I just let my dog in for awhile, and he's eating now, and the weird thing is -- he will stop eating every once in awhile and just stare at me .. he's outside pottying now, but it was like 60 seconds and as he stared he gave a like upset or untrustworthy look, and then his head would go lower as he stared at me. I never looked away, but then he did. what's that mean? what should I have did/do?
2007-11-22 04:24:36 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
it sounds like the beginning of resource guarding/aggression to me. the staring is the dog asserting dominance over his resource (food), but will happen with a bone or even a toy.
this is a SERIOUS behavior. you must get this under control right away. it is VERY doable, in most cases.
i would begin working with a certified trainer on this and other behavior issues... they usually are not singular behaviors.
there are a number of ways to positively correct this, but because I cannot see it, i would not recommend a certain process. the trainer needs to assess all the dog's posturing etc and do this to see the severity of it and recommend a course of action appropriate to THIS dog.
please deal with this immediately, though. unchecked, it can become very serious very quickly.
there may be an overall dominance inbalance between you and your dog and the trainer will also see that and help to correct not only this behavior, but teach YOU how to properly handle and react.
most training is of the owner, believe it or not!
2007-11-22 04:37:43 · answer #1 · answered by cany 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
By staring into a dog or any animals eyes you are issuing a challenge. If the dog, or other animal is submissive it will look away if not then you may be in for an attack, even if you think it's only play. As far as messing with a dog when it's eating, i can take away anything my dog is eating with no problem, because I am the dominant pack leader.
2007-11-22 04:34:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like he's being possessive over his food. His staring at you could mean that he's warning you not to come too close or take his food away. If he ever growls or shows his teeth as you approach, you should hire a behaviorist to examine the situation and give you help.
But it might not be aggression. My dog tends to look at me before she eats, as if she's waiting for me to walk away so that she can eat in private, but she is by no means aggressive. It's actually sort of a submissive thing, like she's making sure I'm not going to eat the food first. Your dog could be doing something like that, but it's hard to tell without seeing it.
Either way, make your dog sit before giving him the food. This will help establish that you are dominant, and that you have control over his food.
2007-11-22 04:39:23 · answer #3 · answered by Steel 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You haven't mentioned what kind of dog you have? It is a sign of dominance when a dog stares at you-especially directly in the eyes. Lucky for you the dog looked away! That is good! When a dog stares or focus' on a particular dog or person that is not to be encouraged and the dog should be distracted or tell him to "leave it". How old is your dog?
2007-11-22 04:33:29 · answer #4 · answered by Dog Trainer 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It's a sign of dominance or a challenge for dominance. In the dog's world, the one that blinks or looks away first is giving up the challenge.
Sounds like you may have a pretty dominant dog. I think it would be valuable for you to read about dominance and leadership in dogs. If you have a dog that's willing to challenge you for the top spot, and you let them take it, that's often the start of real trouble.
Here's a couple of books I would recommend to you:
"The Other End of the Leash" by Patricia McConnell. This is about problems that people often have with dogs, with some suggestions about how to go about dealing with them.
"How To Speak Dog" by Stanley Coren. He discusses body language and vocalizations used by dogs to communicate status, intent, emotional state, etc., He discusses exactly what a stare like that means.
Both of these, plus a lot of other valuable books on training, dog rearing, pack structure, aggression and all sorts of topics can be obtained from Dogwise. Or check your library or local bookstore.
2007-11-22 04:43:59 · answer #5 · answered by drb 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Doesn't matter the breed or the age, that is a move to garner control and yes, it is good he looked away but it will likely escelate if you don't intervene. The suggestion of the first answerer to make him wait is a good one -- what I do with all of my dogs is have them sit and look at me, give me eye contact as I am wanting it and then mark the behavior and put the food down at my discretion -- I do the same thing with anything they want - going outside, food, everything. I have them do as I say and then decide when to allow them to have the food. I also stand there and can pick it up at any time without interference from them and put it back down where and when I want to. I don't do this in a mean way but in a calm, in control way so that the dogs realize that it is through me that all things are received. I actually make it a fun thing for them as it is part of their training so there isn't any conflict between us with regards to food or much of anything. He is testing you as he is wanting to horde the food and control the resources. You just need to make sure he is fully aware of who is really bringing home the groceries and who is in control of his life. I know of people that do this in sort of a mean way -- that too creates conflict and it isn't or shouldn't be about conflict but about him understanding that you are the human in control and what you desire is what will be done. Young dogs will tend to test you like this and often they see it in a game sort of way but if handled improperly, with him 'winning', it can lead to some serious problems in y'alls relationship.
2007-11-22 04:43:48 · answer #6 · answered by Nancy M 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well if this happened when your dog was eating maybe the dog is starting to get food aggressive.. this happened to my dog when he was a puppy.. all you have to do is make him sit and have him wait for about 10 seconds before you give him his food so that he knows that your in control.. also dont bother him while hes eating so he wont think you would take his food.. good luck and if that doesnt work call up your vets for advice.. they can most likely give you ideas over the phone.. also if there has been any big changes in your dogs life like a new puppy the dog might feel uneasy but if there is something new to him just try to get him used to it and he will be back to new within anytime☺♪♥
2007-11-22 04:30:29 · answer #7 · answered by chrissy 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Maybe he doesn't like being watched whilst eating or
has had food taken away from him before.
Does your dog growl if you go near him when he is eating as this can get out of control if not dealt with straight away.
You should give your vet a call as they will be able to give you all the advice you need or you could always try internet sites.
2007-11-22 04:39:43 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
Never mess around with a dog when he or she is eating. Any dog. That's trouble.
2007-11-22 04:38:01 · answer #9 · answered by Irish 7 · 0⤊ 5⤋