# German shepherd puppy food gaurding, is there anything I can do to help this?



## Indysablegsdmom (Jan 23, 2020)

My 4 month old german shepherd pup just recently over the last month or so is food guarding his bowl. If you walk near him he growls and will occasionally lung out to nip at you. I have been feeding him by hand and dropping a a few handfuls of food at a time into a bowl on the ground and he is good but the second you introduce a full bowl of food and go near him he goes back to guarding. Is there anything I can do?


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Don’t go near him.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

What happens if you introduce his filled food bowl ....while holding it.....and continue holding it while he eats???

SuperG


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## Jorski (Jan 11, 2019)

I am not a fan of that. I wouldn't tolerate it. Put a leash on him when he is eating. Correct him when he does it. I think you ought to be able to put your hand right in the bowl.


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## Indysablegsdmom (Jan 23, 2020)

SuperG said:


> What happens if you introduce his filled food bowl ....while holding it.....and continue holding it while he eats???
> 
> SuperG


I have tried this and he stiffens right up, no biting but will growl


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Sometimes we create anxiety which leads to guarding by hovering and interrupting their mealtime.I let my dogs eat in peace and every so often I may walk by and toss in a small treat.Antianxiety


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## Indysablegsdmom (Jan 23, 2020)

dogma13 said:


> Sometimes we create anxiety which leads to guarding by hovering and interrupting their mealtime.I let my dogs eat in peace and every so often I may walk by and toss in a small treat.Antianxiety


that definitely makes sense! I will try that and see how it works
Thanks! ?


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

In my experience, the quickest way to make an already insecure dog, who guards food, aggressive, is to mess with him when he eats.

How is correcting when he eats going to make him more secure, and make him trust you?

I am of the belief that when I give my dog his food, it is his and he should be allowed to eat in peace. 

With this dog I would put the food in his crate, shut the door, and leave him alone in there. 
After a while, toss something extra good in there, such as a bit of beef or chicken. I always say, “Want more?” when I do this. The dog learns that when I come near the dish, deliciousness happens.

Mealtime should be enjoyable and stress free.



Jorski said:


> I am not a fan of that. I wouldn't tolerate it. Put a leash on him when he is eating. Correct him when he does it. I think you ought to be able to put your hand right in the bowl.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

1021561133834548 said:


> I have tried this and he stiffens right up, no biting but will growl


So what do you do when he "growls" ?

SuperG


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Sunflowers said:


> I am of the belief that when I give my dog his food, it is his and he should be allowed to eat in peace.


I agree...... but is a dog "in peace" when it is on guard waiting to growl at somebody who happens to wander too near its food bowl?

This topic has always been very contentious.......I have chosen a different route than you I am guessing.


SuperG


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

That’s why I suggested feeding in the crate.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

Sunflowers said:


> That’s why I suggested feeding in the crate.


I've never used a crate over the decades....not practical in many situations......camping would be a good example. But mostly....with all due respect......I just can't imagine living with a dog for years that either holds me hostage or I have to go to certain lengths to appease the dog.

All my dogs have learned from a young age that I control all the resources.....just as they have learned I am a very benevolent human in the distribution of these resources.......


SuperG


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I agree with you.
No one should live in fear of their dog.
There is always more than one method, that one happened to work well for me.


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## CeraDean (Jul 9, 2019)

I think at four months old, you are very early in this dog's development. I'm not saying my following statement is true, but it is very possible this anxiety will extinguish or at least lessen with time. 

I would give him a few weeks of avoiding the chance of that situation and reevaluate. Is it possible to feed by hand for that time, maybe occasionally throwing done kibble in a pile but mostly by hand? He's growing and sometimes the pup needs time to develop their brain. 

That said when I've had guarding issues, I've had great success with holding the guarded food while also tossing other piles of food. For example, holding the kong filled with frozen wet food while putting down piles of dry food beside him.


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## Indysablegsdmom (Jan 23, 2020)

SuperG said:


> So what do you do when he "growls" ?
> 
> SuperG


I usually tell him no and make him back up and sit and I take back his food and try again after a minute. I know it probably is confusing him and possibly making the situation worse by taking away his food, hence why I asked for some different options. I don’t want to bother him while he eats but I also feel I should be able to move around my kitchen without being growled at and/or bitten. I also have two cats that mingle around as well.


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## Indysablegsdmom (Jan 23, 2020)

CeraDean said:


> I think at four months old, you are very early in this dog's development. I'm not saying my following statement is true, but it is very possible this anxiety will extinguish or at least lessen with time.
> 
> I would give him a few weeks of avoiding the chance of that situation and reevaluate. Is it possible to feed by hand for that time, maybe occasionally throwing done kibble in a pile but mostly by hand? He's growing and sometimes the pup needs time to develop their brain.
> 
> That said when I've had guarding issues, I've had great success with holding the guarded food while also tossing other piles of food. For example, holding the kong filled with frozen wet food while putting down piles of dry food beside him.


Thank you for the advise! ?


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

SuperG said:


> What happens if you introduce his filled food bowl ....while holding it.....and continue holding it while he eats???
> 
> SuperG


That would be my approach. In fact from the beginning pups in my house eat in my lap.


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

The good news is that the pup is only four months old, so you can extinguish this behavior without being afraid, as opposed to letting this go until adulthood. A four month old pup is not going to be able to hurt you much, if at all. I would make the dog down or sit before he gets his food and he should have a release command so that he doesn't break the sit or down until you give the release command. Let him eat a little and then test him to see if he growls. If he does, immediately take up the food and put it up for the next scheduled meal time. Don't try to feed him a little bit later or make an extra mealtime. He has to wait because he lost his food for growling. When he gets hungry enough, he will figure out that he can't growl if he wants to eat. Tell him no when he growls, but don't make it personal or angry. When you take up the food, do it quickly and confidently and don't show any hesitation. Your pup will not starve or become malnourished.


