Ways to Stop Dog Food Aggression
You love feeding your dog don’t you? When they eat the food you have laid down for it, it always gives you an assurance that it is getting the proper nourishment it needs. However feeding is not always a happy scenario especially when your pet begins to growl at anyone when it is eating. Maybe the pooch thinks you will take its food away that’s why it hates when you approach it at meal time. This is called dog food aggression and you need to stop this behavior because this aggression might not be only observed during meal times. This bad behavior can due to its fear of hunger or just a result of its domineering character.
What you need to establish here is to show to it who is the master. The first step is to be consistent with your rules. Dog food aggression can be eliminated if you follow your very own rules. What you need to do here is to provide exact feeding schedule for your pet. Never give it something to eat at anytime of the day. It will ignore its meal time when it is already full from all those delicious dog treats. When feeding time comes your dog is expected to eat however when it gets too picky and tends to ignore the meal for about 20 minutes then keep the food away and do not offer anything until the next meal time.
I know it sounds harsh or maybe even cruel but you have to understand that you are the master and your pet should follow you, not the other way around. In due time your pooch will learn that it must follow its feeding schedule otherwise it won’t be eating anything. The second step to stop dog food aggression is by eating ahead of your dog. You should see to it that your family eats ahead otherwise when you always feed it first it will get the idea of being more important than anyone else. It should learn the valuable lesson of waiting and obedience.
Avoid giving table scraps because it will always stay under your table every time you eat plus it might not be good for its consumption. After your meal, feed it in its own designated area. If it is a young puppy, dog food aggression might not be that severe. You just let it follow its feeding schedule and always watch it when it eats so it will be used to have someone watching over. Some breeds have that domineering trait and when you watch it eat it gets aggressive. Your young pup must be used to eating with a company.
If it behaves just fine give it an additional treat. You have to assure your pet that you are not taking away it meal. However when you got an older dog you must be patient enough to train it. Its dog food aggression might need a little more attention and effort on your part. In addition to the first two steps you must give only a small portion at first. Then after a few minutes add a little more until your pooch gets the idea that you have the food and it can only have it when you approach it during meal time.
This process might take longer so try to be patient. In time your problems about dog food aggression will eventually come to an end.
By Alex De La Cruz
