We get it. Food Time is Magical! But that doesn't mean you get to act like a wild animal, every time you hear the kibble hit the bowl. can you imagine, if your children acted like that when you called them for dinner? ...oh...they do?...well, you may need more than just dog training tips.....
For the rest of us, we are talking about impulse control. The food being prepared and offered, is NOT an excuse for bad behavior.
"But he's so excited to eat!"
"Aww she's dancing...and barking...and howling..."
"He likes to jump on his brother and wrestle before we feed them..."
"I just put the bowl down real fast. It's no big deal, and it keeps him from knocking it out of my hands!"
"She is already eating it before I even set the bowl on the floor..."
Look, I can see how Happy food makes these sort of dogs. It is very cute. Yeah, I know she was rescued from a "starvation" case, but that doesn't excuse Rude actions at dinnertime.
Teaching an over enthusiastic pup to hold it together, in order to gain access to food, is not only a good "meal time" thing. It also helps teach them to calm themselves in other areas of Life. A dog who understands how to Wait for what they want, is one that can also learn to Wait while you say "Hi" to a neighbor. Or one that can Wait, as you open the door for a guest, or Wait as you put their leash on...Meals can be extremely motivating for some dogs. You know the type. The dog that will do just about Anything to get a snack...So let's leverage that into better behaviors.
Assuming you are not dealing with a *Resource Guarding issue, the following tips are a great way to start. *A Resource Guarder may bite if disturbed during meals. This unwanted behavior is not limited to food items; anything the dog sees as "valuable," such as a favorite toy, sleeping space, or even a person, can trigger Resource Guarding. If this is the case, please contact a good professional Trainer, and check out our 'Don't Bite the Hand that Feeds' series in the blog. https://rosedogtraining.blogspot.com/2026/01/dont-bite-hand-that-feeds-part-i-of-iv.html
1. Work with one dog at a time. If you have more than one dog, make sure they All understand what you want, before you expect them to use it when their brother is pouncing on them. Or when the Human children are racing around.
2. Prepare your dog's meal, but divide it into 3-4 portions. This will enable you to "practice" a few times at each meal.
3. With the first portion of food in your dog's bowl, hold the bowl at a neutral height, just above his nose. Not so elevated that he wants to jump at it, but just out of reach. Ask him to "Sit," and just wait for a bit. Try not to repeat yourself. Politely and quietly wait. If he's gotten treats for doing a Sit in the past, he most likely will offer to do just that. As he does, tell him "Good" or "Thank you" and start to lower the bowl.
4. When he stands up, raise the bowl above his nose again. As you do this, calmly say "no...Sit" and repeat the previous steps. Make sure to raise the bowl straight up, or you'll encourage him to move forward towards it, instead of sitting back down.
Move at a controlled speed. Do not allow the Dog to rush you. He is learning to be patient and he may pitch a fit of sorts. Stay calm and stubborn in your resolve, and he'll get it. Only when he allows you to set the bowl down, and tell him it is Ok, should he dive in to the food.
Don't let him frustrate you with his rising frustration either. You are the Ultimate Resource Provider, you have reason and patience on your side. He is hungry.
5. Repeat with the other 3 portions of his meal. Asking for Sit and making him wait for the release word.
6. As he gets better at this, turn up the challenge by putting the bowl down farther away. Or making him Sit just a little longer before you let him go eat it. Or even, tell him to go Sit on hit mat, while you walk to the other side of the room, put the bowl down, open a window, gently toss a toy across their path, all while you munch on a sandwich...The point being, go slowly, but be creative. This learning to Stay Still thing can be utilized in so many ways....and they don't always have to just Sit--try teaching him to Down for this as well.
While learning to wait is good, asking too much of a dog before he is ready can backfire on you. Work him up to those 3 minute waits for dinner...Unfair to make him stare, drooling at his bowl for an hour...
TROUBLESHOOTING:
*My Dog is so hyper! She knocks the bowl out of my hands before I can even take it off the counter!
Start with Dog behind a gate, in a secure pen, or in a (preferably) wire-style crate.
With dog in crate, or behind gate, hold the bowl, and ask for that Sit behavior. Raise or lower the bowl as previously instructed. Once the dog has figured out that you will only place the bowl on the floor when they are seated, then you can allow them out of the kennel/crate to go and eat.
Important Note: You may need extra time here-- If Dog tries to push their way out of the crate/kennel, you must spend time to teach him to remain seated until you have the door open, and you have given him a verbal cue to "ok" or "free."
If necessary, keep a leash attached to him so that you can "catch" him as he tries to push out of crate, and put him back in to the crate (gently) without allowing him to access the food, until he can be calm about the process.
*I do not have enough space for a kennel/crate, how can I slow my Dog down?
If you can, enlist the help of someone who can simply hold on to your dog's leash, while you handle the food bowl. Please make certain that this person will act like a tie-out pole, and not try to control, touch, talk to or otherwise intervene with the dog. This works wonderfully when you give the release word to the dog, as you can just have your helper drop the leash to free the dog.
Alternatively, tie your dog to something stout if working solo. This gives the added benefit of teaching the dog that they aren't going anywhere, until you get back to unclip the leash. But remember to make them sit politely for you to free them.
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