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.