Does Your Dog Have Food-Guarding Issues? – Part 2

Posted by Jeanne on October 12, 2009

Of course, if it’s too late for preventatives and your dog already has a problem serious food-guarding issues, you’ll need to adopt a very different approach.

Here’s what to do:

• The dog bowl is going to be put away for the next seven to ten days. Over this time, you’re going to be feeding your dog by hand – one small handful at a time. Yes, I know this is going to be time-consuming, but the alternative is even worse: a dangerous dog that can’t be trusted around food. So feed her by hand for the next week or so. Be sure not to encourage any greedy snapping or grabbing for the food: only allow her to take the food from your hand when she does so gently. Remind her that bite inhibition is necessary to get what she wants!
• Once at least a week has passed and she’s eating politely from your hand, you can reintroduce the food bowl, with one slight modification: it has to be empty. And it stays empty until you pass by and drop a small handful of kibble into it for her to eat. When that’s been polished off, wait at least a full minute before adding another, small, handful of kibble. Keep doing this until the entire meal’s been consumed – this is a very effective way of teaching your dog to actively long for your presence near her food bowl!
• When she’s graduated to the next stage, you can start setting down a half-empty food bowl for her. Don’t let her lunge at the bowl and start gobbling: holding the bowl out of reach (or placing it on a handy counter), make her sit and wait before you allow her to eat. Don’t put the bowl down until she complies. Sit or crouch beside the bowl and continue to add small handfuls of kibble, just as you did in step two, until a full meal’s been eaten.
• The fourth, and final, step is to allow her access to a full food bowl. Again, it’s very important that you do not allow her to call the shots: she must sit and wait until you release her with an “OK!” before she’s permitted to eat. To keep the message clear in your head that you are in charge of the food in this house, practice calling her away from her food a few times a week and rewarding her with a super-tasty treat for her exemplary obedience while she’s trying to eat.

If at any time your dog’s behavior gets shaky on any of these four steps, backslide until you’ve reached the stage at which she is 100% reliable. Wait at this stage for at least two or three more days before attempting to progress once more. As with any training, it’s essential that a solid foundation is built before moving on to the next level – she must be completely comfortable with each step before trying a new one.

Related posts

• Does Your Dog Have Food-Guarding Issues? – Part 1 (0)
• How to Train Your Dog Using Positive Reinforcement – Part 4 (0)
• How to Teach Your Dog Not to Jump on the Furniture! – Part 3 (0)
• How to Teach Your Dog Not to Jump on the Furniture! – Part 2 (1)
• How to Teach Your Dog Not to Jump on the Furniture! – Part 1 (0)