Woof! Told you this was a complicated behavioral issue. If you've made it this far, we applaud you!
Some dogs live their entire lives, at some different level of "safe" with this. Some households plateau, and allow Dog to behave aggressively "a little." For instance, the dog will politely Sit and Wait, for you to place their bowl in to a kennel: But once you've released him to eat, you know better than to bother "his" space until he leaves the area, or the food is gone. If you are the only influence in your dog's life, that's ok. Should something happen to you, please leave explicit instructions on how to feed your dog, so no one gets hurt.
If you have a busy family, make sure to feed a dog with limitations of control, in areas where he cannot be "accidentally" intruded on. Use kid-safe locks: Do not assume your three year old can't figure out a door, or your cat for that matter...
Part IV, Phase A
If your dog is comfortable with your picking up the bowl, when you have asked him to Sit, regardless of food in it or not, he is ready for these final phases.
1. Do a round or two of something he is familiar with, and very good at.
2. With your extra good snacks at the ready, say his name as he is eating: He may well Sit and Wait all by himself, as you've practiced this. If he does, tell him "Good Job" and pick up the bowl. Give him an extra tasty snack.
3. End on a good note; do something familiar and easy.
Part IV, Phase B
By now, your dog should be fairly relaxed about your picking up the bowl, when/after you've gained his attention. Simply reaching for the bowl, without warning him...That can be tricky.
1. Be sure and certain that Dog will comply when you say his name. Yes, you should still be giving him a piece of the extra tasty reward for doing so.
2. As he is eating, walk up and pause near him. If he stops eating and looks to you for a reward, tell him "Good Boy" but don't give him the treat just yet.
3. If/When he looks at you, extend your arm slightly, as though preparing to reach for the bowl. I recommend starting with only a slight movement at first, especially if your dog started this journey with a severe case of food-guarding.
4. Withdraw your arm. Give him the good snack.
5. Allow him to go back to eating. If he did not react at all to our arm movement, and is showing no signs that he is experiencing tense feelings, repeat the arm extension--Don't push it, just do the same thing. Reward him for being cool and calm.
6. Don't forget to talk to him. You may not be asking him to Sit or to Wait, but you have to give him Some kind of warning that something is about to happen. It isn't a good idea to just grab a dogs' bowl, no matter how nice he may be.
7. Over the next several meals, hang near him and occasionally extend your arm towards the bowl. Tell him things like "Good Boy, look how calm you are. May I check out your bowl?" Using your voice, as a gentle alert is important.
Think how you would feel, if your server at a restaurant, just reached in and took your plate, as you were mid-bite. Far better, and much less angering, if they say "Pardon me, may I take your plate?"
8. Should he show any indications of tension, you tried to go too fast. He will need much more slow practice. Please do not do the exercise in such progression that we constantly push the Dog back in to the Gollum State. Each time we do, it becomes harder and harder to gain his trust back.
Get him used to those arm movements well before you ever actually try to pick up the bowl. Work up to more normal reaching actions, or increase in speed.
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| If bending to place the bowl is challenging, try sitting in a chair to practice. Do this only if you aren't worried about Dog lunging to bite. |
Let's say he's alright with the arm extension, but when you try to bend down closer to the bowl, he stops eating. He does not seem relaxed, but isn't truly stiff, or growly...You just found a spot that needs a few days practice.
Take a step or three back from him, and try the same "bend" move from over there. Sometimes, he may only need a bit more space to see that the body bend is nothing to worry about. The intensity of his issues will dictate just how many baby steps you will have to take.
Once he is relaxed about your motions, step back closer to him and try again. Note: The Goal is to reach out and touch the bowl, not pick it up with his face in it...yet.
Every time you practice this, remember to reward him for the "right" things. A lot of dogs really latch on to the idea that you will give them a piece of cheese, or chicken, for stepping back from the bowl whenever. you approach it. If your dog is offering this polite, respectful behavior, REWARD IT. Conditioning him to give up the thing that used to turn him into a monster, is much more preferable response.