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## Kathrynil (Dec 2, 2019)

Food guarding sometimes happens if all the puppies had to compete to get their food when they were with their dam. If breeders don't be careful, one or two of the puppies may look really good and one or two deteriorated because of the competition, as said in the article below.
here's really helpful article with millions of ideas for you:








Food Guarding


Resource guarding in dogs can range from relatively benign behavior, like running away with a coveted item or growling at an approaching person, to full-blown aggression, such as biting or chasing a person away. Learn how to work on this behavior.




www.aspca.org




We've held Kias's bowls since he was a puppy in our lap while he eats. We never let him even come close to growling, and he's never had a problem with us touching any food he has. I believe that is because all the puppies in his litter were fed separately their own portions and he never had to compete to get it. It made him mellow. With a capitol M. That growling will turn into a major problem if it continues into adulthood, but you probably know that.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Good lord. 

First, if you give the dog his food then it's his. Don't mess with it. Don't touch it. Don't randomly take it away from him. You gave it to him, it's his. If you walked up and tried to take my plate away I would bite you too. NO way am I going to get bit by grabbing a bowl of food. And correcting possession rarely works. Quite often it makes it worse. Been there, done that. All you are doing is picking a fight with them. We breed these dogs to have possession and aggression and then we beat them up for it when they show it with us. There are smarter ways to do this. 

Feed him in an area where he doesn't feel the need to guard his food. Mine are required to sit or down until I place their food and release them. I want them to cap their drive and wait. Then, I leave them alone. At 4 months, mine are fed in crates. Because I have multiple dogs, one that will guard and one that will try to steal, they are still being fed in crates so they can eat in peace and not feel like they are in a competition.

Start trading with him when he had treats. Give him a treat and when you want to take it, trade him for something else. ALWAYS. Why? Because some day you will need to wrestle him and stick your hand in his mouth to get something harmful and it would be great to come away with all your fingers. Teach him an Out and Leave it. So when you go to trade something and he drops what he has from his mouth, you tell him Out. He will start to associate the command. DO this when you are playing ball with him too. Drop one ball because he sees the other, tell him out and give him the second ball.

When you walk by, have a very high value food and drop it in his bowl I don't care if he's growling as you walk up. The idea is he associates you walking up with a much yummier food than is in his bowl and the growling and resource guarding will start to extinguish. (Yes, I've actually done this and it works).

Possession is very much genetic. It's a survival instinct. An emotion. You can't correct that. You counter condition it.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

++++Jax08++++


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

Jax08,
I recently had a situation with my two year old male GSD, who genetically has aggression. I gave him a frozen soup bone that had a lot of marrow in it. After a few minutes of him chewing it, I went over to him to pet him and see his reaction. He sounded like Cujo when I pet him, so I told him to down and out, which he did. I took the bone and he mouthed my hand enough to draw blood, but there was no pain of real injury. Then I made him do a little obedience for it. After he was back to his bone I called him to me so I could pet him up, and he was fine with that, but would come to me and then leave to guard his prize. I did several repetitions of that and he became more and more trusting and this issue was resolved that night. Now I can do anything with him when he has a high value bone. With certain dogs, such as genetically dominant dogs, that would not work, but those type of dogs are not going to be on the forum. I want my dog to respect that actually that was my bone and I am letting him chew it, not him thinking it is his and I can't have it.


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## Indysablegsdmom (Jan 23, 2020)

Jax08 said:


> Good lord.
> 
> First, if you give the dog his food then it's his. Don't mess with it. Don't touch it. Don't randomly take it away from him. You gave it to him, it's his. If you walked up and tried to take my plate away I would bite you too. NO way am I going to get bit by grabbing a bowl of food. And correcting possession rarely works. Quite often it makes it worse. Been there, done that. All you are doing is picking a fight with them. We breed these dogs to have possession and aggression and then we beat them up for it when they show it with us. There are smarter ways to do this.
> 
> ...


Since a young age I have asked him to sit and wait until released to have his food which he does very well. I can take treats from him and swap them out, ask him to drop bones/treats/toys etc and he will with ease and I replace them with something different. If his food bowl is half empty with crumbs he doesn’t care if your walking around it’s just the full food bowl that is a problem. I don’t have any interest in taking his bowl away and what not I just want to be able to exist in the same room and him not feel threatened by me doing my own thing while he is eating.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Why? Just feed him somewhere else.
Problem solved.


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

If you feel threatened, that means you are afraid. This is an issue of who is going to be the boss, you are the dog. You can either let it be and never go near his bowl when it is full, or resolve the issue by teaching the dog growling is unacceptable and not to bite the hand that feeds him.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

1021561133834548 said:


> Since a young age I have asked him to sit and wait until released to have his food which he does very well. I can take treats from him and swap them out, ask him to drop bones/treats/toys etc and he will with ease and I replace them with something different. If his food bowl is half empty with crumbs he doesn’t care if your walking around it’s just the full food bowl that is a problem. I don’t have any interest in taking his bowl away and what not I just want to be able to exist in the same room and him not feel threatened by me doing my own thing while he is eating.



?? I just told you how to fix it. Do it know when he's 4 months when you still have control over the situation. Counter conditioning this is so easy.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

@Chip Blasiole - Almost exactly what I do when outing the sleeve right now. But you aren't fighting with the dog either. You used obedience. Do you think the general public has the obedience required to heel away from a high value item? 

But I absolutely disagree that he has to think it's your bone. It's not. It's his. So in that theory - You do you. I'll do me.  None of my dogs have ever growled at me at 2 years old over anything. Because at 4 months, I've counter conditioned them so they know I'm not there to pick a fight over a bone.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Sunflowers said:


> Why? Just feed him somewhere else.
> Problem solved.


Because resource guarding shouldn't be ignored? Because at some point in the dog's life, she may have to grab that bowl or a treat or something else and the dog should understand that he doesn't need to fight for it.


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

Without seeing your puppy, it's hard to gauge the severity. 

There's a difference between....

