Growling behaviour... - Page 5

LOL..Jenni.

i am the same way........lets just say you growl you dont eat....you curl your lip when i rub your muzzle while you eat...you will be licking my fingers for gravy off the food...winthin a month I was able to pry his mouth open stick my fingers in his mouth and pull his food out...and he would walk away....interestingly enough he will try growl thing about once a year..and he gets a harsh reminder who owns what and whom.

I would like to see a video in order to maybe get a clearer idea of exactly what's going on.  There are dogs who are truly aggressive and possessive over their feed bowls and there are dogs that get really excited at meal time, real "talky" while they eat, but have no intention of biting.  

Either way, although you have good intentions, you may well be escalating the situation and creating more conflict without knowing it.  Therefore  I agree with those who have said best thing would be for someone who knows what they are doing to go to your house, watch feeding time,  in order to determine what you need to do to remedy the  situation.  I would say until you have the help of someone more experienced, feed the dog in his crate and leave him alone, so as not to make the situation worse than it is now. 
 

My point is that this is not complicated. It's undesireable behavior; fix it. He now has a bigger problem because it's gone on so long, so more drastic measures are needed. 

I will agree that what I do would likely not work for Swifteagle because we are in a totally different mindset. When an obnoxious little snot attacks me for walking into my own kitchen just because he happens to be eating food that I gave him, my first thought is not to seek internet advice, or wonder if I should just leave him alone. 

FYI, I do leave my dogs alone while eating. When I say food aggression, I mean leaving the room to attack anyone that comes near when they're eating; I don't mean growling when I'm harassing them while eating, though they don't do that, either. 

yeah, hehehe I have one who to this day will sometimes forget who he is talking to  for a moment and when he does grumble at me I have a "say what? and oh no you didn't" in his face "conversation" with the darling boy, in which I remind him quite quickly of the consequences and why talking back to me is a really bad idea on his part.  The difference is this is very clear to my dog, there is no conflict, it's over very quickly and we both can move on, it doesn't escalate because he knows exactly where that leads and it's not pleasant for him.  To me, the OP has not been able to do this with the dog, so the dog is confused and conflicted and continues to escalate, which means it's time someone who knows how to deal with feeding issues steps in.

 Swifteagle...

         Your Quote..."Many people here in this forum and in my club are of the school of thought of why bother your dog when he/she is eating... "


         IMO this is just ignoring a problem that is not going to go away...One thing can lead to another, and another and another...You appear determined to correct the problem....I think the fact that you are asking again tells me you know this behavior is not acceptable ....Good Luck...: )

Hi Swifteagle:

IMO you and your puppy are past the point of rolling him on his back - all he views this as is " my human mother is nagging me again".   You need other methods now and I am not suggesting abusive treatment of this pup.   You are not "breaking" your dog's spirit - so please do not dwell on that - that's just unfounded guilt. 

 Again - I would suggest that you get a trainer ASAP and follow their advice.  You have a very small window of opportunity to address this issue and then the behavior will become set and other dominance issues will arise.  You have to look deep within yourself and ask " how hard will I work at fixing this problem...do I have what it takes".  Know that you will have to give 110% to restructuring your relationship with your pup.  Yes - it will take work and  alittle time but along the way you will learn alot about yourself and gain in knowledge about dogs.  When you purchased/adopted your pup, you made a committment to help him reach his potential, please do not deprive him and yourself of the wonderful opportunities within your reach.  Do the right thing and get help with this problem.

Cassandra

I believe you do not fully understand the serious situation you are heading for with this dog. He can not be allowed to believe he is in control of you. If you allow him to be "food aggressive" it will not end there. You will end up with a dog that believes this aggression is ok when he dose not like your actions. Dogs do not have that right in my home. You may find yourself with a dog who comes to the conclusion a small child has strayed to close to his bone, toy, food, etc. and with possession aggression, only negative outcomes are possible, and very often the highest cost is to the dog. My dogs have no doubt who is in control in the home. They respect all members of the family, and know their place, AT MY FEET. : ) I grew up out west, we had wolves, they assimilate into your family pack, but they will all challenge for the alpha position in the home. (usually at the point of sexual maturity)  Just like in they would their wild pack. Leave it unresolved, and you may have a killer on your hands. Perhaps this is the reason, I take any sign of aggression from a dog in the home extremely seriously, and you should too Swiftegale. This is a larger issue than just some growling at mealtime. You are not having success in addressing the issue IMO, so please for your safety, and the safety of those who encounter your dog, get professional help.