Dealing With a Food Aggressive Dog

Dogs just naturally guard their food due to thousands of years of running in packs, and when food was found, the biggest, most aggressive dog always got to eat first, then down through the pecking order to the smallest dog, who ate last or not at all. When dogs become aggressive around their food, it's because they are relying on their instincts, and they think you are a threat to their food. There are a lot of other reasons that dogs become aggressive, let's go over those now and discuss ways in which you can teach your dog to not be aggressive around food, for the sake of your family and peace of mind.

Isolation From Humans And Lack Of Socialization.

To prevent dog aggression,one of the best things you can do is socialize with him from the time he's really small. Dogs are very social creatures, and your objective is to be a substitute for the pack that they are naturally programmed to be a part of. So in order to not end up with an aggressive dog, always be positive and allow your dog to play with as many different humans as possible in a friendly non-aggressive atmosphere. It is also important to completely avoid excessive physical punishment as this can create an aggressive dog.

Train Your Dog Well, And Avoid Taunting.

It's important that you start right at the beginning training your dog well, and always in a positive manner. Waiting until later, can cause confusion in the dog, which will show as aggression. By teaching him obedience, what's allowed, and what's not allowed, he will understand that you are the alpha dog of the pack, and never become aggressive towards you. Never allow children to tease your dog through a fence, as this could definitely cause problems.

Training Your Dog How To Act Around Food.

There are many dogs that are never aggressive in any way, except around food, because that is one of the most basic instincts that they're hardwired with, and difficult for them to overcome. It is also possible that a dog would be aggressive with other people around its food, but not the master, because he has accepted the master as the alpha of the pack. Sometimes a dog will only be aggressive towards another dog around the food with growling, showing the teeth, and maybe even lunging in a threatening way towards the other dog. When it comes to two dogs acting aggressively, many times it's just better if you feed them in different locations and insist that each dog stay near their bowl until they are both done, then they can continue to socialize in the normal manner.

The most serious case of food aggression is with young children who don't understand why the dog has suddenly become aggressive, and this is something that needs to be handled immediately in order to safeguard your children from being bitten. You, the alpha dog, must step in and correct the aggression immediately while it's happening, by removing the food the minute there's any sign aggressive behavior. Keep the food out of reach until he has cooled down, then try again, do not allow the log to exhibit any aggressive behavior without taking away his food. Most dogs will quickly figure out that you are in control the food and if he's hungry he has to act accordingly in order to eat.

While there are many different reasons dogs could act aggressively, food aggression is probably one of the worst, but still, easy to change if one takes the time and energy to do it. Having a well-trained dog is important for his health as well as your peace of mind.

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5 Types Of Dog Aggression

Aggression in dogs can be a very serious problem that can create a tremendous amount of liability for you and your family. This article deals with five of the most common types of aggression however there are many more. If your dog has aggression and you would like help to resolve it you should contact a qualified trainer or behavior specialist for help. 

1. Dominance Aggression. Quite often this type of aggression is directed toward the owner. It can manifest itself when the owner tries to dominate the dog are while making it do something that it does not want to do. Some examples would be waking the dog or making it get off furniture or a bed. This is the type of aggression that happens in what I refer to as aggression in the home where the dog feels that it is the "Alpha". 

2. Fear Aggression is very common in the shy fearful dog. Actually the fearful dog is sometimes referred to as the most dangerous dog because you never know when fear will cause aggression to raise its ugly head with this type of dog. A rule to remember and to teach your children is to never try to approach a dog that appears fearful. Cornering a shy, fearful dog can be dangerous since it can't flee so it must fight. 

3. Territorial Aggression. We have all seen this dog before. You know the dog that is behind the fence that will not let you are anybody else through the gate. It is guarding its territory no matter where that is. This is the type of dog that is used to guard a business or property. 

4. Dog on Dog Aggression is another type of aggression that you just might see in the family dog. This could be the dog that was never socialized properly during the period of socialization that is from birth to 20 weeks of age. If you dog is not socialized with dogs during that period you just may end up with this type of aggression in your dog. 

5. Food Aggression is another type of aggression that you may encounter with your dog. The easiest way to avoid this type of aggression is to teach your puppy from the very beginning that the food is yours and you can give it or take it. Start working with your puppy from the very beginning and teaching it that you can put your hands in the food bowl, you can even take the bowl if you want. Do the same thing with treats and bones. If you will teach your pup from the beginning then this should not be a problem in the future. 

These are just some of the different types of aggression that you may see in your dog. Socializing your pup before 20 weeks of age will help with some and conditioning your dog to different situations will help with other types of aggression. 

If you have an adult dog and it develops aggression be sure and seek the help of a trainer or behavior specialist that is qualified to help with the problem. Trying to resolve aggression on your own can be very dangerous.

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