How should we correct this dog behavior?

**diane21** · 10-30-2012, 01:33 AM

How should we go about correcting a dog who occasionally growls and even snaps at you when he perceives you to be trying to take his food or invade his space? This is an 8 year old terrier mix; adopted from a family who kept him outside his whole life. Sweet dog other that this, but he won't stop this behavior. What should be try? Thanks in advance.

**Freedom** · 10-30-2012, 09:41 AM

This will take time and patience. You need to be extremely cautious if you have children around this dog.

With time you can desensitize him, and get him to realize that something yummy is coming his way!

Start with trading. Have something yummy - a bit of hot dog, boiled boneless skinless chicken breast, or cheese. Call to get his attention and toss it away from his dish. As he goes to get it, toss another piece of yummy treat IN his dish AND WALK AWAY. You will have to do this over and over before you can move to the next step. At the start, you will see him perhaps charge back to his dish as you toss the second piece in. With time, he is going to wait for you to put the second treat in. When you see him do this - pause even a MOMENT - for the second treat to land in his dish, smile, say "YES!" and still move away. You want to "mark" or reinforce the positive action he does. DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT while you are doing this exercise. This may take 3 weeks, especially if you are only feeding him once a day. Patience.

Next step, you will PLACE rather than toss the second piece in his dish; and move the dish slightly. I'm talking fraction of an inch. Everything else stays the same. Tossing the first piece to make him move away (you want to be SAFE), no eye contact, "YES!" the moment he pauses, stops, lets you do what you want to do. If he growls, snaps, go back to the first step for another 4 days or more, then try again. You want to set him up for success. So if you move to a harder level and he reacts, he is not yet ready for that.

Next, you will actually PICK UP the dish to add the second piece. At first, you may be crouched down and only picking it up an inch off the ground. Again, if he is not ready for this, revert to the prior step for a longer time. And everything else stays the same.

The whole process could take several months. Just remember, this will pay off and you will have years of better behavior once you have calmed him. And these few months of training will fade into the background.

**jessewills** · 01-22-2013, 09:16 AM

Barking, biting, chewing are common behavioral problems in dogs. It can be handled with lots of patience and training. Dogs can be aggressive in certain cases. Try to be friendly with them and understand their problems. Don't ignore that they have an understanding behaviour that goes way beyond the usual. Experience and research. They both understand that each and every dog is an individual - a rare and valuable understanding.

**carrie** · 02-16-2013, 03:36 PM

Freedom and Lizbud have outlined the basic "remedy" for this behaviour very well, as always. They have an understanding of behaviour that goes way beyond the usual. Experience and research. They both understand that each and every dog is an individual - a rare and valuable understanding.

However - I believe with a passion that the feeding of dogs has a rule. If I give a dog food then that means that I have already eaten the bits that I want and deserve as the boss. I have given them the bits I couldn't or did not want to eat so it is now food that totally belongs to them. To try and take that food back is wrong and the dog has every right to defend what he now thinks is his. That is just how it works. As the boss of the pack you decide who eats what and when they eat and they have a right to defend it once you have given them ownership of it. The idea that you have to prove your dominance or control over a dog by being able to take it's food away is unfair. You are the boss, you gave this food, in giving the food you gave the dog ownership of the food and the right to defend it. A food aggressive dog is, to me, usually playing by the rules and is in the right. Simple - put your dog in a place where you can shut the door for ten minutes while the dog eats, remove and throw any food left over and do not allow anyone to disturb the dog while it is eating. Dog is happy, nobody gets hurt and it is a natural and easily accepted method.

**carrie** · 02-16-2013, 03:42 PM

Freedom and Lizbud have outlined the basic "remedy" for this behaviour very well, as always. They have an understanding of behaviour that goes way beyond the usual. Experience and research. They both understand that each and every dog is an individual - a rare and valuable understanding.

However - I believe with a passion that the feeding of dogs has a rule. If I give a dog food then that means that I have already eaten the bits that I want and deserve as the boss. I have given them the bits I couldn't or did not want to eat so it is now food that totally belongs to them. To try and take that food back is wrong and the dog has every right to defend what he now thinks is his. That is just how it works. As the boss of the pack you decide who eats what and when they eat and they have a right to defend it once you have given them ownership of it. The idea that you have to prove your dominance or control over a dog by being able to take it's food away is unfair. You are the boss, you gave this food, in giving the food you gave the dog ownership of the food and the right to defend it. A food aggressive dog is, to me, usually playing by the rules and is in the right. Simple - put your dog in a place where you can shut the door for ten minutes while the dog eats, remove and throw any food left over and do not allow anyone to disturb the dog while it is eating. Dog is happy, nobody gets hurt and it is a natural and easily accepted method.