# Raw food and aggression?



## Kendrick

I have been researching on a RAW diet for my GSD and my wife is being stubborn on the fact that raw meat for Mercedes will make her aggressive towards people and our kids. Is this true? I've read many myths but I am curious on if anyone has seen a change in their dog as far as aggressive behavior. Or any positive changes? Thanks!


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## Elaine

Yes, this is yet another myth. Dogs can become people aggressive for many reasons, but what they are eating isn't one of them.


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## onyx'girl

Absolutely false!!! If anything, raw diet will make the dog a bit calmer, because it isn't loaded with carbs or fillers that can turn to sugar.
Many dogs that transition to raw have a calmer attitude than kibble fed dogs. 
And it won't make them more prey driven either. Their satisfaction to chew will be taken care of, so having chew toys out constantly isn't necessary either.


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## Jax08

What Jane said. ^^^^


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## Verivus

Raw food will not make your dog aggressive. Where do people come up with these things...


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## Anja1Blue

This topic has been raised multiple times, perhaps it should be a Sticky. There are so many benefits to feeding a raw diet - I can only believe that this old chestnut must have been started by a kibble company.
_____________________________________________
Susan

Anja SchH3 GSD
Conor GSD
Blue BH WH T1 GSD - waiting at the Bridge :angel:


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## Dainerra

I no longer feed raw (don't have reliable sources), but Rayden was fed that way for a large part of his life. His diet included rabbit....









Lauri has posted tons of pics of her dogs in other threads about this topic


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## Kendrick

Verivus said:


> Raw food will not make your dog aggressive. Where do people come up with these things...



I first heard this when I was younger to be honest. I have always believed it because my dad used to tell me all the time.. My wife brought it up last night and it just seems to stick to me every time I hear it. Mercedes is my only REAL dog I have EVER had. So I do my best to research as much as possible. (I love to research anyway.. Just for the heck of it.) My dad told me when he was younger, they, him and his many siblings, had a dog that they fed raw meat and gun powder too. Which this was back in the 60's and in Detroit Michigan, in the GHETTO. Since then, my dad has never allowed me to really have any pets but a bird... (My dad is allergic to a lot of pet dander which didnt help that situation.) So yeah. ANY WHO. He said it made the dog mean and vicious. Well, I am sure the way the dog was treated contributed to its behavior and the gunpowder for sure. But I don't know. Mercedes is spoiled and I am curious on changing her food because we have her dry food. But she will only eat it now if she has some type of gravy on it. She will tear up the canned food but the dry, or Kibble, is just something she will eat when she gets hungry. But I know there are a lot of beneficial reasons to feed your dog raw food. Cost is another thing I was thinking of too. Been looking for butchers in the area to see what the best deal is honestly......


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## Kendrick

Dainerra said:


> I no longer feed raw (don't have reliable sources), but Rayden was fed that way for a large part of his life. His diet included rabbit....


That made me laugh. But the rabbit would be dead already right? He wouldn't just kill them like, out of that basket would he?
What do you mean by reliable sources? Just trying to get as much info from as many people.


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## Verivus

Well, I commend you for doing some research because as you can see in this thread (and several others) raw is the most species-appropriate diet AND will not make a dog aggressive. It can be expensive though if you are mostly sourcing from grocery stores or butchers. Try to find a raw feeding group in your area and some processors who would be willing to give you parts they normally toss. Buying in bulk and having a dog-dedicated freezer also helps a lot. Good luck!


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## Dainerra

exactly  the meat he eats will smell like meat. Not like "oh look a little kid! I should eat him" 

by reliable resources, I mean that the store that I had been purchasing from changed hands and the new manager refused to order bulk meat for me. It became a hassle to find places to purchase enough food.

You should show your wife the pic.  raw food doesn't make a dog aggressive, even towards animals that are "food" The idea that it would make them aggressive towards people is even more far-fetched.


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## Elaine

Kendrick said:


> That made me laugh. But the rabbit would be dead already right? He wouldn't just kill them like, out of that basket would he?
> What do you mean by reliable sources? Just trying to get as much info from as many people.


