Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds, Part III of IV

 In Part II, we advanced your food-guarding monster to a place where he is OK with your standing near to the bowl, while he eats a small bit of food.  Or he is eating at least close to his normal portion, but you are still across the room while he snarfs up the food offering.  He isn't falling into the Gollum State in either scenario, but you know if you were to touch him, or reach for "the precious" bowl, he might try to bite you.  He is on the way to "fixed," but is not what I would call Safe, by any means.

Remember in Part II where we taught him to come away from the bowl for an extra delicious reward?  Chop up those chicken breasts, 'cuz we are gonna use a lot of them here in Part III.

Part III, Phase A:

First, let's teach him that active and unexpected walk-by's of "his" dinner space is safe.  Begin by setting him up with the familiar Sit, Wait, Go Eat and Return routine (see 'Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds, Part I & Part II).  Keep the portion small, as we do not want to trigger the Gollum with this new change.

As he is eating, walk past him.  Give him as much space as you can.  If you are working in an area that you cannot get past him, without pressuring him into that protective mindset, find a new place to work.  

As you walk past, say dumb things in positive tones:  "Oh Good Boy!  Is that your yummy dinner?  I brought that chicken you like so much...etc". If you've kept the portion small enough, he will most likely leave the bowl, and follow you.  That's Great!  Give him, or toss to him, a piece of tasty treat in a manner that causes him to move away from the bowl. 

We've had loads of success using Instinct Naturals Raw Bites Toppers, as our
chosen "extra tasty" reward.  Once your dog starts to chill out a bit,
using something "dry" like this can take the place of the fresh-cooked chicken breast.

Repeat at each meal, until you feel certain he is no longer concerned about your walking by, while he eats that small bit of food you offer.  In extreme cases, you may need to leave only 1-2 kibbles in the bowl to begin with.  When I say "repeat until no longer concerned," I am hoping you'll spend days, sometimes weeks before moving to the next exercise.  

Get him used to you walking through.  Then maybe change direction.  Perhaps change pace.  Try a little hop, or stumble, or a pause next to him and ask "Whatcha doing?"  As you introduce small changes, you are helping him relax and understand that movement behind or around him as he eats, does not mean he is at risk of losing the meal.  If he stops eating and turns away from the bowl, expecting a yummy snack as you pass by, Give Him One!  That is HUGE!  He is no longer seeing you as a 'threat' to his bowl, in those moments.   

Once he's chill about walk-by's, you can start to increase the portion; again, go slow with this.  The longer he's chomping bites with his head in the bowl, the easier it is for him to slip back into that Gollum State.  Every time you change something, you must expect that he will need time to generalize the change.  Dogs are terrible at generalization.  We need to gently show them that small changes are ok; that they are still safe.

If you have multiple people living in your home, you will need to work up to all of this, with each of them.  Children can pose a special risk to a Resource Guarding (food-aggressive/possessive) dog.  It is a good idea to feed this sort of dog, in an area that young children cannot access.  

Some dogs will plateau at the walk-by.  They can finish a 'normal' portion of food, with people walking through the area, without feeling the need to protect it.  You should be able to call him away from the bowl, ask for the Sit and Wait, go pick up the bowl, and give him a tasty reward.  This level of control is perfectly acceptable, as long as Everyone around the dog 100 Percent understands NOT to touch him, or attempt to touch the bowl while he is eating.  

When you condition your dog to control himself, by placing him in the Sit and Wait, before you touch the bowl, you are showing him a set of Rules.  When you mix up those Rules, by not following the protocol, you might find yourself back at square one if you push them too far, too fast.

If need be, you can call him away from the bowl, and possibly even out of the room, before you pick up the bowl.  This can help him (and you) stay feeling Safe.  However, if your dog is still too tense to allow you to touch the bowl while he's in the room, he is not at all ready to advance to your trying to touch him while he is eating.  

Part III, Phase B:

1. As you do your walk-by, stop next to him and very gently, very briefly touch him.  Do not pet his head; choose a more neutral spot, such as the top of his shoulder, or his favorite scratchy spot on his bum.  Talk to him in positive tones as you do this.  Lots of normal-sounding "good boy" needed here.  Do not ruffle him; pet him or gently scratch him as though he is a wild animal allowing you to touch him for the first time.  Keep your physical contact to 2-5 seconds long; very short pets.

2. If he tenses, stops eating, starts to eat faster, etc. stop trying to touch him in that moment.  He is letting you know that the touch made him nervous, now you have to show him that it meant Nothing.  As long as his reaction was subtle*, stay near him and keep sounding positive.  Use a skill he already knows...Call him.  When he turns to you, give him that extra yummy treat, and walk on by.

*If he does show you an overreaction, (showing teeth, or growling, or worse...snapping and lunging at you) go back to whatever exercise he was having success at...you may have to back-track even further (go back to small portions and playing the Sit, Wait, Go Eat and Return) and rebuild his trust.  He wasn't ready.  That is ok.

3. Resume whatever walk-by, or call him away game that he can play in "happy" fashion.  If he seemed a little tense, do not try to touch him again that meal.  Exposing him to the first 'touch' and going back to what he's already figured out as 'Safe,' will make him less nervous about it at next feeding.

4. At meal time, do your best to replicate the exact way you touched/pet him the first time.  Hopefully, he will have remembered that Nothing happened last time he felt your hand on him.  The second attempt usually goes a bit smoother, and he may not give much indication that he even noticed.  Do Not push the envelope with too much petting.  The goal is Non-Reaction:  Desensitization happens over time, with repetition.

