QUESTION:
My six month old pup growls at me when I get too close to his food dish. I'm worried because my grandchildren visit and I'm afraid they'll get bit. Can you help?
ANSWER:
You're right to be worried. Most dog bites come from our own family pets, and children receive the majority of bites. Many bites are caused from kids coming too close to the food bowl.
It is a normal canine instinct to guard one's food. If wolves didn't keep their food from other predators, they would have starved. Since dogs are descended from wolves, they share the same need to protect their provisions.
We humans need to teach our dogs to LOVE having people approach their food bowls. Your dog can learn this too. However, in this public forum, I can't give you the individualized help you need. Find a behavioral trainer who has dealt with many food guarding cases and uses reward-based methods. Punishment will only increase your pup's fear and aggression. A behavioral program needs to be set up to teach your pup that good things happen when humans approach his bowl. Make sure the final exercises involve children.
Food guarding problems can be avoided if you start playing the following "food bowl games" when your pup is very young, 8-16 weeks. If your dog is already growling, snapping, or biting, don't do the following exercises.. Instead, call a behavioral trainer for help.
In her excellent book, "The Culture Clash", behavioral trainer Jean Donaldson includes anti-food guarding exercises. She suggests sitting by the food bowl while your young pup eats. Dangle your hand over the bowl and drop morsels of food in, little by little. Walk toward the bowl and "spruce it up" periodically with something tastier. Try adding bites of canned food, cottage cheese, or freeze-dried liver. When your pup loves having you near his food bowl, have family and then friends do the exercises. Lastly, have children join in.
One is always told, "never approach a dog when he is eating." Unfortunately, we can't be there to supervise our kids one hundred per cent of the time. Play these food bowl games with your pup, and you shouldn't have to worry about dog bites.
Carole Schatz
Behavior Solutions APDT# 72c expires 2-20-02
dogtchr@webtv.net
619-462-4077
San Diego, Ca.
Teaching pets and their people since '79
Do you have a question for Carole? You can reach her at the email address listed on her resume. Perhaps she will use it in an upcoming article on this Web site.