Part IV, Phase C
Ok, we've knocked out the majority of your issue. You can walk up on Dog while he is eating. You can easily call him away from the bowl, regardless of food being in it. Dog will Sit, and Wait politely while you pick up, or put down the bowl. You can reach out and pet him, and even touch the bowl while he's eating.
Now, you want to be able to pick up the bowl, in the middle of his meal, while he is eating it. For the record, I feel that this is a completely unfair ask. I think it's rude to allow the Dog to continue to eat as you pick up the bowl. They absolutely should stop when you call them off the bowl, and allow you to pick it up without trying to gulp down whatever's still in it. Allowing that is a surefire way for them to slide back into the Gollum State, and start acting "aggressive" again.
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| Note the similarities in guarding body posture, and hard stare. This is Not what we want Dog to become. |
That being said, not everybody feels this way. Some dogs might find themselves in a situation where a person thinks "it is a dog's job to put up with whatever I do to him. He better not try to bite me." Or an unwitting child might try to reach in to the bowl, or take it from the dog. If you really feel the need to teach Dog that this is acceptable, the following steps can be helpful:
1. Ask for the Sit and Wait as before.
2. Place a few kibbles in the bowl, but do not set it down.
3. Holding the bowl at a level that is comfortable for the dog to reach, without jumping, tell him "OK!" (or other chosen 'release' word) and encourage him to eat from the bowl.
Start with the smaller portion again to keep him in the jolly mood, and avoid any over-protective nonsense.
4. As he eats, try not to move the bowl for the first couple tries. If he's doing well, lower the bowl an inch or two as he is eating.
This is awkward for him, so don't move it too fast. Give him a tasty treat once the small portion of food is gone.
5. Once you are certain he is not at all tense about your lowering the bowl as he consumes food, switch it: Start a bit lower, and raise the bowl. Do not set the bowl on the floor quite yet.
Only when you can raise or lower the bowl, without any signs of tension, should you move to the next steps.
6. Going slowly with this, you should get him to a point where you have lowered the bowl to the floor, but keep your hand on the bowl. Dog should remain relaxed, as he finishes the small portion, and look to you for reward. Give him an extra good snack, pick up the bowl and go again.
You can see where we are building tolerance for bowl touching and movement, but also completely wrecking the polite behavior of teaching Dog to simply back off the bowl when you are close.
Continue to practice but mix it up by reverting back to things he's great at, such as calling him off the bowl and using the Sit and Wait routine. This will help him maintain control when you ask him too, and not just constantly be trying to scarf the contents of the bowl.
7. With bowl on the floor, and your hand on the bowl, try to lift the bowl while he eats. Only an inch or two to start with, but over time he should allow you to pick it up while he is eating. Please please do not forget to reward him for allowing this.
If he responds by taking his face out of the bowl to let you pick it up, and seems like he is waiting for instruction, Reward Him! That is the behavior you are looking for ultimately. That is worthy of several small tasty bites of extra yummy cheese! Don't give him that many every time, but start that act off with a WIN.
During this exercise, if you see or sense him beginning to be tense, call him off the bowl. Reinforce that he will be rewarded for respecting Your bowl--It was never really his to begin with.
Ideally, you would not put even the kindest of dogs in a position where you are picking the bowl up, without giving him some kind of warning. While I do want your dog to be tolerant of it, I strongly believe that respecting his space while he eats, reinforces that he is safe: That he can trust he can eat in peace because his meal is not going to be stolen. That you are not a threat.
When you have successfully created enough relaxed control, he will politely come away from the bowl, and allow you to pick it up. I would call that a Win. Especially if your dog started in a place where you once thought you'd get bitten for entering his zone at all.
These behavior modification exercises come with risks to your personal safety. It comes with danger. If you follow any of these suggestions, please know that we strongly recommend consulting a professional, well-reputed Trainer. Preferably one whose methods feel good to your heart, and that you can see progress with.
There are so many different things that may hep each individual dog. What works for one, may completely fail another. Do not hesitate to talk with your veterinarian, or get a few trainers on the phone. Ask questions, and be forthcoming and honest about your dog. Your sweet baby boy may well be a Gollum about more than you realize.....
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