crate, with the door shut, so the has no need to guard her food 

[Helen]

Firstly - I don't think you found a brilliant website at all    If you have a dog that resource guards then a sure way to get bitten is to confront as this has advised you to do.  I don't think you should label this food aggression, more resource guarding and it is pretty normal for pups.  Her growls are warnings and you definitely do not want her to stop this - she is telling you she's not happy about something and this is her way of communicating - if you stop the growling then there will be no warning she is unhappy and she may go straight to bite.

This is not a bad blog imho http://3lostdogs.com/the-real-solution-to-resource-guarding-and-food-aggression/  - I don't agree with everything but on the whole it is a more rounded view.

and the best book on resource guarding is "Mine" by Jean Donaldson.

Is there any reason she has to be in the kitchen while you prepare her food as this is her trigger point?  From your description she is getting hyped up and possessive about getting her food.  Could she be in another room when you're doing her food and just be called when it's ready?

Is there any reason to go near her while she is eating?  I definitely wouldn't be pushing her by stroking her.

[neni18]

Thankyou for you advice, Helen i didnt mean the website was brilliant which i had a look at, i meant COL is a brill website,i only joined on here a couple of days ago. Thats exactly what i said to my hubby by taking her bowl away we are doing exactly the reason why she is growling, so when we do go near her food shes thinking they are going to take my food away! Ill keep her out the room in future while im preparing her food and ill try what you said bluebell. I will have read at the blog, thankyou   

[Karma]

As pp's have said, unfortunately the common advice of taking the food away and returning it can create or intensify a problem with resource guarding.  Our dog has a tendency to guarding behaviour, so we manage things very carefully (though she has never shown the slightest anxiety about her meal-times and has only ever guarded very high value treats from our older child (we have 2 children - a 2 yr old and a 6 month old).  Our daughter knows that, when Honey is eating, she needs to be left alone.  If I saw the slightest amount of anxiety from Honey with our current arrangement (Honey is fed in kitchen - children may be in the next room, so fairly close, but not directly by her) then she would be fed in her crate.  High value treats are only given when children have gone to bed.  Children are encouraged to feed Honey treats (under supervision!) - this creates a positive association generally (Honey lacks confidence with children), but also reinforces the fact that my children aren't a threat to her food, as they are always giving her extra, which is something that can be transferred to any age!

Adding food to the bowl is a great suggestion as well - if she is displaying any anxiety by people being near (stiffening of body, watching you etc) begin this from another room and just gently toss extras towards her, and build up at her pace as she learns the positives of this new arrangement.

[Helen]

Thankyou for you advice, Helen i didnt mean the website was brilliant which i had a look at, i meant COL is a brill website,

   sorry, my mistake 

[Mel]

Am no expert buthave had 3 cockers  and I hand fed them and played games with food including holding the bowl and getting the dogs to climb on the sofa and me to reach it. Never constantly take food away but if you are gentle and your movements are not harsh you can remove food and substitute it for other food or treats. After a while you can remove food and return.

Ian Dunbar always says the worst case scenario is dog eating from bowl, child trips over dog and lands face first in the bowl whilst grabbing your apron. You slip and one hand bumps the dog and other land in the dog bowl. While this is happening a friend in the other room races in, trips over the child and lands with their head next to the dogs face.

You don't want the dog scared and resource guarding whereby the friend and child get their face bitten and you get your arm savaged, you want the dog to be so laid back about it that it either carries on eating or indeed walks away thinking the game you are playing this time is just stupid.

Gentle care must be taken when first desensitising a dog showing any form of guarding with food but ultimately and at the dogs pace, you want the dog to not see the food as something that cannot be removed from them, but if you do the dog isn't angry but is wondering if you are going to add extra treats.

[neni18]

just to let you all know at feeding time today i did what was advised and went to drop a bit of yummy ham in her bowl, on me first approaching her bowl to put the ham in she growled at me until seconds later she realized what i had in my hand and her face was a picture she looked at me as though to say " oh what have you got mum " I walked away and seconds later came back and did the same thing again this time she didnt grumble at me, i  did it a third time and she still didnt grumble. I know it wont happen over night but i will keep at it and then eventually hopefully she'll realize that if anybody happens to bend down near her while eating for any reason that there is no reason for her to be protective.  Thank you to you all for your advise   

[Helen]

It's a great start 

[Bluebell]

Now, where is that *like* button