1. A puppy getting old enough to be a punk and pull "_*Hmm*.... maybe I will try and keep this for myself...._" 

2. A dog that is seriously guarding food and willing to fight to keep it. 

If this is still in the punk puppy phase, it's easier to put an end to it. If you're afraid, make no mistake, the dog knows.


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## Jorski (Jan 11, 2019)

For those who say ignore or avoid it etc.? What if someday you dog gets hold of something poisonous?


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

As I said earlier ......a contentious topic.

Whatever works for ya is the way to go.

Even though one might think they have altered a dog's guarding behavior over its food bowl.....I'd be willing to bet the dog's guarding of its food will arise in a heartbeat dependent on the individual who might be encroaching ( in the dog's eyes ). I have put my face in all of my GSDs food bowls a time or two while we were working on the "process" but I would not recommend anyone else should try it with my dog.

I'm not so sure I subscribe to the notion that a dogs' food is solely theirs.......I am the provider of the dog's resources and once that tenet is established, I have never seen the need to ever mess with my dog's food.....even though I certainly could.....but why? 

As Jax06 stated "the dog should understand that he doesn't need to fight for it." .....I completely agree with this......but I guess there are various methods to get to the same result.


SuperG


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## Indysablegsdmom (Jan 23, 2020)

Sunflowers said:


> Why? Just feed him somewhere else.
> Problem solved.


I know everyone has there own opinions but as far as I’m concerned that’s just avoiding the issue.


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## Indysablegsdmom (Jan 23, 2020)

Jax08 said:


> ?? I just told you how to fix it. Do it know when he's 4 months when you still have control over the situation. Counter conditioning this is so easy.


Don’t really understand your question marks, I am working with him thanks.


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## Indysablegsdmom (Jan 23, 2020)

I appreciate everyone’s input on the situation. I am definitely going to continue to work with him and see which method works best with him. Just to clarify I am NOT afraid of my dog and I am just trying to learn how to fix a situation.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

I do as Jax08 does. My dogs are fed in their crates but mine also have free access to an open bag of food when free roaming the house. The result of leaving them alone is that any time I have needed to take something off of anyone of them, it has been a non issue.


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## davewis (Jan 7, 2020)

Depending on your and your dog's personality, you can try feeding him from your hand. My pup snarled at me the first day I walked near his bowl while he was eating.

Since then, I have made my pup work for his kibble. I measure out his daily kibble into a container in the morning. Then I carry around a bait pouch all-day long. Any good behavior gets a handfull of kibble.

Three weeks later and I can walk over and pick up his bowl if he is eating from it. He starts to wag his tail thinking that this is part of a game we are about to play.


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## Kyrielle (Jun 28, 2016)

1021561133834548 said:


> Since a young age I have asked him to sit and wait until released to have his food which he does very well. I can take treats from him and swap them out, ask him to drop bones/treats/toys etc and he will with ease and I replace them with something different. If his food bowl is half empty with crumbs he doesn’t care if your walking around it’s just the full food bowl that is a problem. I don’t have any interest in taking his bowl away and what not I just want to be able to exist in the same room and him not feel threatened by me doing my own thing while he is eating.


Ignore him, then. If you're not necessarily right up on his bowl when you walk by and he's growling, just ignore him. He doesn't exist. His growling means nothing to you. He's invisible. He'll learn the lesson that growling doesn't do anything useful.

If he growls before the bowl is down, stand right back up with the bowl, make him sit, and wait for quiet. If you're especially good at body language, wait for an appeasement signal as that will tell you when he's done being demanding.

Here are some examples of signals:

Eye/head turns away a fraction
An ear flicks backward
A sigh (almost a huff)
Body relaxing back into the sit rather than forward onto the paws
And if at all possible, move the bowl somewhere where his line of sight is at least somewhat blocked. Some animals are just weird about being seen while eating.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

SuperG said:


> But mostly....with all due respect......I just can't imagine living with a dog for years that either holds me hostage or I have to go to certain lengths to appease the dog.


Me either. But you're making an assumption that if you feed in the crate as a puppy, you'll always have to. I don't think that's true. It sounds like this dog is very stressed at mealtime, and a reset, where he doesn't have to worry about guarding his food for awhile, could be beneficial. Give him time to relax and eat in peace for now. You can still work on trust building stuff separately in the meantime.



1021561133834548 said:


> I usually tell him no and make him back up and sit and I take back his food and try again after a minute. I know it probably is confusing him and possibly making the situation worse by taking away his food, hence why I asked for some different options.


Yeah, taking his bowl away isn't teaching him not to growl at you, nor is it showing him he doesn't need to guard his food from you. I'd stop this right away, it's likely compounding your problem. I do what Jax does, I teach my dogs from the time they're young puppies that they need to sit and look at me, then wait until released to eat once I set the bowl down. Like SuperG mentions, I control the resources. But once I give the go-ahead to eat, it's theirs. I never take their food away and I don't mess with it. At most, I may add something yummy to the bowl while they're eating. I've also done some hand feeding for a while with some dogs, where I maintain possession of the bowl and the food in it, and I give it over a piece or a few pieces at a time. The dog needs to exhibit impulse control by waiting patiently and not trying to dive into the bowl.



1021561133834548 said:


> I know everyone has there own opinions but as far as I’m concerned that’s just avoiding the issue.


Sometimes, avoiding an issue is the best thing to do, at least temporarily. If I had a 4 month old pup showing signs of resource guarding I would be much more concerned with keeping myself and any other people and pets in the house safe than I would be worried about whether or not I'm avoiding the issue.

There's training and there's management, but they don't have to be mutually exclusive, you don't have to pick one or the other. Serious issues might need some level of management forever, others may need temporary management while you work on the issue separately with training. That's not a cop out. That's being smart and prudent. There have been threads here where people want to know how to keep their dog out of the garbage can at night while they sleep. They don't want to _crate_ the dog, that's just avoiding the issue! They don't want to put the garbage can in a cabinet so the dog can't get at it. They want to know how to _train_ the dog not to do it. Maybe they can eventually do that, maybe they can't. But does it really matter as long as the dog is no longer getting into the garbage?


