What am I not doing?

[Sowa]

I've heard it's a good idea to put your hand in the pups bowl when it's young to prevent food aggression. I've been doing it off and on since I got her, and today she actually growled at me when I did it. I immediately corrected her and she had to wait til she was calm before she could eat again. I did it again, she growled. So I corrected again. The third time she didn't growl so I let her eat.

Am I not suppose to do this? I do not want her to be aggressive. I try to do everything I can think of to show her I'm in charge. She waits at the door for me to enter or leave first. She sleeps in a pen at night. She's not allowed up on any furniture. I feel I'm doing it right, so why would she feel she needs to growl at me? Obviously she doesn't see me as being the leader...So, how can I make her see I am?

[Karen]

You are not doing anything wrong, she is a puppy. She will test her boundaries over and over, until you are at your wits' end, and then suddenly she'll stop! I have never heard of putting your hand IN a dog's food bowl, mind you. But we never had a problem with food aggression, either.

[Sowa]

I just worry I'm doing it wrong and will MAKE her aggressive over her food. I just heard that if you do that she'll learn I can be around her food and she doesn't need to worry that I'll take it from her.

[Freedom]

LOL, te joys of puppy hood!

You are on the right track, as Karen said.

She is a puppy, learning things. I ve not heard of putting your hand in the bowl, but it sounds like you did very well, she learned that if she wanted to eat, she best NOT growl. GOOD JOB! Do this few times, and then you will think you are all set.

You are going to teach her lots. Some she will even master. And THEN . . . your beautifully trained baby girl is going to hit the teens years and rebel; you will feel you have to start all over again! Just stick with your training, you are doing great.

She isn't a teen yet, she is still just learning. I'm just pointing out, you will see set backs now and then, for varied reasons. Don't lose heart, just return to consistent training.

[Asiel]

You're actually doing everything right. Every dog will test you at some time as Karen said and your pup is doing it right now. Just be persistant and make sure she lets you do what you want with her bowl. Every so often when you take her bowl you could add something yummy in it so she realizes that it pays to let you be the boss. Work with the NILIF method and the pup will get on the right track real quick. Make her sit, down or stand before she gets to eat, that really works wonders too.

[Sowa]

You're actually doing everything right. Every dog will test you at some time as Karen said and your pup is doing it right now. Just be persistant and make sure she lets you do what you want with her bowl. Every so often when you take her bowl you could add something yummy in it so she realizes that it pays to let you be the boss. Work with the NILIF method and the pup will get on the right track real quick. Make her sit, down or stand before she gets to eat, that really works wonders too.

Thanks, it's good to know I'm not messing up. She has to sit, and wait calmly before she gets to eat. Sometimes I get her to "down" and "paw" too. This is the first she growled at me, she has growled at my boyfriend before too. He corrected her as well.

[dab_20]

Your doing well. I used to do that with Sam when he was a puppy, and he hasn't developed food aggression until recently. I think he learned it from Molli.

Molli is horribly food aggressive at times. As long as no one bothers her she won't snap. It's NO fun to deal with, better prevent it than let it start!

She's so young and still learning. Seems like your doing a great job with her so far!

[luvofallhorses]

Yeah you are doing nothing wrong especially if you want kids down the line if you don't have them that is... is she on NILIF?? (nothing in life is free) if not, do that with her it helps a lot of dogs that are dominant or trying to be. Just don't put your hands in her food AFTER giving it to her, that really isn't fair really.
http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

[SWHouston]

I don't see that you're doing anything wrong what so ever, but...
just don't give it a Key to the Refrigerator.

[IRescue452]

I don't think there's any particular move you're making that's totally wrong. Hand feeding or putting your hand in the bowl is great for teaching tolerance around the food bowl.

I hate to be mean, but I do think dogs pick up on personalities and with all the questions you've had, you seem very insecure. Not that this is unusual for a first time owner, especially if they've been exposed to extreme training methods like the dog whisperer. I don't believe you have a dominant personality to begin with. Dominance does not mean you are mean to the dog or some sort of punisher. It means you are confident and can lead naturally. Know what you want to do and do it, don't go into a situation with anxiety that it may not work. Its not really something that can be taught though, only developed perhaps with time and experience.

On another note, I think sleeping in the pen is a bunch of bologna. Yes, it great for a dog to be comfortable in the pen in case of emergency, but it does not make you any more of a leader. Let a puppy sleep on your lap and they will learn to be secure and totally relaxed around you. Make them sleep in a pen and they will be a "lone wolf" only secure enough to be sleeping deeply when they are alone, alert and awake when you let them out to be around you. Why would they have to be alert and awake when they are around you if they can trust you? Don't forget to play and have fun and don't worry that tug o war is going to make her aggressive. The bond you form with your dog will determine how well they will listen to you. Free-will following is always better than a dog who follows against their will.

[sasvermont]

I am impressed with all that you have taught your pupster so far. I would keep doing what you are doing with the food problem.

I have this thing that I do, or say, when my dog is doing something wrong. It stops her dead in her tracks....it's a word of sorts....I do a ...constant sound (pick you own...hey hey hey, or shhhhhhhhh or whatever...lol) that gets her attention and lets her know she needs to stop it....of course, it doesn't work when they are running away! The sound sometimes is easier than saying drop it....when she is outside especially.....

Wait is a really important doggie thing to. My dog gets it. She will stop on the steps or whatever she is doing.....well, most everything.

I still cannot get my dog to come to me off leash where there are no fences. She runs the other direction. I see more doggie training in my future!