If he's handling those short pets well, here are a few things to remember:

* Be Patient and be aware of his warning signals.  Some dogs relax into this rather quickly, but go at whatever speed feels safe for You.  

* Choose the same area to pet at first; I like to start with the top of the shoulder, as it gives me the whole back to "increase" the length of time my hand is in actual contact with the dog.  Mind you, the first few pets won't be more than barely a stroke of the fingers.

* It is OK to pet him multiple times throughout his meal experience, but you MUST end the meal by allowing him to finish it in peace.  You wouldn't enjoy a shoulder massage while you are trying to eat a cheeseburger and fries (well....ok, maybe you would....), if all you can think about is how much you want those fries....Give him the courtesy of leaving him alone for the last few bites at least.

* Don't forget to keep verbally encouraging him, and keep offering him the 'yummy snack.'  Even if it makes you feel safer to toss that snack away from the bowl, do it.  You are reinforcing for him, that moving away from the bowl, while food is in it, does not mean you are trying to steal it.

In some cases, you can increase the dog's overall acceptance of your being near the bowl, by tossing one of those yummy snack bites in to the bowl.  Remember to start by asking Dog to Sit and Wait, then toss the delicious snack in to the bowl, and then release him to go and eat it.  Work up to simply getting his attention in order to move his head away from the bowl, so you can actually toss the yummy in there.  Then add that to the small petting routine....

Small dogs can be tricky; try not to touch ears or top of head
when practicing petting or touching.

Part III, Phase C:

But what if you Do want to pick up the bowl?  

Please Do Not attempt to pick up the bowl, unless Dog is relaxed and under control.

At this point, your dog should be doing the following well, before moving on to actually picking up the bowl while he is eating:

* Eating a full, normal portion.

* Relaxed about your being near him while he eats.

* Allows petting (not on his head) while eating.

* Does not fall into any "protective" postures, or tension about your touch/petting while eating.

* Can easily handle all members of the household walking by, or through the space, while he eats.

* Will respond happily when called away from his portion of food, to get a yummy reward.

* Will Sit and Wait for you to pick up the bowl once you've called him away from it, regardless of whether there is food in it, or not.

1. Start by using those smaller portions again.

2. Begin with the normal Sit, Wait, Go Eat routine.

3. Practice petting him a little while he eats; toss a yummy snack in his bowl while he eats.

4. Call him a ways away from the bowl.  If need be, this can be done as he finishes.  This decreases the likelihood of his falling into that Gollum State of guarding.

5. Have him Sit and Wait, while you retrieve the bowl.

6. Refill it with small amount of food and repeat.

7. If he is comfortable, call him away again, but from a closer distance.  The idea is to crush his 'safe distance' for your picking up or touching the bowl.

8. Continue to decrease the distance you have him 'Sit and Wait.'  Eventually, you will wind up asking him to Sit, directly next to the bowl as you pick it up.  Remember to give him that extra tasty treat after you've picked it up.

For a lot of dogs, they may well need you to ask for the Sit and Wait before "taking" the bowl, every time.  A dog who is letting go of this kind of issue, needs help to remain in control of himself.  Being in control sometimes means that You must not give them a chance to make their own decisions.  Expecting him to "be ok" with your taking the bowl without warning, so to speak, is unrealistic.  Do Not just reach in and grab the bowl while he is eating.  Give him a direction first.

As with the other steps and phases you took to get him this far, go slowly.  It is better to spend the time desensitizing him to each small change, than to crash through this process and wind up worse than when you started.

We will cover the Final Phases of this process next time.  For now, focus on reinforcing gentle control and using a good reward system, as you build your dog's trust in the knowledge that he isn't losing anything by allowing you to touch or pick up the bowl.  

Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds, Part II of IV

I must open this second part of how to help your "food-aggressive" dog, with a warning:  If you haven't looked at, or worked through Part I, please don't jump in with the exercise here in Part II.

Letting go of what is a very natural behavior for canines, can be challenging.  We are essentially rebuilding damaged trust, or instilling a trust that was never there to begin with.  Maybe your dog came from a situation where they actually had to fight to eat.  Or something traumatic happened, and suddenly, they've developed this horrible reaction to you when their bowl is full.  Sometimes, it starts as a growth period; a young dog tries on his big-boy pants, and it worked, so they repeat it.  Usually amplifying their threat displays with each passing day, until they've become dangerous.

In any case, here we go...

Part II, Phase A.

For the intention of saving some words, we will refer to your dog's food as "kibble."  If you are feeding a Raw, or pre-made 'fresh' meal, be sure to only provide a portion that he can finish in one or two small bites.  

When choosing the "reward" for your dog, look for something extra tasty.  Think chopped chicken breast, or cheese cubes.  As long as the dog LOVES it, and it won't take more than a second or two to ingest, that is an appropriate reward.

1. Ask your Dog to do a 'Sit, Wait.'  Step a few paces away from him, and pick the bowl off the counter.  Put only 2-3 pieces of kibble, (1-2 tablespoons of 'fresh' food for med-large dogs) in the bowl.  Reinforce the "Wait" cue if he tries to stand up, or gives any indication that he will break the Sit due to the food's presence.  Do not move forward unless he is sitting and waiting politely.

2. Place the bowl, with the small amount of food in it, on the floor a few feet away from the dog.  If being too close to the bowl is causing tense behaviors, work on your 'sit and wait' so that you can put it down all the way across the room.  Distance can be your friend.  The Dog should not break the Sit as you do this.