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

At that age, you could be doing trading games with a variety of different things - one toy for another toy, a toy for a ball, one ball for a different ball. Teach him to out a toy on cue, reward with a treat and give the toy back. Teach him to bring you his toys, praise and reward him with a treat. Keep it light, happy, and fun. Halo was our only dog that I thought had the potential to be a resource guarder, so I did a ton of this with her from a young age. She learned that she could bring me anything and I'd give her a treat. If it was hers, she'd get a treat and I'd give it back. If it was something she wasn't supposed to have (yes, she brought me those things too!), I'd thank her, give her a treat, and put it up where she couldn't get it. Because the ratio of getting stuff back vs not was so high, she was fine with that. She trusted me. I'd just ask her what she had and could I see it, and she'd happily bring it over. 

Halo started bringing me her bones to hold for her while she chewed them. She was obsessed with Orbee balls, she'd lay on the floor and chomp, chomp, chomp on one. She started bringing them to me, I'd take it away and give it back, sometimes a couple of times, which she seemed pleased by. Then she'd go lay on the floor and chomp it for awhile. If she did get something I had to get away from her right away, it was not a problem. I could go to her, and if necessary, pry open her jaws and remove it. She never once growled at me, not a single time. But if I had handled her wrong from the beginning it could easily have gone a different way.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

The goal, in my opinion, is to make the puppy as relaxed as possible during mealtimes. If that meant I would have to find a quiet place where he feels less stressed, away from the bustle of the kitchen, that’s what I would do.
For now.
As Cassidy’s mom said, that doesn’t mean that will always be the case.
But for now, you need a quick fix to make the puppy more comfortable. Predators feel vulnerable when they eat. 

I feed in the crate, in the pen, and in other places. Change it up. I want him to be comfortable in any situation.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Oh, I just had to go back and look at these pictures.








Halo, the psycho killer knife wielding pupster!


Yes, she did it again! :eek: "What?" :whistle: That WAS one of my good Henckel knives.




www.germanshepherds.com








Cassidy's Mom said:


> She learned that she could bring me anything and I'd give her a treat. If it was hers, she'd get a treat and I'd give it back. If it was something she wasn't supposed to have (yes, she brought me those things too!)


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## davewis (Jan 7, 2020)

That first photo of pup with a knife made me think she was taking food guarding to a whole new level.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

That's my Halo! ?


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Shadow reached under a shelf today and snatched something. I did not see what it was so I just told her out! She immediately dropped it. Turns out it was a dog treat, I must have dropped. Told her she was a good girl and to get it. No issue.
I have not in 20 years owned or fostered a dog that would not spit out and walk away from food. 
I start from day one. I hold their dishes, I feed by hand, I add stuff to bowls. 
Bud ate in his crate. He was touchy about his meals. But even he would out, leave it and come without hesitation. 
I don't pick fights, I don't take their food, I don't disturb them. I feed them.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

For me and my dogs, it's the relationship that matters. Never had a dog that felt threatened enough to resource guard anything...we share, we trust one another. 

OP, if you're having this problem, it's a trust issue. Show him, and MEAN IT, he can trust you! End of problem.

Don't listen to folks suggesting you "correct" that behavior. It's a trust thing. Earn it, he'll be cool...


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

1021561133834548 said:


> Don’t really understand your question marks, I am working with him thanks.


The questions marks are because I didn't understand your response. I wrote out a solution and it seemed you glossed over it. From this response it sounds like you are doing everything right (trading treats, etc) but you just have this one issue. 

If he's only growling when he first gets his bowl then maybe make a game. This is what I would do. First, all meals will be in a crate or a room where he is left alone while eating for the next week or so. 

In between meals, teach him this. Cook up some chicken or other chunks of meat. Put one piece in the bowl. (make sure the bowl is big enough that you can drop food in it as his head is in the way while eating. Have him sit until you place the bowl on the ground and then release him. As soon as he eats the first piece, drop the next. A continuous string of awesomeness. Keep one piece back to throw at the end so he is going for that piece while you pick up the bowl. You could even sit down to do this so you aren't standing over him (your body language could cause a possessive reaction)

Then, once he understands that game, do the exact same thing with his food bowl. Give him his food, release and then drop meat in his bowl while he's eating. At this point, if he understands the game, the growling should be extinguished. Instead of his body tensing, I would expect his body to be relaxed but him anticipating the food. Then move a step back and then back in, drop a piece of food (just to show him movement). Two steps, in, drop. walk past casually and drop. etc. 

This will teach him that you are not going to take his food away. I'm sure you could end all this quickly with a correction but this is an alternative that will just take a little longer to get the results you want.


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## Indysablegsdmom (Jan 23, 2020)

For the last few days I’ve been feeding him in a quiet area and leaving him alone. I plan on doing this for a bit so he can get back to being comfortable with meal time and then I will access how to approach the situation again. I already play trade off games with him with toys bones treats etc.. he has no issues with them, I can take a bone right from his mouth and he thinks we are playing a game. It’s just the food bowl. He is a very smarty friendly well behaved 4 month pup. I think I probably caused the anxiety myself more than likely.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

1021561133834548 said:


> I already play trade off games with him with toys bones treats etc.. he has no issues with them, *I can take a bone right from his mouth and he thinks we are playing a game.*


Even though you _can_, I think it would be better at this point to train him to give it up voluntarily than to take it from him, especially for high value items.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Also, you can feed in different containers. 
Change it up.
I have used ice cube trays, muffin tins, paper plates. Added advantage of slowing down the eating.


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## Indysablegsdmom (Jan 23, 2020)

So


Cassidy's Mom said:


> Even though you _can_, I think it would be better at this point to train him to give it up voluntarily than to take it from him, especially for high value items.


sorry I should have worded that differently, I ask him to “drop” and he releases what’s in his mouth and then I take it.


