Jump to content
BC Boards

I need some advice please...!!


Recommended Posts

Hello all, I'm new to this board, so please bear with me.

 

We have a 12 week old Collie called Jess, she's a very good dog all round but we just have one potential problem that I'd like to nip in the bud.

 

When we give her dinner, we make her sit for it then say 'get it', but if anyone goes near the bowl when she's eating she's growls and can get quite vicious. I don't like this as we have young children in the house and they may go near her without us seeing them.

 

Has anyone else experienced this and what can we do to stop her from doing this.

 

TIA, Laura x

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest WoobiesMom

Google "Nothing In Life Is Free" and follow it to the letter, this is definitely something to be nipped in the bud and can usually be easily overcome at this young age. Make sure that the children hand feed your dog with your supervision also so that it views them as the source of authority as well. Good Luck! The process really works in most instances.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

I can take food away from my dog, but I'm not sure others could. Since I live alone with him, I haven't really been able to practice letting other people take food. BUT...

 

My trainer had good success with his dog, who is an Akita who started out reactive and ill-socialized, if I recall. The man has a grandchild, so needed to get the dog rock-solid on allowing peple near his dish. He practiced "trade" a lot. He would trade the food bowl for some high-value treat like chicken or hot dog. Then he'd put the bowl right back. Eventually, he'd have the toddler walk up to the bowl and drop the high value treat right in - so the dog came to associate the approach of anyone to his food dish with happiness and high expectations of good things.

 

I'm sure there's more to the system than I can remember. The trainer has a website with advice columns he's written for the local paper. The section on general aggression talks several times about food bowl aggression.

 

http://www.1gooddog.com/training_advice/ag...food_possession

 

Hope that helps!

 

Mary

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree NILIF is one of the best way to go.

 

But here's my question about hand feeding: What if the dog has a rawhide? Is the small kid supposed to come up and trade with KIBBLE?! There is, in my view, too much risk of possible reconstructive surgery. Jess needs a reliable Drop command. Joy is seven months old, and no matter what she has (she is fed raw, so she gets huge chunks of meat) food, toys, treats, things she's not supposed to have...she drops anything as soon as I yell 'OUT'!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What i did with my dog, is I made him sit b4 he got his food then i made him go get it, let him take a few bites and pull him back and make him sit b4 he could eat some more and let him go back and so on, and if he still growls b4 or during it, i take the food completely away and make him sit and i wait a few mins then i give it back to him and after diong that for about 1 week i can now take food out of his mouth and play wityh his food while hes eating. It worked great for me, you might try it and it might be great for you. I wish you the best of luck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do pretty much what Dobro said. I have had Black Jack sit before I give him his food since he came home with me. Now he sits before I even say anything, he just knows he needs to sit for his food, treats, etc. He has never been to bad letting me take his food. But sometimes he will push on my hand if I reach in the bowl to grab some. If he does I take the bowl, tell him to "sit", make him wait a minute, then give it back. I reach right back in and if he does it again I repeat taking it from him until he doesn't puch on my hand anymore. Good luck, and welcome to the boards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What I've done with my pup was to keep back a bit of food ,some thing extra good, and then when he'd eaten a bit I'd go over and pat him and add the extra food. I've also hand fed some meals. Now when I go over to him while he's eating he looks up in the hope that something good is coming. I've also taught him 'leave' and I can lift his food with no trouble. Mind you i don't think its fair to constantly interrupt a dog while he's eating. Just as long as you know you can. Teaching children to repect him is important too and they need to learn to let him eat in peace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest WoobiesMom

I've heard so many horror stories about dogs' reactions to rawhide, I would NOT have a child attempt to take that away, ever. My airedale growled terribly and lunged at one of my children when they attempted to touch his rawhide and it was the last one of his life. My vet says there is just something about rawhide that brings out the worst in dogs, so although Mr. Woobie has one available right now, if he shows the least bit of guarding, he'll never get another one. Luckily, he seems to prefer the petrified stuffed bone more than the rawhide anyway. As long as the dog is showing any type of inclination to be food aggressive, I would not introduce rawhide to the situation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NILF is a good idea.