Practice with an empty bowl if necessary.  Build the behavior in anticipation of the reward.

3. Say "OK!" and allow him to go eat those few pieces of food from the bowl.  Call him back to you, give him a reward, and ask him to Sit and Wait again.

4. Go pick up the bowl.

5. Return to Dog, and hand him 1 piece of Reward for staying still while you picked up the bowl. Encourage him to be free from the sitting position, with a cue such as "Break" or "Free."  Let him sniff around (he'll most likely go investigate the area where you set the bowl down before) a few moments, before asking him to "Sit" and "Wait" again.

6. Repeat a few times, as long as Dog remains calm--showing no signs of tense body posture, or "aggression."  If you do notice any signals that he might be feeling his inner Golem rising to the surface, go back to Part I, and continue to desensitize him to the bowl's influence.

Part II, Phase B.

Your dog is now seeing this silly Sit, Wait, OK get the snack and come back routine, as something Fun!  There should be a lightness, almost playful (depending on his normal personality, age, etc) attitude about this game.  Time to increase the amount of kibble/food offered in the bowl...a tiny bit more.

Up until now, we've kept to only offering 2-5 kibbles in the bowl.  This keeps the dog from falling into the Gollum State, but we gotta move forward.

1. Give a small handful of food in the bowl (appx. 1/8-1/4C of 'fresh' food for med/large dogs).  Not enough to give him too much time to think about "the precious," but enough to keep him eating for more than just a bite or two.  

2. Use the same routine as before:  

* Sit, Wait.  

* Place bowl across room. 

* Return to Dog.  Say "OK!" 

* Dog goes and eats amount provided.  

* Call Dog back, give reward, and have them Sit, Wait again.  

* Go pick up the bowl.  Place it on table or counter out of dog reach.  

* Return to Dog, give small reward for Waiting.  

* Encourage dog to be free from the Wait behavior.  

* Repeat.

It is Very important at this stage to NOT move any closer to dog while they are eating.  We are building a behavior foundation, not testing to see how much we can push or get away with.  Please do not use Dog's full portion yet either.  Slowly building the amount of time Dog's face is in the bowl is how we avoid the stress of his inner Gollum coming out.  We stress that if Dog is stressed, this won't help.

Go back to whatever stage your dog was having success with, if need be.

Part II, Phase C.

Alright!  Dog thinks this game rules.  At this point, you have a choice:  You can either choose to continue to work on slowly increasing his portion, and NOT moving closer to him while he eats it (in some cases, not moving at all is a great plan.  Be sure to talk to the dog though...don't make it weird with silence).  Or you can choose to focus on his being more comfortable with you closer to the bowl while he eats from it.

Either is an OK decision, but you should only work on one at a time.

Increasing Portion and NOT Threatening his zone:

If your dog grasps the Sit, Wait routine and you want to get back to offering him the whole meal, the following steps are recommended.

1. Continue to play the Sit, Wait go eat and return game.  With each day (as long as you see zero indication of tension) give him just a few more kibbles in the bowl.  The goal being to reach his full, normal portion of food, eventually.

2. Do Not attempt to go pick up the bowl, until you've placed Dog in to a Sit, and Wait, at a safe distance* from the bowl.

*When we describe "safe distance," we are referring to whatever distance the bowl is at, that doesn't cause any of the aforementioned tension indicators -- See "Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds, Part I"

3. Swap your reward for something New and Novel and exceptionally tasty.  If you've been using chicken jerky, for instance, try using freshly cooked, warm bits of chicken breast.  Get them back into the OMG zone about the reward.  It MUST be better than whatever you are placing in the bowl.

4. After a couple days incorporating this New Reward, experiment with calling him away from the bowl while he is actively eating.  Up 'til this point we've been waiting for him to finish what we have offered, thereby giving him less incentive to feel the need to protect it.  Calling him while he is still eating some kibble can help you see just how close to the Gollum State he may be.

If he comes zooming over when you call, give him the Good Reward, and allow him the freedom to rush back to finish whatever might be left in the bowl*.  Once bowl is empty, call him away from it, as before, and set him back into the Sit and Wait.  Only when he is waiting politely, should you go pick up the bowl.

*This is crucial to helping Dog see that you have no interest in "stealing" his food.  By building his trust that he can move away from food in the bowl, and you won't get near it when he does, he lets go of more and more of the need to guard it.

Clearly nervous.

Same dog...no food bowl present.

A stiffened posture, if he stops eating but stays haunched over the bowl, any sudden increase in eating speed--as if to gulp it down and Then responding to you, instead of a more relaxed response, are all indications that you will need to decrease the amount of food offered for this exercise.  We are going for almost instant compliance to your call, regardless of there being food in the bowl or not.

Decreasing the Distance; Encroaching upon "his" Zone:

Keep the portion at an amount that only takes your dog a few seconds to finish.  Even if he's worked up to almost his full ration, you are now changing the exercise, so we need to go back to the 'safe zone' of not giving him enough time to think about 'the Precious'.

1. Begin with your regular Sit, Wait, return for the extra tasty morsel reward.  Make sure your Dog is feeling relaxed, even a bit excited about the snack.

2. After one or two successful rounds, place the bowl down a bit closer to where you've previously asked for the Sit and Wait.  Even if it's only a few inches at a time, that's ok.  We are rebuilding the idea that it is Safe for you to be near him while his face is in the bowl.  Or while he is actively eating.

Pro Tip:  Using an elevated feeding riser, can help keep your Dog further from
the haunched over, defensive, guarding posture. Not a 'magic bullet' but a helpful ingredient to this recipe.