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## crittersitter (Mar 31, 2011)

My puppy came to be like that because the breeder didn't have enough bowls set out for the number of pups. I started feeding him by hand, no bowl. BUT he would have to sit and wait. He soon realized I was in control of the food, not him. If you don't have time to do that. Feed him in a crate and leave him alone. Make him go in and sit and wait before giving him his meal.


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## T'Challa! (Dec 4, 2019)

1021561133834548 said:


> My 4 month old german shepherd pup just recently over the last month or so is food guarding his bowl. If you walk near him he growls and will occasionally lung out to nip at you. I have been feeding him by hand and dropping a a few handfuls of food at a time into a bowl on the ground and he is good but the second you introduce a full bowl of food and go near him he goes back to guarding. Is there anything I can do?


You need to claim the food before offering it to him, if hes going nuts just at the sound of you getting his food you need to make him calm down and be patient once hes calm and relaxed then offer the food. This is the only way to break that. Look up Packleader dogs they have good videos that actually teach you ****! Good luck


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## T'Challa! (Dec 4, 2019)

Jax08 said:


> Good lord.
> 
> First, if you give the dog his food then it's his. Don't mess with it. Don't touch it. Don't randomly take it away from him. You gave it to him, it's his. If you walked up and tried to take my plate away I would bite you too. NO way am I going to get bit by grabbing a bowl of food. And correcting possession rarely works. Quite often it makes it worse. Been there, done that. All you are doing is picking a fight with them. We breed these dogs to have possession and aggression and then we beat them up for it when they show it with us. There are smarter ways to do this.
> 
> ...


There is a perfectly good way to break a dog of that just like anything else. Like potty training or commands "food aggression" is not genetic it is learned, and if you are truly the leader of your pack that puppy wouldn't DARE snap at you for walking by while he's eating


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## CometDog (Aug 22, 2017)

Possession, aggression, are genetic. Of course it is genetic. If you have a truly strong genetic dog, fighting him over his food is just going to continue to see him rise to the occasion. Discount advice from people who wholly discount genetics as a large piece of training and understanding a dog. 

In my opinion OP got best advice from Jax08.

In general I view food as my dog's paycheck. They have to sit for it and be released. The only have to be polite while waiting for it. Sometimes I drop nice stuff in there but for the most part I leave them to enjoy their food. A relationship between dog and handler is an intimate one. He trusts me. I give him all that he needs in life and he earns it by being focused on me and listening to me. It is a harmonious relationship.

When you were little, if you did your homework, your chores everything, ate your dinner and then your mother gave you a cupcake. Then took it away. Then messed with it to dare you to get mad so she can correct you...does that make sense to anyone? If your boss sometimes made good on your paycheck but sometimes messed with it, shorted it..would you work as happily for him?

With young dogs trading up while playing, playing two ball, etc etc builds trust. Giving me focus earns nice things. There are volumes of info on great relationship games. At your pup's age, make him feel secure about his food that he has earned. Make him sit before you put it down then don't create conflict. Focus on getting his focus in all other areas. Trade up toys, teach an out and a leave it with reward for listening. It will all fall into place.

Of course you need to get him to the point where you can grab an unsafe item. That comes from teaching trade ups, an out, a leave it.. and building trust. Dominating over his food bowl will help in no way right now.

And in my experience a dog that guards his meal doesn't always translate into a dog that will exhibit the same behavior over a stolen forbidden item ..like, in my house..a kid's sock (eww). They are capable of complicated thinking. Their food is sacred. A stolen item may not be as valuable or they may not feel as strongly about it. Sometimes they do (shrug). Teach the out. It'll be fine, he is young yet and you have a great window to set it right.


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## Larssahlen (Jan 30, 2020)

1021561133834548 said:


> My 4 month old german shepherd pup just recently over the last month or so is food guarding his bowl. If you walk near him he growls and will occasionally lung out to nip at you. I have been feeding him by hand and dropping a a few handfuls of food at a time into a bowl on the ground and he is good but the second you introduce a full bowl of food and go near him he goes back to guarding. Is there anything I can do?


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## Larssahlen (Jan 30, 2020)

I have a 5 month old GSD. She did the same when fed. I feed in the crate but she did not allow anyone near her food. I started with a half full bowl of food ( I feed raw) and after she started to eat I opened the crate and added ( with tongs) the rest of her food. This way every time I got near her bowl she “got something better” instead of being fearful of loosing her food.


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## BubbaBearsMomma58 (Dec 10, 2019)

1021561133834548 said:


> My 4 month old german shepherd pup just recently over the last month or so is food guarding his bowl. If you walk near him he growls and will occasionally lung out to nip at you. I have been feeding him by hand and dropping a a few handfuls of food at a time into a bowl on the ground and he is good but the second you introduce a full bowl of food and go near him he goes back to guarding. Is there anything I can do?


U can put only a small amount of food in his bowl an see how he died. I had the same problem an found out my pup was only guarding his food feeling like he was not getting enough food.. the vet said to just squat a few feet away an as your pup is eating talk to him softly an lightly pet his back slowly.. do this even if he growls an softly tell your pup it's ok.. it will take a few times but he will get use to feeling secure knowing U won't take his food. My German Shepherd pup. Baby Dasiey took 2 weeks an is now secure an I can take a bone from her mouth an put my face in her bowl.. hope this helps


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Petting a dog while he is eating, even if he growls, can lead to a bite.
Just leave the animal alone.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

BubbaBearsMomma58 said:


> .. the vet said to just squat a few feet away an as your pup is eating talk to him softly an lightly pet his back slowly.. do this even if he growls an softly tell your pup it's ok.. it will take a few times but he will get use to feeling secure knowing U won't take his food.


This is not a good idea. If he's growling, he's telling you that he's uncomfortable. Continuing to do it while he's growling could backfire, and instead of him getting used to it and feeling secure, he could escalate to a bite.


