# Early food aggression



## Valkyrie (Jul 2, 2016)

Almost 12 weeks and my gsd pup tried to bite my cat in the face when he sniffed at her bowl. To be fair, she has been around those cat since she was 4 weeks old and even plays with him all the time but this is the 1st sign of true biting she has shown with him.

I know now to keep the cats away when I feed, but any other tips to show that she doesn't need to protect her food? She will be spending more time at another friend's house when I'm away from home more then 8 hours for work and need to know now if she will need to be housed separately for meal time with them. D8


Also she doesn't attack or nip at me if I move her bowl out of the way if she sxoots it I to walking space but she will eat faster.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

take away the bowl, feed from your hand. If other animals are around crate pup for meals. Teach leave it(not during meal time). Cats and dogs eating together is not the norm...it can be done but it always depends on the cat. Puppies with their high food drive from competing with littermates shouldn't be expected to have that self control.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I fed my puppy in a crate for a long time. But I do recall him telling both the cat and my female to stay out of his food bowl at some point after I stopped feeding in the crate. Sometimes, I just let them settle things between themselves.

Now the cat eats in the crate so the dogs don't eat his food first!

Try dropping some food in the bowl as you walk by.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

My dog has always been food aggressive and hates the cat having anything to do with his bowl. When he was younger, that meant his bowl was taken up after meals (not just left sitting empty on the floor) and while he was eating, I made sure to police THE CAT. Rotten instigator. I shooed her away and didn't let her loiter around while he tried to eat so he didn't have to worry about it.

He's a lot better now at 3, but he will still warn her away if she shows undue interest in his kibble (she loves kibble, but only gets canned as it's better for her). I don't worry that he will attack her, but I do make sure that she listens to his warnings and doesn't push it.


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## blakerobinson (Jul 16, 2016)

onyx'girl said:


> take away the bowl, feed from your hand. If other animals are around crate pup for meals. Teach leave it(not during meal time). Cats and dogs eating together is not the norm...it can be done but it always depends on the cat. Puppies with their high food drive from competing with littermates shouldn't be expected to have that self control.


I second this advice. 

Try feeding your dog by hand with the bowl out of reach. As he becomes comfortable with that, then put the bowl in reach, while continuing to feed him by hand and not letting him eat directly from the bowl. Do this for every meal for a week or two and I suspect that'll help!


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