...."Now wait a minute, Rose.  You initially said to hold the bowl and give him 1-2 kibbles from it...what's up?"  Well, to a dog, the moment you set that bowl on the ground for him to eat from, he no longer sees it as Yours.  He is more likely to "go after you" if it is on the floor.  

3. Go Very Slowly with this.  It might take you days and days to get to where you can ask for the Sit, and Wait, then allow him to eat from the bowl on the floor, only a foot or two away from where you stand.  That is asking a lot for him to feel safe with you encroaching that far into his 'safe zone' of space.

4. Once he's gotten used to the idea of your standing next to the bowl, while he quickly devours the smaller portions, this is where it can get tricky.  Up 'til now, you should be making an effort Not to move your feet, or attempt to touch him, or the bowl, while he has his face in it.  That's about to change.

As soon as he finishes the small portion (5-7 kibbles, or 1-2 tablespoons of 'fresh' food), and looks to you for the 'yummy' treat, shuffle your feet, or gently march in place as you give it to him.  You are helping him associate your movement near the bowl (now empty) as Safe.

5. Try to continue these gentle foot motions as you do the next round of Sit, Wait, Eat, Reward.  Stop moving and be calm if you notice ANY tension that might indicate his falling into guarding, or Golem State, if you will.  Do your best not to move farther away in these moments, unless you absolutely do not feel safe yourself.

This is why it is so important to keep the portion small during the Decreasing Distance phase, at first.  Allowing him to 'get possessive' by giving him too much time (too much food) to think about your being close, will put you back WEEKS in this rehab.  Better to be slow.

If need be, as dictated by Dog's responses and/or tension level, you can toss his yummy reward away from your body space.  This will move him away from the bowl, and give you room to call him back in to a polite Sit and Wait, before you pick up the bowl.

Alternatively, you can also walk away from the bowl, once the small bit of food is eaten, then call him to you for the Sit and Wait.  Give yourself space that feels comfortable for both of you, before you pick up the bowl.

Pro Tip:  Some dogs will let go of this behavior faster, by moving their bowl
(or using 2 or 3 different bowls on rotation) to a different feeding location at each meal.  
Simply shifting the bowl to the other side of the space, can upset their idea of what "belongs" to them.

6.  If Dog is handling this well, you can now begin to slowly increase the portion, but don't change anything else you are doing.  Do not assume he is 'fixed.'  Remember, he is just barely beginning to trust that you are not trying to steal his food, or accost him while he is eating.  This tenuous trust can snap at any moment; take care of it.

And that is Phase II.  Next time, we'll get started working to help him be ok with your touching him, or even the bowl, while food is in it.  Phase II is a long one folks.  Most dogs that are working through this issue, are not granted the time and patience they need to fully let go of this complicated issue.  

To be frank, if you have a busy household, and you've found something that "works," you may not even want to fix this...But beware, your dog may well hurt somebody, over something completely unrelated to dinner.

Don't Bite the Hand That Feeds: Part I of IV

Some dogs just didn't read the memo about not biting the hand that feeds you.  If you, and your household, are dealing with a dog who tries to eat you, before he will eat his dinner, this article is for you.

We are going to focus primarily on "Food" as a trigger, but this nasty Resource Guarding behavior is not limited to just food.  Canines have a natural desire to protect what they see as "theirs."  Whether it's a bone, toy or even a favorite space, this kind of behavior needs to be addressed.  At the very least, we want you, and everyone in your home, to be safe.

Helping a dog let go of the idea that he needs to protect his food from the very person providing it, is similar, but very different than getting him to stop trying to fight another canine sibling for it.  This will be presented in four parts, as this is a truly large issue to work past.  Some dogs will move through these steps in a matter of days...others, it may take a year, or longer, to claim that he can be trusted not to attempt a bite.

These methods are designed without physical force.  This is to ensure that just about anyone can do them.  There are other ways to help this kind of issue, but they are better handled by trained professionals, as they come with a significantly higher risk of harm:  To both Handler (that's you) and to the Dog.  If going about it in this way is not for you, please contact a good teacher.

We will take a closer look at how to work with a Dog who guards "his" favorite spaces at another time.  This series will not include working with a kennel, gates, or a pen to assist you in this journey--If you've got kids or a very busy house with other dogs, we highly recommend using those tools as safety is priority. We will do a follow up on how to get "Polite Mealtime Manners" where we will address how to incorporate those tools in safe ways for all involved.  

For now, let's focus on Meals.

Part I, Phase A.

1. Set Yourself Up for Success.  Teach your dog to Sit for Love.  Spend the first week or more, asking your dog to Sit, before they get petting, snacks, or other attention.  Make that your new semi-permanent routine.  Making them Sit for what they want is an easy way to make them work for it.

"Did you want something?  Sit."

We give our dogs too much for free--Especially our Attention.  We upset their idea of how the Pack (your family) is organized.  If they show up lookin' cute, try asking for a Sit, before you pet them.  While this seems silly, you are actually enforcing your role as their leader.  In essence, you are teaching them to politely ask for your attention, as a lower-ranking pack-member should, instead of getting it for free...or worse, demanding it.

Giving too much free attention, can give them a false sense of being your boss.  Thereby leading to other unwanted behaviors.  

2.  Stop free-feeding*.  There are numerous reasons to put your dog's intake on a real schedule.  It's better for his overall health and well-being.  

A dog in a constant state of "grazing" is at risk for increased weight-gain, digestive issues, and missed health cues.  If you don't actually know the amount your dog is eating each day, you may miss when that amount is off in some way.

