grouling lab when eating

[sharla123]

4 month old lab growls when eating , if i need to take anything away from him for saftey reasons i ,or my young children dont want to get hurt . we love the dog but he will have to go if he gets any worse. he is great in every other way and a joy to have please help.

[Kleiber]

Dogs often do this - they're being possessive over what they think is rightfully theirs. It's a pack thing - they are trying to assert their place in the pack (your family). You have to show them that you are the leader of the pack, so be firm and say, "No" and then take the food away. Let him have it back in a minute or so. He's only 4 months old and you have to stop this now, before he gets much older, or you could have problems. Don't let the children near him while he's eating, but you yourself have to let him know that you are the boss. Once he knows that when you take his food away, he'll get it back again, he'll realise you're not a threat and will probably calm down. A male dog will always try & be dominant, so you have to assert your position as "leader of the pack" otherwise you will have problems later. As I said, he's still young, so you have every chance of success. Be firm, but kind and let him know his position in the family. Good luck. K

[Batchelorett]

My good god.....this advice is appaulling...aggression breeds aggression.

Taking the food away just reinforces what the dog thinks already. You need to change his mind, not proove it to him that you are going to take the food away!!!!!

He will just guard all the more taking this advice.

He is basically guarding a resource. One which keeps him alive - food.

To take a bowl away from an already guarding dog is asking to get bitten and the person who told you to do that is a prick.

Also a decent hehaviourist should never give advice so flippantly, if you'd like any help please email me and Ill give you my phone number.

[email protected]

[kita1]

Agree with Batchelorett.

If someone kept taking your food away just as you sat down to dinner what would you do?

The following is advice given by Gill White on the TTL site. http://ttlntl.co.uk

In the wild, our dogs would work together as a "pack" to get the food they need for survival. They would then protect the food they were eating as their survival depends on it. The domesticated dog is not much different, especially if food resources play an important part in its daily likes. The fastest way to teach this kind of dog to become aggressive around its food bowl, is to try to keep taking it away, to see if you can. You confirm to the dog, that you are a threat around its food and besides if someone gave me my diner and then kept trying to take it away whilst I was in the middle of eating, I, like the dog, would give them a firm slap!
The way to deal with this problem is before mixing the food up attach a "Houseline" to his collar. A Houseline is a long, light weight lead without a loop or handle and can either be purchased or made by yourself. It must not be the lead you would normally use to exercise your dog. Now, with your dog on the Houseline, mix his food up in full view of him and on three separate saucers put something very tasty. For instance, saucer 1 may have some chicken, saucer 2 a sardine and saucer 3 some small chopped up dried liver. Now, holding the end of the houseline, place the dogs ordinary food bowl, containing his normal daily food, onto the floor and allow him to have a few mouthfuls. Using the Houseline, walk away from the food bowl to the other end of the room bringing your dog with you. There is no need to say anything.

[kita1]

There is no need to say anything. Shorten the lead and keep the dog behind you, approach the food bowl, pick it up and empty the first saucer containing the chicken into it, allowing the dog to see you do this. Place the bowl down again and let the dog eat the chicken. Then again, walk away bringing the dog with you, shorten the lead and keep the dog behind you as you retrieve the bowl. Empty the second saucer into it, place it down and allow the dog to eat the sardine. Repeat again until all three saucers have been used.
After you have been doing this for a week or so, you may remove the houseline as you should see the dog is more than happy to move back when you approach the bowl in anticipation of receiving something in it tastier than he is normally fed. Gill.

[Kleiber]

I don't appreciate being referred to as a "Prick" on here!! I have had dogs all my life, including Police dogs and the whole point I'm making is that YOU HAVE TO SHOW THEM WHO'S THE BOSS!! Yes, I know I'm shouting!! If you let the dog get away with this sort of behaviour, you're asking for trouble later (not you, sharla, but these idiots who are supposed to be giving you "advice"!!). You're not being aggressive by tqking the food away, and any way, what I said was to get him used to people going near him when he's eating, not to start a fight! My 2 will allow me to take their food, if I want to, they even allow the cats to go & eat from their bowls when they are eating. They are 2 of the best behaved dogs around, but would still be aggressive if protecting me.
I don't know where you learned about dog behaviour from, Batchelorette.

[kita1]

I don't appreciate being referred to as 'an idiot' either Kleiber!!!!!

The 'advice' I gave was, as I acknowledged, given by a well known and well respected behaviourist who has many years experience of dogs (including rescue/problem dogs).

[meltoadhall]

Sharla didnt say about taking food away but other things for safety!!
I would suggest that you and all the huimans in the house have something to eat before he eats and there should be no need to remove his food before he has finished, teach your children to leave the dog alone when he's eating, have you thought of crate training?
a super book/dvd to get is Jan Fennel the dog listener loads of advice and worked for us.
your dog thinks that he is the leader of your pack and everything belongs to him you need to become the leader and he needs to be bottom of the heap.
he has to realise that everything comes from and belongs to you including his food toys treats etc..
lots of info on the web to show you how to become leader of your pack

hope this helps - you could also look at cesar milan the dog whisperer his book is full of help

[Kleiber]

Sorry, kita, I wasn't referring to you exactly (added an "s" by mistake)

[Bellringer]

I'm with kleiber, When I have a pup I always take the food from it in the early days. I give it back almost straight away. but make the pauses longer (within reason). Also I do not let my dogs eat until I tell them to. That way anyone can get close to them at feeding times. More to the point if anyone in the pub offers them food, which may not be suitable, they won't take it.

[Kleiber]

Thank you, Bellringer - I thought I was the only one who believed in discipline! After all, we're talking about a 16 week-old puppy here, not a fully-grown Rottweiler!! Dogs, like children, have to know their place in the family. I would always praise the dog when I returned its food, so it knows that it's appreciated for allowing me to take it in the first place. Mutual respect and pack heirarchy is what we're trying to achieve. Cheers again, K

[winny]

I would deffinatly go for the dog listener book. Jan Fennel is great. You have to remember dogs can be possessive over toys and food and if he takes a liking to a childs toy then you have problems. I quite agree you are sensible to realise this and sort it now. Practice with toys too so he always gets a treat for giving a toy up nicely and give it straight back then he will realize it not so bad giving it up as he gets a treat and gets it back anyway. Food is odd I have never had the problem although have seen it on tv where they feed a handfull at a time in the bowl so the dog learns the food comes from you and twigs that the hand in the food bowl is good as it puts stuff in not takes it out. I have to admit to raising my dogs bowl occasionally and putting it straight down again to re inforce the fact if i take it away i give it back but i am not curing a problem.
If you read that book you will see the pack leader status is gained by subtle power not bullying. Good luck. I wonder if making the dog sit and wait whilst fou put the bowl down will help. Good luck