# Growling during feeding/eating.



## Goofy (Sep 27, 2008)

So yesterday while Goofy was eating I went to get his water bowl to fill it up and he growled at me reaching for the water bowl. I thought it was nothing so today I had the wife do the same thing and same response.

I tried it again twice while he was eating and also got the same reaction. what can I do to stop it?? A friend who was over this weekend also mentioned that it is because the food is not left out and he gets fed twice a day. She suggested I feed him more as well.

Goofy is 48 pounds and is 5 months old. Please help me with this as I didn't like the growling part at all.

Thanks.


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

When he growls you take the food from him and correct him and say NO. Then you have him wait and then put the food down again. You then do the exercise again and if he growls again you correct and take the food.

It has nothing to do with you not having food down it has everything to do with him being the pack leader and you not. When you are pack leader (dominant one) then you will always be able to take the food from him.

Sonny was 58lbs when rescue pulled him from the shelter he now is 71lbs and still needs 10lbs more on him, never once has he growled at me inspite of him gobbling his food and he gets feed only 2x a day also.

When you leave the food down all day it can cause resource guarding which is what I dealt with my husky, I used to leave it down and that is what she would do is guard it so I did the excerise above with patience, calmness and I could always then take her food.

Both you and your husband need to do it. I am sure you will get other tips and other suggestions too that is what I personally do and it works with both my dogs.


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Honestly, don't fight this battle at feeding/watering time. Fight it in everyday leadership. Both of you need to take Goofy to a training class and work him in training. Both of you should spend some time handfeeding Goofy in exchange for obedience commands. Enforce calm entries and exits through doorways on YOUR signal. Practice NILIF constantly.

When it comes to the water bowl, use your body to block him off. One of you block him with your body and move him out of the kitchen while the other takes care of the water bowl. When it comes to feeding, have him hold a down-stay while you prepare the food, then put down the bowl and continue to enforce the down-stay. If he breaks, take up the bowl and make him down again. He should look at you and hold the down for a moment after you put down the bowl and stand up straight and THEN eat. When he is done eating, send him out of the kitchen and take up his bowl. 

Make your presence around his bowl a GOOD thing! Walk near him and, without stopping, toss a piece of cheese or meat by him. Do this once or twice each meal. He'll soon learn that though his food is good, he gets MUCH better "side dishes" when people walk by. This creates a positive association! Eventually, you should be able to walk right up and put it in his bowl with no ill reaction. Please do NOT practice taking his bowl from him! This WILL create problems. If you stay positive and work on control in daily life, when an emergency arises you WILL be able to take his bowl. If you ever have to, load the bowl with TONS of goodies where he can see you doing this and put the bowl down, all the while praising happily. 

Finally, when you go near his bowls, don't act like he's going to bite you. Act in a no-nonsense, calm, everyday manner. Speak to him in an upbeat voice. Many times, if an owner is unsure, that only encourages the dog to act even more defensive.

Do not free-feed him. That can cause a lot of problems.


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## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

First don't listen to your friend.

Teach your dog that all good things come from you, so at feed time you sit down with the dog bowl and had out the food to the dog. Once you dog is eating the food nicly out of your hand for a few day, then you can go to the next step. Have your dog sit or platz and set the food bowl down, the dog must wait to be released before it can eat.

None of my dogs that I have raised from pups have every growled at me for being around them while they are eating.

I really don't correct my dogs for growling, the growling is a warning, I don't want to take the warning away, I want to change their behavior.

Val


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

when i bring a puppy home at 8, 9,or 10 weeks old i start handling their food and water the first day their home.when i feed them i put my hand in their bowl. sometimes i take the bowl away. i pet them, rub their mouths, stand over them and whatever else i can think of. sometimes when i take their food bowl away i would put something tasty in it before i returned ( a peice of chicken or beef). when you handle their food when their young they get use to it. i'm not trying to dominate my dog when i play with their food. it's training them that their food and water will be handled. dogs don't need to fight or be aggressive for heiarchy. we do everything for our dogs. we bring our dogs their food, we bathe them, we drive them around, they sleep indoors, we treat them, etc. stop and think about it. my dogs and i coexist. i socialize and train my dogs. i've never had a problem with a dog trying to be dominate.


