Dog Food Aggression Is Instinctive Behavior For Canines

Dogs in the wild protect their food, their mates, and their territory.  Aggression is necessary for their survival.  The most aggressive dog is the pack leader, or alpha male, and he enforces his position by being the dominant dog in the pack.

But the pack leader in your home shouldn’t be your dog.  If he is, you’re in for trouble, because he thinks he’s the alpha male, and, like he would in the wild, he’ll use canine aggression to enforce his position.  This is a dominance issue that won’t go away on its own.  You must take steps to deal with his aggressive behavior before it reaches a dangerous level.

Causes of Food Aggression In Dogs

Unfortunately, too many dog owners have the idea that puppy aggression around food is cute.  Encouraging this behavior is a serious training mistake many dog owners make.  Instead of being amused by canine food aggression, you need to nip this problem in the bud.

Your dog is confused in his mind about who the pack leader is.The way your dog understands it, there is a leadership vacuum if you don’t take the role of the alpha male, even if you’re female.  If you don’t step into the role, he will.  And he won’t be nice about enforcing his position in your household.

He thinks that since he’s top dog, he can take whatever he wants from whoever is lower in rank than him.  The reality is that the family dog should be at the bottom of the heap, not the top.  Anyone in the household should be able to take anything away from him, even his food.  Of course, you’re not really going to do this, but he needs to know where he stands in your household pack.

Dog Food Aggression Training

With a puppy, you’ll make it clear that having people or other animals around when he’s eating is OK.  Do this right from the beginning, and you’ll probably never have a problem with this type of canine aggression.  Anyone in the family should be able to safely stand right next to him at any time while he’s eating.You should take control of his food if this isn’t the case.

It’s always a good idea to feed your dog after you and your family have finished eating.  Your dog will instinctively understand that the alpha dog always eats first.This teaches your dog exactly where he ranks in the family is in relation to everyone else.

Require that your dog sit and stay quietly while you’re fixing his food.  If your dog growls, and demands food, don’t give in.  He needs to earn his food by behaving in a non-aggressive manner.

Never let your dog “win” his food by growling at you.  This only rewards his bad dog behavior and reinforces the very behavior you want to stop.

If dog food aggression is already a serious problem in your household, a dog behavior course should be your next step.  You can find a course that includes a consultation with an experienced dog trainer by clicking on any link in this article.

Under normal circumstances, dogs will only be aggressive when they feel threatened or in danger.  They will only attack after having displayed progressively more explicit warning gestures several times.

For an excellent dog training guide which will show you how to handle a growling dog, I strongly recommend that you look at: Growling Dogs.

Sometimes, dogs growl to communicate their needs. When dogs find out that this works, they are likely to try it again. It is hardly surprising that dog growling is a frequent problem because some people foolishly think that this is a sign that their dog will defend them. The reality is that the dog is more likely to be protecting himself and his stuff.

Growling dogs may be considered dangerous according to some legal definitions so may need to be confined accordingly. This could mean that he has to be placed in a crate, kept in a separate space, or confined to the back yard.

If your dog growls and he ends up getting what he wants, he will rapidly come to the conclusion that this is a very useful tool to get his own way. Understanding your dog’s requirements is a definite benefit in putting an end to this behavior.

Just a reminder, if you are looking for a great free site to help you handle growling dogs, you should take a look at: Dog Growls.

Here are just a few of the reasons why a dog growls:

1. He’s hungry. This is an excellent opportunity to show a dog how to convey his needs. In order for the food dish to be placed in front of the dog, he would need to behave correctly.
2. He wants to eliminate. Although some owners like the idea of their dog asking to be let outside to eliminate, this is an unreasonable expectation for a puppy, old or sick dog. So a dog dosn’t have to worry about getting his owner’s attention to let him outside, it is much better if regular outings for elimination are scheduled.
3. He is making sure his food is safe. Dogs may protect their food against a seeming threat (you!). Children must be taught to allow the dog to eat in peace and never try to remove the dog’s food. Adults must do the same thing; dogs need to understand that people provide them with food and don’t remove it. When it is safe to do so, food should be added to the dog’s bowl while he is eating.
4. As with food guarding, dogs may also safeguard their toys. Growling when someone approaches is frequently the first indication that a dog will bite if the warning is ignored. In this instance, the simplest thing to do is take the toy away from the dog permanently or only give it to him when he’s in his crate.
5. He has taken something and wishes to keep hold of it. Never chase your dog if he has taken something that belongs to you. So your dog will come to you on command, it is important that he receives obedience training.
6. Sometimes dog growling is an indication of his fear of being groomed or clipped. Considerable skill is necessary to groom some dogs and you should not try it yourself without the appropriate training.
7. Dog growling also occurs when the dog feels the need to protect himself from abuse or pain. An example might be that a child has constantly tormented the dog under the fence or hit him when his owner wasn’t looking, so the dog would growl when he came in contact with a child. Unfortunately, the dog will most likely be blamed for growling under these circumstances.
8. It can be fun for a dog to see his owner jump backwards when he growls. He must not be permitted to become accustomed to this behavior as he is likely to show aggression when his owner doesn’t jump if he growls. It is important to nip this behavior in the bud from the get go.

To learn more about what to do when dogs growl at you, I recommend that you check out the top selling dog training guide, Secrets to Dog Training.