Unstructured eating, especially in large or deep-chested breeds, combined with exercise, can increase your dog's risk of Bloat (gastric torsion).  If you've never heard of this, I recommend doing a bit of research, or talking with your vet about this potentially fatal condition. 

Missed training opportunities abound with a free-fed dog too. Everything is a Resource.  Your dog needs things.  They cannot get these things without your help.  Leverage this to your advantage.  Giving your "food-aggressive" dog free access to the thing that puts them into that heightened state of agitation, can also cause increased anxieties and overreactions in other areas.

*There are some cases that medically need a "free-feeding" schedule.  Unless it actually IS a medical need, feeding 1-3 times a day is appropriate for most adult dogs.  A lot of dogs have done a great job of convincing their people that they "just can't" or won't eat on a schedule---they are lying.  They may not like it at first, but stick to it; they will eventually get on board.  

3. Expand your "Sit" into a "Sit and Wait, OK!"  Once you've taught your Dog to Sit politely for attention, you can start incorporating a bit of a "Wait" cue.  

Ask them to Sit, but instead of immediately petting, or otherwise rewarding, tell them "Wait" and then pause for 1-2 seconds.  If your Dog handled that well, say "OK!" (or other release cue of your choosing) and give the affection, or snack reward.  

Build up to about a 10 second pause between Sit, Wait and reward, before moving on to Phase B.

Part I, Phase B.

1.  Put a couple small, delicious treats or kibble pieces in your pocket*.  Choose your reward based on what your dog can actually handle.

2.  Ask for the Sit, Wait.  At the 10-15 second mark, tell your dog "OK!" and offer the reward, while giving some affection.  Repeat a few times.

*If your dog is so triggered to aggression, that the very smell of something good to eat, turns them in to a monster, stick to affection and petting.  If you are dealing with a dog at that level of problem; please contact a professional to help you. 

Helpful Tip:  Put your dog's food portion in a hip-bag, or Fannie pack and do this exercise throughout the day, preferably around meal times.  This usually helps to satisfy a "Grazer" who may not be too pleased about not having a bowl of food available at all times, while still allowing you to monitor how much, or how little your dog eats.  While meal times are preferred, working for the small amounts here and there ultimately helps put you in the Leader seat.  

Some people have opted to feed their dogs in this manner, and not actually tackle 'fixing' the guarding issue, because the quick-fix of removing the bowl removes the aggression response.  This doesn't make your dog Safe, but it may help if you've got a busy life and no time or resource to work on this.

Part I, Phase C.

As your dog becomes more proficient at Waiting for attention, and/or a few pieces of kibble or treat, we can begin to incorporate his bowl.

1.  Ask him to 'Sit, Wait.'  Put two or three kibbles in his bowl, as you carry it--Do Not put the bowl on the floor yet.

2.  Give him the "OK!" and allow him to eat the few pieces from the bowl, in your hand.  This should only take a second or two.  As soon as he has eaten those few pieces, set the bowl on a table or counter out of reach, and ask for the 'Sit, Wait' again.

If he seems relaxed, you can repeat the bowl-kibble routine again.  Should your dog exhibit ANY signs of tension, or adopt that 'protective stance,' go back to giving him snacks from your hand again.  This might be an indication that even the sight of the bowl is too much.

3.  If the sight of the bowl itself is "triggering" the aggressive/protective/guarding responses, begin Phase C by leaving the empty bowl in sight, but out of reach.  Toss the yummy snack in the opposite direction of the bowl when you give the "OK" cue.  This reconditions his brain to start feeling good, and more relaxed around the bowl.  He is also learning to move away from the very thing that makes him feel as though he needs to be right on top of it, protecting.

As Dog gets the hang of it, you can move the empty bowl to the floor, or into a riser (for our big giant breeds) and continue to reward the Sit, Wait, OK! by tossing kibble or small treats AWAY from the bowl.  

I've worked with dogs that have taken a week or more, to figure out that the empty bowl, on the opposite side of the room, is nothing to worry about.  Trust me, the time spent tossing alternative treats around a room, to get the dog moving away in many directions from the bowl, is absolutely worth it if you really want this problem to go away.

Only when you feel confident that the dog is not showing signs of tension, should you try holding the bowl and allowing the dog to eat those few kibble pieces from it.  Go little steps at a time:  If you started the week with an empty bowl, on the opposite side of the room, the goal should first be to work up to standing next to the empty bowl while you toss treats around.  Whatever level your dog is at, meet him there and gently grow that trust together.

OK!  That should be enough to get you going on this sometimes very long journey that is the rehabilitation of a Dog who mistakenly thinks they need to protect "their" food resource, from the very person providing it.  

Stay tuned for Part II in this series.  We'll be teaching you how to move from offering only a few kibbles in the bowl, to allowing him to eat it from the bowl on the floor.

Do I need to upgrade my dog's collar band for the e-collar?

It came with one that is waterproof, mud proof, and basically indestructible, but has no stretch or anything, so I know my dog can't get out of it...as long as I tighten it down.

Short answer?  Yes.  You should improve your dog's level of comfort, and safety, by changing the collar band to one that has elastic function.  Some come with just a 'loop' of elastic installed, and some are actually made of elastic.  

This stretchy-section serves three very important functions for your dog

        1. To create enough pressure to ensure the collar box points are making good                                   contact, without need to cinch the collar too tightly.

2. To enable dog to pull free of the collar, should it become entangled in brush, or 

    hung up on anything else in the environment.