Anyway, you are doing a fine job. Keep taking the upper hand with your pup, and you will be fine. It will pay off later in life, honestly.

Good luck. More pictures please.

[Friendy2004]

I know I almost NEVER post here, but I wanted to share this article about a dog & growling:

http://www.examiner.com/dog-training...g-for-growling

You can be leading yourself to even worse problems if you punish a dog from growling. Growling is not a behavior problem that your dog has - it is a reaction to YOUR behavior. You just need to find a different way to relate to your dog when it comes to food. Things like this game: http://tailsofsuccessny.com/web_medi...%20Command.pdf can be modified to work in favor of you AND your dog.

Just a different point of view - veering away from the whole 'pack leader' / 'dominance theory' ideas....

[K9soul]

I haven't been around here for some time, but I stopped by for a browse today and your post caught my eye.

I'm going to stray from popular opinion here and say that maybe you should back off a bit on the testing/dominance type things at mealtime. Growling is not always a sign of a dog thinking they are the leader. It's also a purely defensive gesture. I have 3 dogs, and my most submissive dog will most definitely growl defensively if he feels cornered and that he might lose his meal to my more dominant girl. As an aside, an interesting thing about this is my oldest and the one who is at the top of the pack order between them NEVER tries to take food or bones away from the other two. It's my middle girl who pushes more than she should. She never asserts her control or dominance by taking something that has been given to the others.

Anyway, it's possible if you do this at every feeding or most feedings that you are creating an anxious and defensive feeling environment for her when she is trying to eat. Some behaviorists even suggest when taking away something a dog isn't supposed to have that offering something (an appropriate toy) as an alternative is a positive way to redirect attention from what is being taken away. If your pup didn't growl before but is starting to, she might be feeling a mounting tension and increasing threat. If she is not growling as you approach her bowl, or give her a quick pat as she eats, I'd just let her eat in peace and foster a confidence that she has nothing to be defensive about.

It is just something to think about. It may not be dominance at all, but anxiety and pressure that she is feeling. If she then reacts because of that and is corrected, it could exacerbate issues in a way that is undesirable.

A few years ago I read a book called The Dog Listener by Jan Fennell. While I don't agree that there is any simple solution that deals with all dogs and all issues, her philosophy on showing leadership and assertion was one that really changed how I think about dogs and the cues they take from us. I even recall a chapter specifically dealing with food issues and her experience with it. I'd highly recommend the book for learning how to behave in a way that makes your dog choose to follow you as leader rather than enforcing it upon them.

[luvofallhorses]

Um punishing a dog for growling will NOT make them aggressive in my experience. Growling is not acceptable in my house and will not be tolerated unless the person deserves it.

If they are being a naughty puppy, it's BEST to teach them it is NOT acceptable to growl unless you are in a really bad situation and if the OP is planning on kids or has kids it's best that she plays with the food bowl a bit.

Unstable genetics is what causes aggression in dogs.. if you don't discipline your dog for growling the dog will think it's OK when it's not acceptable behavior to growl at the hand that feeds it. You should be able to take anything away from your dog.

I would understand if the dog was starved and scrounging on the streets for food and then was rescued; but this is a VERY young puppy we are talking about here. Better to put your hand in a dog's food bowl as a puppy than to try it when the dog is full grown and you had them since a pup. Like I said I think this dog would benefit from NILIF.

[K9soul]

Unstable genetics is what causes aggression in dogs..

That's a very broad and sweeping statement and one I disagree with strongly. Environmental factors and experiences can very much play a role in developing behavior problems including "aggression." I say "aggression" because far too often everything is thrown into the pot and called aggression when it's not. Insecurity, fear, defensiveness, anxiety can all play a part in a dog growling and it may have nothing to do with aggression. Genetics can certainly predispose dogs to being less mentally stable, just like a person can be more predisposed to depression or other mental problems genetically, but it is by far not only factor that determines if a person, or dog, will develop mental or emotional problems.

Puppyhood is a crucial time for a dog and they go through various stages as they learn to develop trust in the people around them. I'm not there, obviously, and can't see exactly what is going on, but it sounds like this food testing is done fairly often, and if so it could very well be causing an anxious and defensive situation for her. As a puppy she knows "I need food to survive" instinctively. She doesn't have the trust and understanding yet that comes with time in building a relationship between human and dog. It does not by any means necessarily mean she considers herself "the boss."

I understand this is a different viewpoint and perspective on the situation than what some others have presented. I'd like to point out that I'm not out to call anyone wrong or bad, but sometimes there are more complex factors going on that may not be taken into consideration, and it's always good to get those different perspectives and then make a decision on what feels right to you. Dogs are more complex than we give them credit for sometimes, and are certainly capable of becoming stressed and acting out. Sometimes it's good to take a step back and determine what we are doing and if there are different approaches we can make.

I've read countless books, watched anything I could find on dogs and dog behavior, because I think there is always more to learn. Even after having dogs for 25 some years I feel like I'm always learning something new, always considering a new perspective on something I hadn't considered before. Even when one author's view may clash with another's, I always feel like I take something of value from their insights and experiences.

Clover looks adorable and I hope you get through this little hitch with her quickly.

Edited to add: My own suggestion would be to start working with the "leave it" command. It's very easy and is a nice way to build trust between you and the pup as well as teach a valuable command. Make a game out if it. Make it fun. It will build your relationship and I bet will take care of any food protective reactions. Here's a link that explains more specifically how to teach it. http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/vie...it-command.htm Once she knows that, you can practice with her at dinnertime with setting her bowl down and having her leave it for a moment or two and then praising happily and saying ok so she can eat.