I feed him twice a day. When I put the food down, he looks sad and walks toward me and sits down. It takes a couple of minutes before he eats. When he does, he doesn't even chew his dry food. He swallows it as fast as he can. If you get near him, he'll give a low growl, his body will shake and his back hair raises. He peed for the first time today when I walked toward him.....anyone have answers??
2006-10-09 13:47:33 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
This dog has some issues and they were probably caused by a human. He is grateful for the food and he wants to be left alone to eat. Dogs are pack animals and they are wild in certain areas of the brain. Food is something that they will fight for and over. The growl is instinct and doesn't mean he will attack but it's a warning to please stay away and let me eat. I would never allow a child or any person to play or tease or otherwise bother the dog while he is eating and watch for these signs of aggression when it comes to treats and toys too. You are going to need to be patient and reassure this dog that it will be fed and taken care of and loved. It has been abused , teased, or neglected in some way...has had to fend for himself and fight off other dogs to eat. So just feed him in a quiet place and leave him alone so he feels safe and can relax. This may be the best dog you ever had, may be a little over protective so, I would socialize with other grown ups and reassure him that no one is going to hurt him. Good luck.
The peeing is a sign of nerves and almost a submissive reaction so, just do the calming things and this should not be a big problem when he knows he is truly safe and protected by you! You didn't say where you got the dog. Also, dramamine is safe to use if you need to put him in a situation that might upset him, it calms them down. i had one Baby, she lived for 14 yrs. and when she went to the vet she lost control of her bladder and her bowels until he tols us about dramamine and then she was calm as a cucumber. She was put down last month, a great friend! Good luck.
2006-10-09 14:25:39 · answer #1 · answered by MISS-MARY 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Where did you get your dog from? He is showing signs that he has been exposed to an environment where he had to fight for his food. Are you abusive towards your dog? I ask because he is young but it seems he doesn't believe you can both be present while he is eating. He either "lets you have it" or shows agression when you approach. Both are MAJOR problems because they can be indicators of agression later on.
Consult with a dog trainer RIGHT AWAY before this agression becomes harmful. Hopefully, all you will have to do is get him used to your presence. When it's going as it should, you should be able to put your hand in your dogs food and it doesn't bother him.
2006-10-09 20:51:20 · answer #2 · answered by Krysdy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well if he gets lots of food he should not act like that.keep dry food in his bowl 24/7 so he knows theres allot of food.dogs will not over eat dry food if you keep the bowl full.move his bowl around the house so hes not gaurding that spot in the house.hand feed him for a day or so dog give him the food but not the bowl feed him as much as he will eat.if this dont work u better kick his as_ before he gets older and kicks yours.when ever get puppys at 8 weeks old u should alway have your hands in his food bowl so he knows its ok.the number one reason kids get bit is over food.your the boss not the dog and he has to know that.
2006-10-09 21:07:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow! That is a truly weird reaction to food! I would want to know if you have tried any other type of food. He may just not like this food. Has this been his reaction to food the whole time you have had him? It sounds like he had some trauma related to eating in the past, but since he is so young, it seems strange. One of our dogs inhales his food without chewing and chokes on it almost daily. I think this stems from his abusive and terrible puppyhood before we rescued him. He was starved and abused and had mange, so I think he inhales the food b/c he wants to make sure it doesn't "go away," if that makes sense. Now, I add water to the food to make it a little bit softer and it sort of sticks together and to the bowl, making it a little harder for him to eat so quickly.
I think it is extremely important for you to seek some help in getting over the food agression thing. Perhaps your vet or local pet store would have some resources for you. At my house, we will periodically put our hands in the dog food bowl, take it away from our dogs, pet, and "mess with" our dogs while eating. Just to make sure they know who is boss and that it is "our food and we just let them have some". A few of our dogs will exhibit some of the same behaviors you speak of (the low growl and hair raising), but only when one of the other dogs gets too close to their bowl- never to us.
As for the peeing, I can relate to that on some level. My shepard used to pee whenever he got excited or scared. He even peed on my friends shoes at times when they would come over and pet him. This went on for at least two years. I called him the "submissive pisser" for the longest time. I talked with my vet about this many times, but he said that he should grow out of it and he finally did! He still has an "episode" occasionally, but it is rare.
2006-10-09 21:03:55 · answer #4 · answered by Teacher 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree that your dog has an aggression/pack leader issue. It is only just starting and will get worse if you don't put a stop to it now. If you can't do it on your own you need an animal behavior person to help. You should take him to obedience and talk to the obedience instructor about that. Choose a reputable obedience school, ask the Humane Society or ASPCA. He could be dangerous around children and you certainly don't want that.
2006-10-09 21:23:56 · answer #5 · answered by porkchop 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He has food agression and seems to have a submissive peeing problem. After boarding my dog w/ a person who I think was mean to my dog she had this problem. Submissive peeing can be overcome w/ alot of love and attention, not mean disipline, this will make it worse. Your dog needs PROFESSIONAL behavioral help for the food agression, b/c this could lead to him biting someone who tries to touch his treats, toys, etc. (imagine if a kid tried to toucch his bowl??) It is really serious and important that you get this taken care of now. One way that helps is to feed them in a crate or area that no one is allowed in when he is eating to prevent a bite. But he needs to see a trainer!!!
2006-10-09 21:14:05 · answer #6 · answered by brsug15 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
your dog is showing hes the pack leader. you need to be pack leader, you can start making him earn his food. make him sit then feed him then gradually add more things he has to do to earn his food. the growling i'd make sure you tell him no! bad dog. don't feed him until he acts more calm and do not show any fear! the same when giving him water.
pack leaders decide who and when it's time to eat. it's not being
cruel, dogs understand pack leaders and will trust and obey them.
consult an obedience instructor, enroll him in classes. a trained dog is one you truly enjoy hanging out with.
2006-10-09 21:09:47 · answer #7 · answered by caesarsmom2 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
your dog i think is experiencing a bit of anxiety.
I would suggest actually sitting next to your dog and feeding it by hand, so it gets use to you being around with the food. Encourage it to eat by saying things like 'good dog' and others. It will comfort him in knowing that you're there with him and that the food isn't bad. Just sit there and pretend not to notice him, Dogs are intinctively curious so will approach you when you're close to the ground.
If it still doesn't like to eat, then i would suggest finding a treat that he really likes, and mixing the food with that. and still hand feeding it, it will soon realise that eating the food isn't a bad thing.
good luck!
2006-10-09 20:53:48 · answer #8 · answered by peramiell 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
he seems to be having food aggression, stop this soon, practice by holding him with one hand and picking up his food with the other, be careful, do this every so often so that he knows that you are the master not him and that you are not doing anything to hurt him. keep practicing this with him and he should start to get better, my puppy started having this problem with bone, we would take them away and then wait till he calmed down and than gave it back to him, he now has no problem taking anything from him or even getting in his face when eating. good luck, and be patient
2006-10-09 20:54:48 · answer #9 · answered by bholsinger3 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He sounds very insecure. If you got him from someone it seems he was not treated well. Cause is usually many litter mates and had to fight for the food. SO he may be showing its his....not a good answer but sure there are others on here to help you good luck
2006-10-09 20:51:18 · answer #10 · answered by possmdillolady 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