Help please my cavalier got aggressive

[juju]

This morning I gave my dog a kong and I wanted to see if he had any chicken left in it, so I gave him a treat and went to take it off him and he got really aggressive towards me I was taken back by this, luckily he didnt bite me so what I then did was call him to me put him in the kitchen and took away the kong.Any ideas how I can stop this please.

[Karen]

History - how old is the dog, has he ever displayed food agression before?

[juju]

he is 18months old, he isnt just aggressive with food it can be a ball or a stick, but I have never known it this bad.

[Opilies]

I was advised from the SF SPCA to hand feed my dog her kibble, one by one. I was not to let her have the kibble if she pushed me, only if she took it nicely from my fingers. She was pushy and kind of a bully as a pup, even got expelled from doggy day care. That's when I seeked advice. It really helped, although it took a long time to feed her. I forget the rationale behind it, something about teaching the dog that food comes from you and they should wait nicely in order to get fed. To this day, my sweet OP, has the softest tongue when I give her treats.

Also try putting a leash on him before you give him a kong. This way if he gets aggressive when you take the kong away, you have the leash to hold him back. Practice taking it away. Take it for a few seconds and then give it back if he is good. I have a new terrier mix puppy and he got a little aggressive on me. Fortunately he was only 6 weeks or so and I gave him a big NO and it worked. I also give a chew treat and then take it away for a second or so and then give it back. I do it to let him know that when I take something away it is not forever, especially if he is nice about it.

[CagneyDog]

it for a few seconds and then give it back if he is good

I think if he gets agressive you should take the kong away completely. Don't give it back that day at all.

[juju]

Thanks for the reply,how long do I need to feed him by hand, weeks or months.





julie

[Karen]

Until you seem to be in control and he's no longer displaying that aggression. Sometimes you may need to "review" it with him as well, but he will end up a happier dog anyway.

[Mazie]

With a dog that is resource guarding (which is what it sounds like yours is doing - guarding treats, food, toys, etc) don't just take the item away and then return it if he's good. Instead, trade the item for something better. For example, if you take the food bowl away, the dog gets a kong with peanutbutter as a trade. if you take away a toy, it gets a treat. This way the dog learns that when you take something, your not "stealing" his stuff, you are rewarding him for giving up what he has. When i did this with my dogs I also put a command to it. I simply say "trade" and the dog drops what is in his mouth and looks to me to see what he gets instead.