                3. Prevents Dog from becoming 'caught' on another Dog.  If you've ever tried to 

                    free a panicked animal, that has it's lower jaw caught in another dog's collar,                                  while the dog they are caught on freaks out because they can't get away...

Your e-collar should Never have a leash clipped to it.  Use a different collar or slip-leash for actually attaching a lead, or tying the dog to anything.

We are not going to get into too much detail here, as these collars are controversial enough.  They can be an exceptional tool for some dogs, and their humans.  But, as with any good tool, one must take some time to Learn How to Use it Properly, to prevent injury.  Or desensitization. 

Stop turning the collar up just because your dog has grown used to the "low level" stimulus.  You are only teaching them to tolerate more and more discomfort, and they are learning to ignore you altogether.  Most people "teach" with this tool in backwards fashion, and they don't even realize they are doing it until it is too late.

Start with Larry Krohn's book:  "Everything you need to know:  E-Collar Training" 

Get yourself some knowledge and know-how, before you start using a vibrational, shock, spray, or any other electronic collar.  Find out if this is really Your method, then check and see if your dog is Actually a good candidate for this kind of tool.  

Some are not.  Plain and simple.

If they are, let's at least make sure the collar band is comfy, and that they can get free in an emergency.

Redirected Aggression and the Importance of Knowing Your Name

Your dog is intensely pawing and digging in to a woodpile.  He is after a Chipmunk, and bent on getting in there.  You don't think that is a safe activity, so you reach in and grab him by the collar to pull him free.  He whips his head and bites your arm, the moment he feels you touch him.

Your two dogs get in to a fight.  You grab the instigator, to stop the violence, and he freaks out and bites the snot out of your hand, while Still trying to get at the other dog. 

That darn neighbor's dog is out there snarling through the fence at your dog.  Your sweet, fat ol' lab has had enough, and is snarling and barking and hurling drool, as he frantically paws at the fence.  You run out there, and touch him on the bum to get his attention, only to find yourself facing his fangs as he whirls around to protect himself from that touch.

Or this commonplace scene:  You and your two dogs are out for a walk.  You know one of them doesn't like other dogs, but he puts up with his brother pretty well.  Here comes another dog out for a walk with her person.  Your dog sees her, and loses his cool.  He lunges to the end of the lead, and then suddenly turns on his brother!  OMG! What the heck is Wrong With These Dogs?!?

They are experiencing Redirected Aggressive Response, due to an overwhelming amount of frustration.  This can be driven by many factors, depending on the individual situation.  

• Pack Status Confusion; changes such as moving, bringing in new dogs, or losing a member of the pack can cause some serious upset to a dogs' idea of Who Belongs Where in the pack order.

• Age; be it a young dog becoming an adult, or a senior whose joints hurt and they are just sick of the other dogs jumping on them, age is a factor to consider.

• Breed; Hounds, Terriers, and some of the Working Class dogs (such as Border Collies, German Shepherds, or Rottweilers) can be a bit more prone to redirected aggressive issues.  This is because they are genetically designed to be INTENSE.
  

• Pain; an animal suffering can react in scary ways, in order to protect itself.  A normally calm dog who suddenly presents as a 'fight starter' or a 'biter' should be considered as a potential pain patient.

• Lack of Routine, or Training; dogs left to their own choices all the time are not great at managing themselves without fights.  Most domestic dogs are not great leaders, and if we are not teaching them to do our bidding, they start to feel like they need to fight to lead us.  Watch any documentary on Canids in the wild (coyotes, painted dogs, etc) and you'll find they sort things out rather violently.  While this is understandable, it is certainly Not the recommended way to solve things just by letting them 'figure it out.' 

• Too many Intact Animals in the same place; Boy animals fight for Girl animals.  It is nature's way.  I am not saying all pet dogs must be 'fixed.'  Some intact animals, both male and female, simply cannot stand to share space with another member of their same sex, especially if a member of the opposite sex is present.  They cannot handle their own hormonal urges, and this can lead to heightened states of stress, which can lead to fights, which brings us to our redirected aggressive issue.

They are so intent on the "THING" that they are just putting their teeth into whatever they can.  But does this mean that your dog is truly 'aggressive'?  Not really.  What he is, is lacking impulse control in that moment.

Have you ever been so mad, but feeling like you can't do anything about it?

Looking for some place to put that HUGE emotion, and then possibly snapped at someone?  

So amped up, that any little intrusion has you yelling (or worse) at anyone who happens to get in your way?

Well, in essence, That is Redirected Aggression.  The person or thing happened to 'trigger' the reaction from you, just because they bumped into you...or got into your line of sight, when you were in a state of extreme frustration. That poor person or thing, is now the recipient of all that emotion.

How do you deal with it?

For starters, teach your dog to play The Name Game.  I know, I know, baby stuff.  But building an 'automatic response' to the sound of their name, can be a real game changer for dogs that get too focused on things that feed the prey drive, motivate their hormonally driven behaviors, trigger Defensive or Offensive reactions, or if they are working from a place of fear.

Imagine, how much you would bring down that kind of intense energy, if you could only get the dog to look away from it....This is exactly what The Name Game teaches.

Not only is it the foundation for teaching a rock solid recall, it is the opening of the door to whatever 'next command' or 'cue' you want your dog to follow.  

"Randy.....Come" away from the woodpile.  

"Randy...Leave" your sister alone, or "Randy...Come" away from your sister--thus avoiding the fight.

"Randy...Leave it" alone, there is no reason for you to respond to the dog on the other side of the fence.