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## Indysablegsdmom (Jan 23, 2020)

Hey all! I really appreciate all the input, I have been feeding Indy in his normal spot in the kitchen for almost 2 weeks now. I make him sit and wait to be released to eat his food, and then I’ve just left him alone. The growling has stopped and I can move around the kitchen doing my chores and he is completely unbothered! I’m hoping I’m gaining his trust back for meal times


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

CometDog said:


> When you were little, if you did your homework, your chores everything, ate your dinner and then your mother gave you a cupcake. Then took it away. Then messed with it to dare you to get mad so she can correct you...does that make sense to anyone? If your boss sometimes made good on your paycheck but sometimes messed with it, shorted it..would you work as happily for him?


I can sort of appreciate this old analogy..........but sometimes when we compare our human attitudes/mentalities to an animal's attitudes/mentalities we are speculating at best......but it makes sense to the human I suppose.

Anthropomorphism has its failings.


SuperG


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## vomlittlehaus (Aug 24, 2010)

Austerlitz German Shepherds has some wonderful videos of raising their puppies with Puppy Culture, and resource guarding is one of the topics that is covered. I is easier to understand when hearing it explained and having a visual of the explanation.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

@SuperG, CometDog has a valid point:Setting the dog up to fail and using it as a training opportunity is what you are doing.It's an effective strategy for some things,for instance breaking a learned habit like chasing cars.It's totally possible to intimidate a dog to allow you to mess with his food,but the anxiety remains repressed only in your presence.He is still not safe with others.I think we have this same conversation every few months


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

dogma13 said:


> @SuperG, CometDog has a valid point:Setting the dog up to fail and using it as a training opportunity is what you are doing.It's an effective strategy for some things,for instance breaking a learned habit like chasing cars.It's totally possible to intimidate a dog to allow you to mess with his food,but the anxiety remains repressed only in your presence.He is still not safe with others.I think we have this same conversation every few months


Yes.....one can intimidate their dog to the point where the dog will capitulate i.e.messing with their food.....but....that's not what I am suggesting.

If it were me....I'd present the dog's food bowl after a short session of exhibited impulse control.....and if the dog growled as I am holding the food bowl while they eat.....I'd just continue holding the bowl with complete indifference......if I set it down and walk away the dog wins and I've just reinforced the undesirable behavior.

I guess it boils down to a test of wits, patience and NO emotion on my behalf in the BEGINNING......the dog is going to eat regardless.....but I believe it is my prerogative to set the standards not the dogs. All my dogs have learned I PROVIDE food......not take it away nor compete for it. My dog's have all ended up similar to how Cassidy's Mom described Halo " Halo started bringing me her bones to hold for her while she chewed them." It's almost as if the dog's meals become a social event of sorts where the human is included.......if that makes any sense. My current dog...only when we are in the motor home will eat 90% of her food and the 10% remaining on the far side of the bowl will sit there until one of us rotates the bowl so it is in the front. She'll just stop eating and start staring at us until we rotate the bowl. I guess she does this because the bowl is not up against a wall like it is at home.......so maybe because the bowl slides away from her in the motor home is what prompted this "social" reliance during the feeding "ritual"....beats me but it always makes me grin.

And yes I completely agree with your "He is still not safe with others.".......As I have stated before....the calmness and complete lack of competition my dog exhibits over its food bowl is strictly reserved for my wife and me.....If we have guests over when the dog is fed......it is always done away from our company.


SuperG


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

@SuperG I think I finally understand where you're coming from.No picking fights - just establishing a feeding ritual.That's funny how she'll wait for her bowl to be turnedMy dopes will chase their bowls around until the last kibble is gobbled up.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

So over a year ago, I had this same problem and I got all the same responses from most of the same members. Sorry everyone, but now, a year later, I have to disagree with most of y'all. Leaving him be, only made my dog worse. It spread to other things like resource guarding his balls and frisbees, his antlers, his toys, etc. It got so bad, that I was bit twice...hard, drawing blood. It really hurt. The 1st time when I reached for his frisbee while playing outside. I was shocked...didn't think what happened just happened. The second time when feeding him his dinner meal. He got me when I was in the middle of placing his bowl down. I dropped his bowl and food went everywhere. At that point I was scared that I would have to put him down. What did I do? I was determined to "fix" this and I spent almost a good portion of the past year working on it. Now I can go to his bowl, I can take his frisbees and antlers....I can do all the things that I couldn't last year. He doesn't tense up or snap at me anymore. It takes a lot of work, time, patience and determination. I may be the only one in here, but out of experience, I wouldn't leave this alone if I were you. I would try to "correct/fix" it. But just remember, once a resource guarder, always one. Your pup is only 4 months old. This is the time to be working on it. Mine was older than yours and bigger with his permanent teeth when he bit me.


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

We had a single event learning episode when my puppy decided he was going to try and guard his Kong. Wrong. 

I don’t mess with my dogs’ food bowls once I’ve verbally released them to eat, but I also will not tolerate _my_ dog growling and guarding from _me_. 

As SuperG said, I don’t automatically expect this deference to extend beyond my husband and myself. 

My dogs are fed individually and left to enjoy their meal. But if I want something, it’s mine, period. You don’t develop this sort of relationship with a lot of nagging daily poking in their bowl / looming over their heads / etc. It’s developed over time by being consistent, not linking food to stress, never nagging, and being very very clear. 

My puppy (as my others before him) does the same thing as Debbie’s and SuperG’s and brings his raw bones and benebones and other treasures over and pushes them against my leg so I hold them while he gnaws on them. His one time learning event “No you will NOT keep that from me” clarified the rules, and that was that. 

There is no one size fits all, there are so many variables. But I stick by what I said earlier in this thread, it is very hard to know the extent and INtent of any dog’s behavior just by reading text.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

tc68 said:


> Sorry everyone, but now, a year later, I have to disagree with most of y'all. Leaving him be, only made my dog worse. It spread to other things like resource guarding his balls and frisbees, his antlers, his toys, etc. It got so bad, that I was bit twice...hard, drawing blood. It really hurt. The 1st time when I reached for his frisbee while playing outside. I was shocked...didn't think what happened just happened. The second time when feeding him his dinner meal. He got me when I was in the middle of placing his bowl down. I dropped his bowl and food went everywhere.


