# Food Aggression



## Florida Cockapoo (Aug 24, 2012)

Piper is still showing food aggression. Now even with her huff and rawhide chews. So I have taken those away. She even gets aggressive when I'm trying to put the dishes away. Because she tries to lick the food off the dishes. Which I have always told her to get down. Tonight I had to remove her completely from the room.

It looked like she was doing better, but in the last few weeks it has gotten worse. Even in her training class she has gotten aggressive with two other dogs over a huff that was lying around. She only has growled and shown teeth. 

She is now about 6 1/2 months. We have taken anything that she "thinks" is food like the huff away. And don't bother her while she is eating. 

She doesn't get aggressive over non "food" items. She really does play well with other dogs even playing with another neighborhoods dog toy. They both were playing with it without any problems. Frankly I think this is the only main problem we are having. 

Do they out grow this?


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

Have you tried putting your hand near her feeding bowl when she's feeding? 
I did this from a very early age with both of mine. Putting my hand in the bowl with the food, and moving the bowl around a little. 
Another thing we were taught in puppy class was "food manners"
Hold a treat in your fist, let piper sniff away and nudge your hand.... But only let her have the treat, and open your hand when she has took a step back and is not "harassing" you for it.
My friends poo is very protective over food.
Ralph can be a bit aggressive and growl with ruby if he thinks she's getting something or a treat and he isn't


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

food affression is not something she will grow out of, it is something that you have to teach her, Lady showed some when she was that age, she was eating another dogs food out of the other dogs bowl, and he came to see what she was doing ( he is a laid back golden retriever) and she snarled at him. Lady needed to learn to share, and learn not to react that way. for two weeks we fed lady from our hands, so with us it was never an issue. but trading out bones and things is a good idea, so that she knows it is ok. have two treats take one off her, and give her another. Also Tracey's points are great....do all of them, and get her used to it.


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## RangerC (Jan 23, 2013)

I agree with Amanda in that they won't grow out of it. Barney has always been a greedy pig and I had to find ways of slowing him down when eating because he was just gulping it. I have always made him wait for the command to eat and he is brilliant at this. 

He has always been very protective of his food but I generally leave him be. However, he shocked me this week by snarling at me when I went to add something to his bowl. I got hold of his collar and had to physically restrain him. I am now feeding him from my hand - he's almost a year old.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Mine have never shown food aggression but I always leave them well alone when they eat and they respect each others space too.

I know some dogs just have that possessive instinct. We could never go near my cav if he had a bone but he was never aggressive in any other way so I taught my kids to keep away from him if he ever had one. He was also possessive of his sick! (Yes I know its horrible!) How about feeding her by hand? I have heard of people doing that.


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## Stela12 (Mar 1, 2012)

Unfortunately, I don’t think dogs outgrow this. Luckily there are things you can do to make it better. Stela is possessive too. She does not have the possessives over her regular food/food bowl, but she guards her bones-bully sticks and rawhides. We even had a trainer for this because I had to do something about it. I also read a very helpful book on it, called: Mine - http://www.amazon.com/Mine-Practical-Guide-Resource-Guarding/dp/0970562942
The book is very informative and practical. The trainer that we saw gave us a very similar plan to use to work with Stela. We just started two months ago…it is a very long process and since we started she has improved but it is something that constantly need to be kept up. I think you have a good chance of succeeding as Piper is still very young. 
If you wish you can PM me and I can send you the handout we were given.
Good luck!


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## Florida Cockapoo (Aug 24, 2012)

Thanks for the replies. I always have her sit and wait for her food until I say "All Done" then she goes to eat. The food treat in the hand is a good ideal. I have done a simile thing, but it was teaching the "Leave It" command. I try to leave her be while she is eating. I can go up to her and walk by her, but the minute I stand next to her she start growling. I got some info. from Petsmart from the trainer. 

Stela12 I'll PM you. 

I'm mainly concern when we leave her with other people. I'll have to have them "lock" her up while she eats and not give her any chews. I will be concern they will not remember that... 

I was "hoping" this was a faze she was going through.


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

Hope you can resolve it, I know someone who spent a while sorting her dog out with help of a trainer and I know it involved a lot of hand feeding, hope you get Stela12's info, I'll try and get more details from the lady I know as well.


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