Preventing Food Aggression

Resource guarding is a dangerous behavior problem that can get out of hand very quickly and requires the expertise of a trainer to solve. Usually, the things that dogs tend to guard are: food, toys or objects, space and sometimes people or other animals they consider to be part of their pack.

In this post, we’re going to focus on food.

The good news is that resource guarding or food aggression more specifically is preventable so long as you follow these rules for the life of your dog, not just during puppyhood or during the first month you have your new dog. This is a way of life, not just a phase you go through.

So let’s start with our first rule: Your dog should never feel rushed or bothered while it is eating.

Dogs don’t develop food aggression if there is no need to guard their food in the first place. So when your dog is eating out of their bowl you must let your dog be.

That means no kids going up to your dog, no other dogs allowed near your new dog and you are not to interfere with your dog while they're eating. Feeding your dog in their crate is a great way to ensure your dog eats un-bothered or blocking off the room the dog is eating in while they eat is another great way of preventing anyone or your other dogs, if you have any, from making your new dog feel like they need to guard and protect their food because of the pressure that is being putting on them during meal-time.

Hand-feeding avoids all of this, so I urge you to hand-feed as much as you can. Hand feeding is dead simple. Hold the bowl in one hand, grab a handful in the other hand and feed it to your dog. Easy as pie and a great relationship builder. Just don't do this with two dogs at once. Remember, feed one at a time so there is no element of competition. Competition over resources is what builds guarding behavior. 

Rule #2: Any time you are training I also want you to prevent other dogs in your household, if you have any, from interfering. The dog you are working with deserves your undivided attention and should not be placed in a contest for their rewards against your more experienced dogs. So train separately. Train in another room or put your other dogs in their crates while you work with your one dog.

Rule #3: Make sure your dog enjoys food chews or kongs in peace and trade for the chew. Don’t allow other dogs to take treats from each other and also teach your children to leave your dog alone when they have their treat. You can accomplish this easily by only allowing your dog to chew their treats when they’re in their crate, or by having all of your dogs on place while they have their treats.

The second half of this rule is trading for the chew. If you need to take the chew away from your dog, toss it a treat or a few pieces of food away from the chew and when your dog goes to get what you offered, go pick up the chew.

This prevents your dog from feeling like whenever you approach while they have a chew, you’re going to steal it away. If you do the trade in the exact steps I described, your dog will actually look forward to you approaching while they’re chewing away on a bone because you could be bringing more yummy treats with you. You should practice this by approaching, tossing food, letting your dog go get the tossed food, letting them return to their chew and you walking away. Make sure more often than not, you are approaching to just give extra rather than take the chew after your dog leaves it otherwise they may become suspicious of your trade and choose to guard or stay with their chew.

Rule 4: Avoid Free-Feeding: Free-feeding, where food is left out all day for the dog to graze, can contribute to food aggression. Instead, establish a set feeding schedule, providing meals at the same time every day and picking the bowl up after 15 minutes regardless of how much your dog ate. Regular meal times create a predictable routine, reducing anxiety and insecurity around food for your dog.

Alright, so let’s recap how we’re going to prevent food aggression:
✅ You're going to ensure all of your dogs eat their meals undisturbed
✅ Your dogs will be separated during mealtimes
✅ You're going to train each dog separately from the other dogs
✅ All dogs get chews either in their crates or on place and no one is to disturb them
✅ You'll practice trading and most often, giving extra when your dogs have something
✅ You will stick to a regular feeding schedule

Follow these rules for the lifetime of your dog and you’ll be doing everything right to prevent food aggression.