Calling a behaviorist would be good, but I'll just say what I would try.. I'm not saying to do it, I'm just looking at it from a Riley standpoint.


I think a lot of dogs can be that way around food. Since Riley was a dominant puppy we've been careful about how we've introduced her to food. I don't know if this will apply to other dogs, but it might be worth a shot.

Whenever Riley has a bone, a chewy, a cowhoof, or any other snack she loves, she'll take it and run when we go near. Now we have her on a leash in the house and we'll go up to her and play "my bone... your bone.. my bone, etc" We'll hold it and pretend like we're eating it, then give it back and do it again. She is a lot better about it now.

When she eats her dogfood she'll eat it fast but when someone goes near she will smash her face in the bottom of the bowl because she thinks we are going to take it. Today I went up to her and she did it and I pulled her off her dogfood and made her sit and wait for about 30 seconds.

If Riley had this problem with another dog in the house, I'd try a few different things (and this is me). I'd let the other dog chew a bone or whatever and hold Riley down so she saw them eating it. I'd just feel out how she is reacting to beanie with the food. Maybe give her a chewy (and hold her close with a leash) and then throw it to beanie. If she lunges at him, I'd pull her back, hold her down, say NO and give her a spank if she lunges in a mean way, not a puppy way (I'm not an expert on multiple dogs, but I know Riley has a dominant personalitiy and we get tough on her.. thats what i would do for riley).

Gracie is still a puppy so you can probably break this behavior if you address it quickly. Try to handle her food as much as you can so she is not so possessive of it. My uncle now has 4 dogs, one is a young puppy. They don't even keep toys or doggy snacks in the house because they get possessive too.

But if you try anything with them together, make sure Gracie is on a leash.