"Randy...Here's a snack" while the other dog is walking towards us on our walk.  This will help distract you, but should be geared towards your learning that dogs that get closer to us, actually mean good stuff for you.

There are of course differences in every situation.  For instance, Randy's people should probably walk him without his brother, until he can respond to his name and ignore other dogs.  Then maybe he should be slowly exposed to the idea of walking closer to strange dogs, until he no longer feels elevated when he sees them.  At this time, he can then start a walk with brother, but someone else should walk brother, so Randy can get used to the idea that adding brother to the walk, does not mean revert to reaction.

Randy should also be on a long leash in the yard, until he doesn't need the physical assistance of being pulled off the fence fight.  Using Randy's tennis ball to throw the OPPOSITE DIRECTION of the angry neighbor dog, can help him think that the neighbor dog's overreaction, is actually a good thing for Randy...But be careful, in using intense play as a reward, you may be ramping up his energy.  Start slow and work up to it.

Randy's fights with his sister, can be avoided by putting up a pen, or gates to keep them separated, until Randy can be trusted to respond to his name and allow you a chance to stop the fight before it happens.  If you have a small dog, an oversized crate (of the wire variety) can work as a wonderful "indoor pen" to prevent fights, as you work on this.  ***Note:  It can be tempting to muzzle dogs that start these kind of problems.  A dog in a muzzle cannot defend himself.  Even if he starts it, he won't be able to finish it.  So please do this with Extreme Care.  Use a basket muzzle, not a cloth grooming muzzle.  They cannot breathe/pant properly in those if they are in too elevated a state:  This can cause brain aneurysm, and/or aspiration on their own fluids.  

We get it; sometimes they go to level 11 before we can stop them.  The least we can do is set them up for better chances at success, by teaching them behaviors we want instead.  

So how do we teach The Name Game?

OMG, it is suuuuper simple.  I am glad you asked!

Start indoors, with your dog on a leash, or inside a puppy pen, so they cannot wander too far away.  Try not to have too many distractions around to start.  In training, we start with boring, predictable places, and work up to the intense distraction.

Be close enough to your dog to reach out and touch them.  Have some wonderful, stinky amazing treats handy. Or just use the regular food kibble, if your pup will eat it joyfully.  If your dog is the picky sort, choose a reward that you KNOW he is crazy for; a tennis ball is a fine reward, if that is THE THING your dog normally goes bananas for.

Say your pup's name.  Give them a treat within 1.5-2 second of saying the name.  That's it.

Remember, you are not asking or anything else.  Not a Sit.  Not "come," not anything but 'I say your name, and give you a treat.'  If you are using a reward such as a Tennis ball, your dog also will need to know how to Drop It....Or you can start with a Bucket Full of Balls.  Who cares if he won't drop the first one, toss another!

After a few repetitions, test to see if it is working.  Wait for your dog to lose focus a bit, like looking away from you.  Not too big a distraction, like another puppy, or a cat, or another person they really want to see.  Just looking away.  When they do, say their name One Time.  Wait a second or two.  If the pup turns to you at the sound of the name, Yay!!!  It's working!  Say "Good" and give the pup the treat.

Once your dog gets the idea, and you find that you can say his name Anywhere in the house, without other dogs or big distractions, and get a good response, go ahead and unhook his leash.  Now say his name from a slightly farther away distance.  Don't hide from him in the other room, he's not ready for that yet.

Just start small.  Randy the Dog wandered over to the window, in the room with you...now say his name.  If you've done this right, he should quickly look at you, expecting that reward.  Offer it to him, but do not go to the dog.....Randy should have heard his name, looked at you, and realized he cannot receive the reward from that window.  Randy the Dog is now crossing the room to get his reward.  Guess what?  You just opened the door to work on "Come" when called. 

Ultimately, dealing with Redirected Aggression is a process.  Safety first, for all involved.  Hence the need for leashes, puppy pens, or crates.  It won't go away overnight either.  This is one of those, set up your environment for the routine that may become the way of life for your dog...at least for a while.  As your dog gets better at responding to you, in more "intense" situations, the routine can change.  Go at the speed of success, not at the speed of expectation.

How to Play Fair in a Multi-Dog Household: reprinted from 2014

 How to Play Fair in a Multi-Dog Household.

You don't.

ok, allow me to expand on that. Having multiple dogs in one house is usually a great idea. So long as you are prepared for it, and are providing structure and good leadership. Dogs are pack animals. And in a pack, there are leaders, and there are followers. And those furry guys sleeping under your chair? They are not wolves.

Contrary to the traditional mindset, wolf packs are nothing like our dogs. The only true similarities are that they are of the canine variety, and they live in packs when left alone. Your dogs, need you to tell them when they are doing right, and when they are doing wrong. They need you for food. They need you for affection, they need you for everything.

A dog needs a provider. And he needs a boss. The degree of control, and the severity of your delivery, depends greatly on your individual dogs' personality. His personality dictates how well he will respond to your style of leadership. You, being the reasoning species who is the Leader of this pack, must determine who needs what, and when.

Your "alpha" dog may be pushing your other dogs around a bit during playtime, but what you may actually be witnessing is a slightly more subordinate animal attempting to dominate your other dogs due to insecurity about her position in the pack. Meaning, she may not actually BE an alpha at all. A true alpha does not need to enforce it all the time. The other dogs just 'know.'

If you aren't filling that position, one of the dogs will attempt to do it for you. I mean, someone's gotta be steering the ship, right?