I don't recall anyone saying that the OP should do nothing to address the issue. I'm not sure where you got that idea from. Our dogs have always been trained to sit and wait with eye contact while we put down the food bowl, until released to eat. I provide the food, I control the bowl, it's all mine until I say it's yours, and then you can have it. The criteria is very low at first with a young puppy, I increase it as the dog matures and has more training, but they are not allowed to mug me for the food, they have to be calm and patient. One time I put down Cassidy's bowl in the garage where we feed the dogs, and she didn't hear me release her. I went back in the house and several minutes later wondered where she was, since she came in the house when she was done. I went out there and found her sitting by her bowl, waiting for the okay to eat. Oops!


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## GSDchoice (Jul 26, 2016)

To me, Counterconditiong simply means,
Human hand near bowl = tasty food going in

I accidentally began a countercoundition program by putting bits of daughter’s uneaten scrambled egg in his bowl after breakfast, and now am able to stick my hand in his bowl while he eats. He trusts that my hand is there not to take, but to give. ( I actually only had hand in there to put in another piece of egg...it’s not something I go out of my way to do). Anyway I am a believer in the counterconditioning (even though I don’t have a sophisticated program like others. )

Sounds like you are making great progress with this!!


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> I don't recall anyone saying that the OP should do nothing to address the issue. I'm not sure where you got that idea from. Our dogs have always been trained to sit and wait with eye contact while we put down the food bowl, until released to eat. I provide the food, I control the bowl, it's all mine until I say it's yours, and then you can have it. The criteria is very low at first with a young puppy, I increase it as the dog matures and has more training, but they are not allowed to mug me for the food, they have to be calm and patient. One time I put down Cassidy's bowl in the garage where we feed the dogs, and she didn't hear me release her. I went back in the house and several minutes later wondered where she was, since she came in the house when she was done. I went out there and found her sitting by her bowl, waiting for the okay to eat. Oops!





Cassidy's Mom said:


> I don't recall anyone saying that the OP should do nothing to address the issue. I'm not sure where you got that idea from. Our dogs have always been trained to sit and wait with eye contact while we put down the food bowl, until released to eat. I provide the food, I control the bowl, it's all mine until I say it's yours, and then you can have it. The criteria is very low at first with a young puppy, I increase it as the dog matures and has more training, but they are not allowed to mug me for the food, they have to be calm and patient. One time I put down Cassidy's bowl in the garage where we feed the dogs, and she didn't hear me release her. I went back in the house and several minutes later wondered where she was, since she came in the house when she was done. I went out there and found her sitting by her bowl, waiting for the okay to eat. Oops!


No offense, but maybe you need to go back and reread the thread. Ok, maybe not "everyone" said it...a couple. But I distinctly remember when I asked the question over a year ago in someone else's thread (I kinda hijacked it), I got a barrage of "what are you doing near his bowl?" Or "drop it and walk away." Or "leave him be to eat in peace." "Why are you taking his bowl away?" Etc. I remember it, because I got mad about it. If I didn't get mad about it, I would've just done what most of the responders suggested which was nothing. By now, I probably wouldn't have my dog anymore...either returned to the breeder or put down because I can't have an aggressive dog in my house with my 2 elderly parents living with me. While the responses I got weren't what I wanted to hear and didn't help me at all, it did force me to do something about it


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

tc68 said:


> No offense, but maybe you need to go back and reread the thread. Ok, maybe not "everyone" said it...a couple. But I distinctly remember when I asked the question over a year ago in someone else's thread (I kinda hijacked it), I got a barrage of "what are you doing near his bowl?" Or "drop it and walk away." Or "leave him be to eat in peace." "Why are you taking his bowl away?" Etc.


Sure, but that, to me, doesn't mean do nothing. They had alternate suggestions of things to do, other than messing with their food after it's been given to them, such as playing trading games like I described. Also, impulse control exercises with food such as the "It's Yer Choice" game by Susan Garrett, which I and others have posted numerous times over the years. And teaching an "out", and to bring toys/bones/balls for a reward, which I and others have also mentioned, and hand feeding where the owner maintains possession and control of the food bowl. Trust building games and exercises so the dog learns they have no reason to guard valued items from you.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> Sure, but that, to me, doesn't mean do nothing. They had alternate suggestions of things to do, other than messing with their food after it's been given to them, such as playing trading games like I described. Also, impulse control exercises with food such as the "It's Yer Choice" game by Susan Garrett, which I and others have posted numerous times over the years. And teaching an "out", and to bring toys/bones/balls for a reward, which I and others have also mentioned, and hand feeding where the owner maintains possession and control of the food bowl. Trust building games and exercises so the dog learns they have no reason to guard valued items from you.


I agree with you. I had to do a number of things to get him to where he is today. The hand feeding while maintaining possession of the bowl....didn't work. I had to do a lot of trial and error to figure out what worked best. And yes, you're right....it's all about building trust.