My dog can and has killed numerous wild bunnies that were stupid enough to hang out in my backyard. He eats them too. This is not the standard way of feeding rabbit and one that I would much rather my dog wouldn't do. Some people do feed rabbit, but it is definitely butchered before you get it. The problem with rabbit is that it's generally very expensive.


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## Kendrick

Rabbit is expensive! You would think, since I live in Kentucky, where they hunt EVERYTHING, I would be able to find some good cheap stuff. I don't live in the country anymore so my sources are gone. LOL. I did find a place right up the road from me though called Louisville pet food. Not sure if the deals are good but it says 6/ 22oz rolls of organic chicken is $32.45. 8.45 pounds. They sell other frozen raw meats also but obviously, chicken is the cheaper.

Speaking of that, there was a bunny in my backyard last night. It was dark and I remember seeing Mercedes running and hearing a lot of shuffling on the grass. To me it didn't sound like Mercedes because her feet don't make that noise. When I realized, it was a bunny it was already squeezed through a part of the fence and was gone. Kinda made me curious on what she would have done if she grabbed it or if she would have grabbed it at all.


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## AdamConnell

My 5 month old has been on the raw diet for a little over 2.5 months now, and this has been the absolute best behaved dog I have ever had. The only issues I have are a little excitement peeing(she is absolutely in love with me), and some boredom digging if I leave her outside alone for hours on end.

Teething... didn't even know she was teething until I noticed missing teeth! She does not chew on anything other than sticks and her food. 

She also looks amazing! I just cant get over the muscle definition a 5 month old can have! Her coat is coming in very nicely!

Fish oil, and Vitamin E are a must. I also have her on acidophilus probiotic, and 1000mg of Ester-C vitamin C supplement, but those are more for allergies. 

It's a little more work, but I really do feel now that raw is the way to go if you can stick to it!


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## Lauri & The Gang

> raw meat for Mercedes will make her aggressive towards people and our kids


Feeding raw will not turn your dog into a blood-thirsty animal that tries to kill and eat everything.

But you MIGHT see some food guarding issues - which people commonly mistake for aggression.

Think of it like this. I had you a $1 and then someone comes up and threatens you if you don't hand it over. How hard are you going to try to protect that $1?

But what if I hand you $1,000? Or $10,000? You might just put up a fight to keep THAT amount.

In the dogs' eyes, kibble = $1 and raw = $10,000.

So, what you might (MIGHT) see is your dog trying to protect her new food by growling at anyone getting near her.

People often mistake that for aggression - "I gave my dog a raw bone and he growled at me. Raw bone = aggression."

It is nothing more than a protective behavior that can be changed with simple training.


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## fuzzybunny

Lauri & The Gang said:


> Feeding raw will not turn your dog into a blood-thirsty animal that tries to kill and eat everything.
> 
> But you MIGHT see some food guarding issues - which people commonly mistake for aggression.
> 
> So, what you might (MIGHT) see is your dog trying to protect her new food by growling at anyone getting near her.
> 
> People often mistake that for aggression - "I gave my dog a raw bone and he growled at me. Raw bone = aggression."
> 
> It is nothing more than a protective behavior that can be changed with simple training.


^^^^
This

When I fed my guys raw my female would growl at my male if he got too close to her. She was guarding her food from him. She wasn't suddenly an aggressive dog though. This is just an issue that requires training. 

Your dog is not going to suddenly go around attacking people and dogs outside because you now feed it raw.


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## goatdude

Agree with above. I feed my dog raw and kibble. She is fairly protective (resource guarding) of her raw but kibble, who cares? I think she is much healthier on the raw diet even though she get a LITTLE kibble mixed in.


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## RubyTuesday

Beautifully put, Laurie. I saw this with Cochise, my Sibe from yrs back. Adult dogs were NOT alllowed into his food ever. Adult humans could take his kibble without any protest but not 'good food' (raw or table food). Kids & young pups could take whatever they pleased from him & he'd just give 'em a sappy happy silly grin.


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## vat

I really wish this old wives tale would roll and and blow away. Both my dogs eat raw and have gone from sorta of fat to lean, soft glossy coats, less shedding, less poop 
Here is a post I put up with a vet recommending raw http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/diet-nutrition/157757-interesting-read-dog-food.html


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## codmaster

Isn't food guarding considered aggression? It is to me and would not put up with it in our dog if we were feeding raw, anymore than I would put up with it if I give our dog a real bone to chew.

