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.
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| "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.
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