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## Goofy (Sep 27, 2008)

Thanks for the quick response everyone, but I think I need to clarify. Here is his feeding routine.

1. Water in bowl first

2. Fill other bowl with food, he is always in a sit/stay and won't eat the food until I tell him take it.

The issue came about when I went to get his water bowl to refill it while he was eating, thats when the growling took place.

I also fed him today from my hand while holding his bowl in the other at least 10 times before I put the bowl down for him to eat.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

when i bring a puppy home i always play with their food and water bowl from day one. i put my hand in their bowl, i pet them while their eating, i stand over them, etc. i don't think it's so much of a dominence issue. i look at it as though you didn't teach your dog that his food and water bowl are to be handled. my dog is 19 months old and i still handle his food and water bowls every now and then. when he was a puppy i handled his bowls alot. when i gave my puppy a bone i would let him have it for a few minutes then i would take it away. i would pet him , praise him and treat him and then return the bone. i think you have to do these things when your dog is very young and you contnue them when your dog is older.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Ok, do NOT free feed. Do NOT take the food away and correct him if he growls. Do NOT pester your dog while they are eating just to "test them.

Free feeding will not solve this problem and it makes it harder to know when the dog is off their food.

Taking the bowl away and correcting him if he growls teaches him not to GROWL. Instead he will just go right to biting.

Constantly "testing" your dog by putting your hands in their bowl or taking it away and putting it back just annoys them (as it would annoy me if you did that while I was eating) and can MAKE them more protective.

Goofy needs to learn that good things, no .. GREAT things happen when your hand reaches for his bowl.

Get yourself a handful of VERY high value treats. Not dry dog bones but something like pieces of chicken breast or steak.

Calmly walk by his bowl while he is eating and toss one of them into his bowl. Repeat this until he looks up to you when you approach. When that happens you can get closer before tossing the treat in the bowl - always IN the bowl.

Using this non-confrontational method you should be able to progress until you can reach for the bowl, take it, put a treat in it and return it back to the dog without triggering any resource guarding instincts.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i didn't think i was pestering my dogs when i handled their food. i thought i was subduing the food aggression. i was thinking if i play in my cute puppy-wuppy's food when he's 9 weeks old i'll have my hand when he's a year old and i have to move his bowl. now i feel like a schmuck because i pestered my dog all of those times playing in his food. is free feeding hand feeding? i did this also.

hopefully i'll be a better human to my chickens!!!!!


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Free feeding is leaving food down all the time.

I wasn't pointing fingers when I said pestering. I just don't like people to think they HAVE to constantly (like every meal) fuss in their dogs face while it is eating.

Heck, you did that to me and *I* would bite you!

Chickens are easy ... and they are the fowl equivalent of goats - they eat ANYTHING!! Our chickens would get all our leftovers - pizza crusts, veggies, pasta - you name it!


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Yeah, if anyone sticks their hand in my plate uninvited, I will ask them to stop. Second time around, their arm becomes part of the course. Third time around, they're going to sleep for awhile and will wake up swollen and bruised.

I imagine it's the same for our dogs. It's totally natural for them to fight- even against the alpha- to defend their possessions and their meals. Let the poor dog eat in peace and have him learn that a human's proximity only means increased food.


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## LouCastle (Sep 25, 2006)

As far as the dogs are concerned EVERYTHING is mine unless I give it to them. Even with this, if I decide to take it back, it's mine again. Growling or biting will not be tolerated. If it's a puppy I'll give him a shake to teach him that I'm the boss and that what I say is how things will be. If it's an adult dog I'll use body language to move him away from the bowl and then feeding time is over until the next meal. 

When the bowls containing food are put down a "wait" command is given and the dogs are required to stand by, not eating, until they get the OK. 

When a new dog comes into the house all feeding is done by hand from the bowl for about two weeks. Toys come only from me. 

Once in a while I'll tell the dogs to stop feeding and will pick up their bowl. I'll toss a few bits of kibble to the dog and then put it down again and allow them to feed. 

Sometimes there will be something in the bowl (meds given to the wrong dog, a pebble if we're out, etc. that I don't want the dog eating. I need to be able to stop the dog from feeding at any time for any reason that I choose and they need to know this.


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

Lou, please explain "if it's a puppy I'll give him a shake" ???


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