food agression?

Question

my dog is 8 years old, a westie we got her when she was a puppy from a breeder so she wasnt abused so there's like no reason for her to have food agression and its weird like once you give her food she'll wait for you to pretend to want it and then'll she'll start eating. she'll let you pet har but she starts eating faster and then if you keep petting her she'll growl and then probably bite and a week ago i gave her a bone for her b-day and even if i came up to her while i had it she'd put her head low, protectively over the bone and growl and bare her lips at me. any help on how to make her stop thanks

Answer 1

you better get some really good and thick oven mitts and give her a bone and take it away and repeat. pet her when shes eating, take the food bowl away a few times during her meals. wear a thick winter jacket too if you need to. dont act afraid, she needs to know that you are the boss, my dogs would never do this to me, i could take a steak out of their mouth if i wanted to. youve gotta be strong about this, it is unacceptable behavior.

Answer 2

Well, I've never tried it on my dog because he's not food aggressive, but I've heard advice about trading treats. Like if your dog has a bone, come toward her with a treat she likes even more like peanut butter or something. When she drops the bone in anticipation of getting the new treat, take the bone, give her the treat. Then wait a little while and give her the bone back.

It's supposed to teach dogs that when you approach them with something they're territorial about, that you're not coming to snatch it away but give them a treat, so you replace the negative feelings with good feelings and they don't feel threatened anymore.

Answer 3

You can try this. When she's eating, walk up to her and give her a treat that is tastier than what she is eating. Keep repeating this until she willingly gives you her food in exchange for what you have instead (won't work in just one session. Be patient and consistent). The idea is eventually she will give up her food even when you don't have a treat. She will associate you taking her food as a positive thing.

Answer 4

It's called resource guarding. The book MINE! is a good one to check out.

Make taking things from her a game. Offer trades. Something better than what she has. Give her the good thing only if she lets you near or take her thing. Then give her thing back, repeat repeat repeat, until the dog thinks that someone coming to take their stuff is great. You can force a dog to give stuff up, but then if someone else goes near them they guard again, and possibly bite again. So don't go the force route, go the training route.

www.fearfuldogs.com

Answer 5

Well she is 8 so i don't know if there's anything you can do now. My puppy is 3 and she has no food aggression. Maybe it's just her age catching up with her If she didn't do it when she was younger what would be causing her to do this now.

Answer 6

well that should have been taken care of years ago. you can stop them from doing this but only when they are pups even the meanes one can be taught on food agression. but you hae to be stern. no w he will bite probably if they are near his food and you didn't not stop it i am not sure you can stop this so sorry take care.