How To Cure A Food Aggressive Dog

How to Curb Dog Food Aggression

While most dogs happily eat their food without any unwanted behaviors, some dogs exhibit what is known as “food aggression.” Food aggression is when your dog starts to show its teeth or growl at you as it is eating, protecting its food as though it belongs exclusively to him or her. Food aggression may not seem like a big deal – it is not as though you are going to try to steal your dog’s food any time soon – but it can be a sign of a larger problem and also runs the risk of dangerous accidents should a small child or unknowing friend reach towards your dog’s dish.

What is the Cause of Food Aggression?

Food aggression may be caused by extreme hunger, in which case you simply need to be feeding your dog more. But in most cases food aggression is caused by confusion about who is the pack leader. It is very important that you establish yourself as the alpha in your dog’s life. You should be seen as the one in charge, and though often times pet owners want their pet to feel like one of the family, it should be noted that a dog that does not know its place can suffer from internal stress that shortens its life span. Pecking orders are not just part of an animal’s behavior, but are healthier for your pet as well.

Pack leaders do not get their food taken from them, and so they show aggression to others that are trying to take their food. This aggression can lead to barking and angry biting, and it needs to be addressed.

Ways to Stop Food Aggression

• Give your dog a command before you give it its food.

Commands are a form of dominance. Tell your dog to sit or lay down before you feed it, and do not give it its food until it does. This helps your dog realize that you are the boss, and you control whether your dog eats or not.

• Give your dog commands while it is eating.

If you tell your dog to come to you or to do a trick while it is eating, and then reward it, it will start picking up on your ability to take it away from its food, and also notice that your presence while it is eating is welcomed, since you are giving it a treat.

• Never back away from an aggressive eating dog.

It can be a little scary, but if you back away from an aggressive dog you are confirming its belief that it is alpha. Stay firm (but stay safe), and do not run away just because your dog is showing teeth. Don’t be aggressive either, otherwise you may put yourself in danger. Instead, stay where you are, stare down your dog, and address the food aggression another day.

• Always feed your dog last.

Dogs eat in terms of a pecking order. The alpha always eats first, followed by the subordinates in terms of hierarchy. Your dog should always be fed last, and should see you eating first.

• Take your dog away from the food.

Feed your dog on a leash. If your dog shows aggression, give it a slight tug away from its food. It would be dangerous to take the food away from your dog, so tugging your dog away is the next best thing.

Food aggression needs to be dealt with. With this, and other unwanted dog behavior, you need to make sure you have expert advice telling you how to handle these unique creatures. To learn more about dog behaviors, sign up for our newsletter today.