 

An alternative, since the puppy is so small could be this. Put the food down let the dog eat. Then slowly while still standing, begin to push your legs (slowly, and confidently) between the dog and the bowl, till you are standing between the dog and bowl. So what if she nips, she's a puppy it wont hurtif you're wearing shoes. I would not do this with an older dog. Anyway get between the dog and bowl. If the dog tries to go around your leg, step in front. Basically take possession of the bowl. When she stops growling, fussing, nipping whatever let her eat again. Repeat this everyday over and over. And yes, that is a Ceasar Millan technique.

 

I DO think dogs should HAVE to let up on their food, toys whatever. I dont buy the whole "its not fair to interrupt" thing. What happens if the dog is eating something they arent supposed to, or something dangerous and you try to take it? I own the food, I give them food because I love them and they need it to survive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know how other dogs react to rawhide, but Molly definitely does not get possessive of hers. I can take it away with bare toes when she is lying under the table chewing it and she doesn't do anything at all.

 

While I don't have suggestions for improving it, I definitely recommend working on it ASAP. Imagine your dog gets a hold of something dangerous but thinks it is great. How do you get it back?

 

Molly has a very good drop command and we practice it regularly. Balls, toys, pine cones, other random things she collects outside. Also useful when she gets a hand or shirt by accident when playing.

 

Is it only food or does she do it with toys as well? Just thinking that if she is also possessive with toys, you could start by working with the toys and teaching her to swap toys for treats so she gets positive associations with the interference.

 

Can you get her to sit or anything while eating? Maybe get her to start by sitting so you could add food? Or give her small amounts at a time so her meal is broken up and she keeps having to sit to get more?

 

Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello all, I'm new to this board, so please bear with me.

 

We have a 12 week old Collie called Jess, she's a very good dog all round but we just have one potential problem that I'd like to nip in the bud.

 

When we give her dinner, we make her sit for it then say 'get it', but if anyone goes near the bowl when she's eating she's growls and can get quite vicious. I don't like this as we have young children in the house and they may go near her without us seeing them.

 

Has anyone else experienced this and what can we do to stop her from doing this.

 

TIA, Laura x

 

Hi Laura , I had a gsd pup a few yrs back she growled at my nephew over a bone she was chewing at my dads. All he did was walk past i think she was about 15 wks old maybe abit older . I dealt with the matter straight away as she was going to be a big dog .

What i did was try to remove the bone which she growled at me for so i told her no in a deep growling voice and took the bone and held her mouth shut no pressure and only for about 30 seconds until she whinned as it was uncomfortable for her but not painful then gave her the bone back let her chew for a min and then took it away again to which i got no reaction what so ever. After that i made sure i worked on the drop and give comands and frequently moved food and toys that she had just to reinforce what i had done previously and gave her a whole load of fuss for not reacting. I don't believe in using treats as a reward for everything as some dogs tend to just associate doing things for a treat and there arre going to be some situations where you need your dogs full cooperation and you don't have any treats to reward so i tend to mix the rewards sometimes mack will get a treat sometimes he'll just get me making a mad fuss and talking to him in high excited voice and this seems to work really well. How long have you had your puppy?and did it come from a big litter if so i could be a case of shes had to fight for food with her litter mates. ( not saying that there wouldn't have been enough food just some pups are really greedy and will try to take the loins share no matter how much food there is.) Goodluck

:rolleyes::D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh yes and Ceana has to sit before food as well.

 

It may sound crazy but I really think that one thing makes SUCH a huge difference. Riven will sit and wait for ever it seems to be told to eat. I came in one day and she had taken a mouthful of food and saw me walking into the kitchen and she spit it out LOL... didnt even chew it, just spit it out LOL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:rolleyes: I make Shelby and Wicket sit and wait until I give the OK command, but we had some issues with food aggresion between dogs. but I never had any issues with either dog growling at me or anybody else while eating, I think this may be that from day one, I would stick my hand in there, and for awhile I had to hand feed Shelby because she wouldn't eat at all!! and with rawhides......

Rawhides I would also take away from time to time, just to see how they would react. after they figured out that I would give it back, they are just fine. I also have other people do this as well. if you can get your children to hand feed her, WITH SUPERVISION and make sure that they understand that they are not to do that without an adult supervising them, that will be a step in the right direction. and I would start to do that with toys and treats and rawhides. (after you work out the food issue) small steps will lead you far :D

 

 

ETA: my post may seem a little ..... off beat..... my mind is slightly dead atm :D :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...