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## Indysablegsdmom (Jan 23, 2020)

tc68 said:


> So over a year ago, I had this same problem and I got all the same responses from most of the same members. Sorry everyone, but now, a year later, I have to disagree with most of y'all. Leaving him be, only made my dog worse. It spread to other things like resource guarding his balls and frisbees, his antlers, his toys, etc. It got so bad, that I was bit twice...hard, drawing blood. It really hurt. The 1st time when I reached for his frisbee while playing outside. I was shocked...didn't think what happened just happened. The second time when feeding him his dinner meal. He got me when I was in the middle of placing his bowl down. I dropped his bowl and food went everywhere. At that point I was scared that I would have to put him down. What did I do? I was determined to "fix" this and I spent almost a good portion of the past year working on it. Now I can go to his bowl, I can take his frisbees and antlers....I can do all the things that I couldn't last year. He doesn't tense up or snap at me anymore. It takes a lot of work, time, patience and determination. I may be the only one in here, but out of experience, I wouldn't leave this alone if I were you. I would try to "correct/fix" it. But just remember, once a resource guarder, always one. Your pup is only 4 months old. This is the time to be working on it. Mine was older than yours and bigger with his permanent teeth when he bit me.


tc68, what were some of the things you did with your dog to “correct/fix” that issue? Just curious as originally when I had posted about this issue, I did not believe that just “leaving him be” would make things better in the long run


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## CometDog (Aug 22, 2017)

SuperG said:


> I can sort of appreciate this old analogy..........but sometimes when we compare our human attitudes/mentalities to an animal's attitudes/mentalities we are speculating at best......but it makes sense to the human I suppose.
> 
> Anthropomorphism has its failings.
> 
> ...


Oh believe me, I agree with you. I am the last to treat a dog like a human. By nature I am an instructor though. Martial arts and firearms. One thing I learned when explaining things to people who are completely new to a concept is using "known to unknown" analogies. It works. The majority of pet owners are going to apply human emotion to their pets. They just are. Now if I told them they should hug their dogs when afraid of thunderstorms...and tell their dogs it is the Angels having a bowling match with God, come at me  Creating possessive conflict does apply to both animals. Sometimes we foster it with dogs to tap their drive, sometimes we overdo it when they need a hot minute to be a dog and eat a meal in peace.

I am actually the worst parent with overly humanizing the kids too lol While all the other parents were having issues with taking away the juice boxes from their 3 year olds, and trading tales of sticker charts woes, I broke my daughter of her habit in one day. Told her they were finding severed fingers in all the juice boxes. Done. I generally don't play.

I don't tease kids or dogs with their basic sustenance. Can a very skilled working or sport handler like you use it to shape some behaviors by handling food and asking for behaviors? Absolutely. But I don't think that is the audience here. Your average pet person is going to accidentally create more conflict by unwittingly teasing, and probably eventually getting bit. Whenever giving advice, know your audience.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

CometDog said:


> Your average pet person is going to accidentally create more conflict by unwittingly teasing, and probably eventually getting bit. Whenever giving advice, know your audience.


100% this. But beyond that, a lot depends on the dog too. You can make all the mistakes in the world with the right dog and it will turn out perfectly fine. I could have yanked Cava's dish out from under her nose while she was eating every day and it's unlikely it would have caused her to start guarding her food from me. That's just not who she is. But with Halo, I truly believe that tendency was there, and handled wrong she might have been a problem. Fortunately, that didn't happen. But it could have if she were our first shepherd instead of our fifth, and we'd listened to some well meaning but bad advice on the internet. 

Being proactive and taking preventative steps to minimize the risk of creating a food guarder is never a bad idea, whether ultimately it's needed or not, because you're not necessarily going to know in advance.


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## GSDMUM (Aug 18, 2011)

I know this sounds odd but with my last GSD, She was horribly food aggresive so I sat her down in the kitchen right next to my calm and gentle GSD and spoon fed them, a spoonful each , back and forth, to show the food comes from me. After only 5 days I began to put it in a dish, move the dish away from the other dog;s dish and make her sit and not touch the food until I said , "okay". Worked like a charm for me. You could take food right out of her mouth after that, she was 100% better.


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## Indysablegsdmom (Jan 23, 2020)

Hey everyone! Just an update on how Indy is doing with his food guarding. For about 2 weeks I left him alone while he would eat in his usual spot in the kitchen hoping to have him relax and not be so stressed while eating, I would have him sit and wait to be released to eat. After that I started walking by him and throwing in hot dogs and yummy snacks in his bowl. Obviously he loved this, and now if he sees me walk towards his bowl he backs up and sits waiting for a yummy treat in his bowl. No growling, nothing. SOOO happy with his improvement.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Good job!


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## Kerrycanton (Jun 24, 2007)

Indysablegsdmom said:


> Hey everyone! Just an update on how Indy is doing with his food guarding. For about 2 weeks I left him alone while he would eat in his usual spot in the kitchen hoping to have him relax and not be so stressed while eating, I would have him sit and wait to be released to eat. After that I started walking by him and throwing in hot dogs and yummy snacks in his bowl. Obviously he loved this, and now if he sees me walk towards his bowl he backs up and sits waiting for a yummy treat in his bowl. No growling, nothing. SOOO happy with his improvement.


That’s awesome!!! Congratulations


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## 4K9Mom (Jun 19, 2019)

Indysablegsdmom said:


> My 4 month old german shepherd pup just recently over the last month or so is food guarding his bowl. If you walk near him he growls and will occasionally lung out to nip at you. I have been feeding him by hand and dropping a a few handfuls of food at a time into a bowl on the ground and he is good but the second you introduce a full bowl of food and go near him he goes back to guarding. Is there anything I can do?


Do not correct him. Do not ignore it.

Lauri was a member of this site for years. She knows dogs. She definitely knows GSDs.

Do this; 






Food Guarding


Learn to feed your dogs a natural raw diet!



rawdogranch.com





For puppies and new rescues in my home, I start by dropping high value food in their bowls as their eating, so they welcome me near their bowls.

What if the dog starts choking? Should I ignore it? Be afraid to approach? I have to be able to approach always. But since your pup is already growling, do what Lauri explains step by step. Retrain your pup until he welcomes you at dinner time.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

4K9Mom said:


> Do not correct him. Do not ignore it.
> 
> Lauri was a member of this site for years. She knows dogs. She definitely knows GSDs.



Laurie states "A growl is the precursor to a snap or bite. It is a warning from the dog." I will respectfully disagree to a degree......granted all which is quoted could be true but.....there are as many times a growl is just a bluff....guess it all depends on the results the growl accomplished.

SuperG


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

The OP has been able to resolve her problem with the excellent advice given previously.Feel free to start a new thread.


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