"ok, so I'm the Leader. And I've just added another dog to my household, and I think the new dog wants to be alpha over the older dog; how do I make them get along?"

They might never like each other. Wrap your head around that, and then begin managing the situation. You, being the actual Leader, holds all the cards. Start by managing the dogs. Call a professional, and have them observe the interactions between you; all of you.

Make sure you are providing the proper levels of exercise for all the dogs in your household.

A dog who has an excess of energy, will put it somewhere; usually where you don't want it. As you begin to build better, more predictable structure for your dogs, they begin to fall into an order that may even branch into liking each other.

Be as consistent as possible with the rules and regulations of your home. Teaching the dogs good manners, first individually, and then with each other, is paramount to your success as a leader. Good management helps as well. If your dogs can't seem to get along when left alone in the back yard, do not leave them alone in the back yard. Rather, go out with them, and put your troublemaker to work!

A dog who is too busy working with you, and focusing on a task, is going to be too busy to pester the other dog. If you must, leash that guy and ask him to do things on the other side of the yard.

When you are indoors, if need be, use crates, pens, gates, or a leash to separate the troublemaker from the other animals. If there is fighting, whether over resources, or just picking on each other, please work with a qualified professional to help your pack learn to function together.

If you are not dealing with aggressive reactions, and just want to be more "fair," don't. If you are doling out attention to one dog, and the others just rush over to shove her out of the way, and you respond by petting the pushers, you are giving them the false impression that They run the show. You are setting yourself up for tension. The dog who got shoved, now feels "lower" and less important than the ones who got to DEMAND your attentions.

You are the Leader. You get to decide who gets attention, and when. If you are petting one, and another rushes over to shove her, use a Body Block (placing yourself like a goalie between the petted dog and the other dogs) to enforce that they must not shove her away. Give her the attention, and then, when you decide to call the other dog(s) over, that is when the "shover" can get some love.

You wouldn't allow children to punch, shove and kick each other to get to you for attention, don't put up with rudeness like that from your dogs. There is a reason we teach young children "Wait your turn," the same goes for your furry kids.

"When I give out treats, I have one dog who just runs in there and tries to take the treat. No matter which dog I am handing it to."

That is potentially a nightmare waiting to happen. Again, proper training/handling can help alleviate some of this stress. Asking the over-enthusiastic animal to sit and wait his turn, is a good move. That way, the dog you are handing a treat to won't feel the need to either snap and defend his treat, or bite it so fast that he grabs your fingers.

If you have one dog who seems to pester and pick on the other dog, more training is called for! If your dogs know things like "Away" or "Leave it" or even a simple "Come," you can diffuse a situation before it happens.

I have seen situations where the owners got a new dog, and tried to enforce that the new dog needed to be subordinate to the older dog. But the older dog was more than happy to BE sub to the new guy, so the Humans were only creating a bigger issue. The fights were getting worse. As soon as the Humans began to just let the old guy do what he was comfortable doing, i.e. allowing the young dog to do almost everything first, the fights subsided.

To some degree, dogs do have a good idea of how they'd like the structure to run. But they aren't really all that good at just "workin' it out." In the case of the older/younger dog, the Humans had to learn when to call the younger dog off, or away, so that the older dog could more effectively (and safely) show young dog that he wasn't being a challenge.

This won't always work in every situation. You may have a severe case where one dog is being so intimidating to the other, that you have one dog who just leaves the room every time the "bossy" one shows up. In this instance, call that professional.

Some dogs are just not cut out for living with other dogs. Period.

Just as some people can't stand other humans, some dogs just prefer to be left alone. Now, this does not mean you should just tolerate aggression. What it means, is that you may be faced with a dog who will either require a lifetime of management, to keep everyone safe, or you may consider placing that animal in a new home where he/she will be the only dog. Most issues of this nature can be worked with, but if your professional suggests a re-home, it may be because the dog would have a better, less stressful quality of life, should she be Queen of everything.

I have met many a happy, well-mannered, good canine companion who just wasn't all that comfortable with other dogs. This meant that dog could handle going for great, long excursions, and can pass a dog on the street without "blowing up" or getting tense, but wasn't all that great close up to other dogs. The Human had worked with the dog to get all those manners, and was rewarded with a wonderful, sweet companion.

The Human had also accepted that the road to having a dog she could trust to play with others, was a long one, and had chosen to allow this one thing to stay as is. This doesn't mean that particular dog couldn't be "fixed," it just means that the Human has decided not to deal with that stress, nor put it off on her dog, because the dog was Safe Enough.

Exercise, consistency, boundaries. These are the things that set up a multiple dog household for success. Dogs do have a sense of 'fairness,' but how you enforce it, is up to You. The Leader and controller of all resources. Use them.

Finally, ensure that each of your dogs gets the one-on-one time they crave. Just like Human kids, our dogs love it when we make special time for them. Each dog has a different "favorite" thing, and making time to do that without his annoying brothers or sisters, can help him stay balanced.

If you take breed tendencies into thought, you may take your scent-hound (Beagles, Bassetts, Bloodhounds, etc) on a new walking path, or to a Nose Work class. Your Pointer may loooove a long romp in a field, while your Cocker may just want to sit and watch people go by at a ball game or something. Doing special activities is not only good for their bond with you, it also teaches your dogs how to be without each other, which is healthy too.

I enjoy group activities with my household, but sometimes, I just want a walk in the woods. Alone. With my dog. One of them.

**Author's Note:  We used to have 5 dogs...now we have one.  Such is life and the passing of time.  These articles are being re-published for educational purposes.