No need to put up with it - it is a training isue.


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## onyx'girl

Exactly...a training issue regardless of what the dog is eating. Some dogs are fed once a day and regard their meal as very, very high value. 
I feed raw and my dogs do not guard their food, I can take the RMB right out of the mouth( I have had to when one steals another's) I've never had a fight between the dogs either...it is a training issue.
That said, I've never played the game of taking food away to show the dog I am superior. When they are given their meal it is theirs, no game play by me. But if needed, I can take it with no guarding behavior.


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## codmaster

onyx'girl said:


> Exactly...a training issue regardless of what the dog is eating. Some dogs are fed once a day and regard their meal as very, very high value.
> I feed raw and my dogs do not guard their food, I can take the RMB right out of the mouth( I have had to when one steals another's) I've never had a fight between the dogs either...it is a training issue.
> That said, I've never played the game of taking food away to show the dog I am superior. When they are given their meal it is theirs, no game play by me. But if needed, I can take it with no guarding behavior.


Interesting, I have always played with my dogs food over the years for the very reason of no food guarding. Make them wait while Ii put the bowl down an give a release, reach my hand into the bowl, take the bowl away briefly, etc. Not all the time of course but enough so they get used to it so anybody in the house can do the same including little toddlers. Much saferifther ar small cildrearoundespecially.


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## Dainerra

when people say "raw food causes aggression" they aren't thinking "growls if he thinks I'm going to steal his food" 
They look at the growling as the first step towards "your dog is going to rip you open while you sleep" They think once a dog has tasted blood that he will go on a Zombie-type rampage seeking fresh meat


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## RubyTuesday

> Isn't food guarding considered aggression? It is to me and would not put up with it in our dog if we were feeding raw, anymore than I would put up with it if I give our dog a real bone to chew.


I think there's a definite genetic component to it, although I might be wrong. IF so, dogs can certainly be conditioned/trained away from it. Cochise was the only dog I've had that exhibited this with people. I could take food from him but I had to 'remind' him prior to taking it. Children were simply, freely, allowed just about anything with him. He adored 'em absolutely, unequivocally & without restrictions. I told other family members & friends to simply never take 'good' food from him. He was 4yrs old when I got him. Right or wrong, I chose to work around the behavior rather than eliminate it through training. IF he'd exhibited food guarding around children I would have felt differently but he definitely distinguished b/w children & adults (canine & human) & was vastly, HUGELY tolerant of the little ones.


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## Lauri & The Gang

RubyTuesday said:


> I think there's a definite genetic component to it, ... He was 4yrs old when I got him.


I would say it's more nurture (how he was raised and trained) than nature (his genetics) in his case, but you'll never know.


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## Jelpy

I have found Raw food makes Lycan more aggressive. He now hurls himself towards complete strangers and demands to have his tummy scratched. Very frightening. 

Jelpy and the Mesquite Mafia


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## Lauri & The Gang

codmaster said:


> Isn't food guarding considered aggression?


I would be willing to say it's a type of aggression *IF* the owner didn't train the dog properly.

If a stranger walks into my house and my Shepherd growls at them - is that aggression? Nope, it's what they are SUPPOSED to do.

Now, if the dog KEEPS growling after I have addressed the situation - THAT is aggression.


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## tundra

I feed my German Shepherd raw food, I switched from dried food. He does very well, and shows no aggregations. I can give him piece of the chicken, or bone, and take it from his mouth..it just about trust..and also, he didn't change his attitude toward other people.


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## robk

Well, when I switched my dog to Raw, he became VERY aggressive towards our cat during meal time! (extreme resource guarding that did not occur when we fed Kibble). When his food was out the cat could not even come in the room until he was done eating! Poor cat.


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## Lauri & The Gang

Robk - it's not _aggression_. It's Resource Guarding.

To me they are two different things.


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## GusGus

Verivus said:


> Raw food will not make your dog aggressive. Where do people come up with these things...


Primitive food makes for a primitive dog? The taste of blood once makes them crazy for it all the time? 

Its crazy, isn't it?


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