Puppy developing food aggression

[Krysta Smith]

Lola is developing food aggression :( and I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing.

It started a couple weeks ago. I took her outside to give her a steak bone after dinner. We were outside for a few minutes and Lola started to shiver so I decided to take her inside. I reached down to take the bone away so we could go in and she growled at me. She had never done this before. I started petting her back and moved towards her head. When she stopped growling after a few minutes I took the bone and we went inside. I took her downstairs to give her dinner and gave her bone back. Then just yesterday I gave her one of the pedigree denta stix and when I went near her she growled at me. I petted her and found it was only when I touched her head that she growled. So I petted her head and she stopped after a few minutes. Then later I gave her a kong and it was the same thing. That time I got some cheese and told her to drop her kong and I took it and gave her a piece of cheese. I did that a few times and then took her kong and put some cheese inside it and gave it back. She was fine with that and started to ignore that kong and just wanted the cheese. Tonight I gave her one of the greenies big bones and did the same thing only giving her peanut butter (I found peanut butter slices). She still wanted the bone though and was a little frantic when I took it away. I gave it back after she sat. A few minutes later I took it away so she wouldn't eat the whole thing and gave her a few pieces of peanut butter. She searched my room for the bone and when she couldn't find it she started to play.

I'm really lost!! I've tried from the begining to stop this from progressing because I've read that fox terriers can become protective of their food and toys. She doesn't care if I manhandle her while she's eating her meals (not yet anyway!) And she usually curls up in my lap or beside me when she's chewing on her nylabones. It just seems to be the things she doesn't get very often (other than her kong which she gets almost everyday). If I hold it for her she's fine, it's when I walk away and come back that she starts to growl. I'll have to be really strict with NILIF, but is there anything else I can be doing (or not doing)?

[Melissa Brunoehler]

Hi Kyrsta~

We had an article on food/object gaurding at DD but I don't think that it found it's way over here. Here's an article from clicker solutions that you can follow. http://www.clickersolutions .com/articles/2002b/objectguarding.htm

Lola is developing food aggression :( and I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing.

It started a couple weeks ago. I took her outside to give her a steak bone after dinner. We were outside for a few minutes and Lola started to shiver so I decided to take her inside. I reached down to take the bone away so we could go in and she growled at me. She had never done this before. I started petting her back and moved towards her head. When she stopped growling after a few minutes I took the bone and we went inside. I took her downstairs to give her dinner and gave her bone back. Then just yesterday I gave her one of the pedigree denta stix and when I went near her she growled at me. I petted her and found it was only when I touched her head that she growled. So I petted her head and she stopped after a few minutes. Then later I gave her a kong and it was the same thing. That time I got some cheese and told her to drop her kong and I took it and gave her a piece of cheese. I did that a few times and then took her kong and put some cheese inside it and gave it back. She was fine with that and started to ignore that kong and just wanted the cheese. Tonight I gave her one of the greenies big bones and did the same thing only giving her peanut butter (I found peanut butter slices). She still wanted the bone though and was a little frantic when I took it away. I gave it back after she sat. A few minutes later I took it away so she wouldn't eat the whole thing and gave her a few pieces of peanut butter. She searched my room for the bone and when she couldn't find it she started to play.

I'm really lost!! I've tried from the begining to stop this from progressing because I've read that fox terriers can become protective of their food and toys. She doesn't care if I manhandle her while she's eating her meals (not yet anyway!) And she usually curls up in my lap or beside me when she's chewing on her nylabones. It just seems to be the things she doesn't get very often (other than her kong which she gets almost everyday). If I hold it for her she's fine, it's when I walk away and come back that she starts to growl. I'll have to be really strict with NILIF, but is there anything else I can be doing (or not doing)?

[heathea]

Not a bad article, I just took a couple of seconds to read it. Seems like it should work for you and Lola. I read in your first post that you gave Lola a steak bone, if it was a cooked steak bone I beg of you not to give them anymore unless they are raw. Cooked bones can splinter and the splinters can cause real problems. Many dogs have died due to cooked bones. I just wanted to let you know in case you didn't. Raw bones are fine and actually cause less digestive upset.

One thing we did with our dog as a puppy was to hold onto any bones or treats she was getting as the dog chewed them. I don't know if that will work for you, but it certainly did for us. We use it as part of NILIF, while the dogs sit and chew nicely they get to chew on the bone. as soon as they get over excited or possesive, bone goes away.
It worked for us.
Take care, good luck, and good for you for dealing with the problem even though you have a smaller dog!

Heather

[Krysta Smith]

Thank you!! I just read the article and am really hopeful that I can deal with this before it gets any worse. A couple days ago I gave Lola a nutra twist and she was fine with me petting her and all that so I don't think it'll be too long before she's more than happy for me to take her treats and bones away (I always give her something in return and then give it back). The steak bone was cooked :rolleyes: I thought it was only chicken and pork bones that splintered? I don't know how I feel about raw bones (yuck!) especially if I have to hold it. I think it's just as important for small dogs at it is for large dogs, if I let Lola run wild she would be a little monster and she would have taken a few chunks out of me (in play of course :D ) She may be small but she's got a good body slam!!

[heathea]

Nope, it is all cooked bones that can splinter.
I know it seems gross to give raw bones, but I can assure you that if you give Lola a raw bone she will LOVE it and clean it off of any "gross" stuff within minutes, then it will look just like a natural bone.
or maybe I am just used to it. It is AMAZING what we dog owners get used to. My dog sneezed in my face yesterday. all I did was say bless you. and wipe my face off.
:)
Have a great day!
Heather

[Renee Premaza]

Hi Krysta!

I just added that article I wrote regarding a Solution for Food and Object Guarding. Check out the Articles Pages on this website.

Lola is developing food aggression :( and I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing.

It started a couple weeks ago. I took her outside to give her a steak bone after dinner. We were outside for a few minutes and Lola started to shiver so I decided to take her inside. I reached down to take the bone away so we could go in and she growled at me. She had never done this before. I started petting her back and moved towards her head. When she stopped growling after a few minutes I took the bone and we went inside. I took her downstairs to give her dinner and gave her bone back. Then just yesterday I gave her one of the pedigree denta stix and when I went near her she growled at me. I petted her and found it was only when I touched her head that she growled. So I petted her head and she stopped after a few minutes. Then later I gave her a kong and it was the same thing. That time I got some cheese and told her to drop her kong and I took it and gave her a piece of cheese. I did that a few times and then took her kong and put some cheese inside it and gave it back. She was fine with that and started to ignore that kong and just wanted the cheese. Tonight I gave her one of the greenies big bones and did the same thing only giving her peanut butter (I found peanut butter slices). She still wanted the bone though and was a little frantic when I took it away. I gave it back after she sat. A few minutes later I took it away so she wouldn't eat the whole thing and gave her a few pieces of peanut butter. She searched my room for the bone and when she couldn't find it she started to play.

I'm really lost!! I've tried from the begining to stop this from progressing because I've read that fox terriers can become protective of their food and toys. She doesn't care if I manhandle her while she's eating her meals (not yet anyway!) And she usually curls up in my lap or beside me when she's chewing on her nylabones. It just seems to be the things she doesn't get very often (other than her kong which she gets almost everyday). If I hold it for her she's fine, it's when I walk away and come back that she starts to growl. I'll have to be really strict with NILIF, but is there anything else I can be doing (or not doing)?