A dog with serious food protection problems
A dog with serious food protection problems:
If you have never seen a dog with serious food protection problems, it is difficult to appreciate the possible severity of the problem.
Food protection problems are not necessarily a reflection of the personality or the level of training of the dog: it is something instinctive, and although dogs with a general aggression problem are naturally more likely to demonstrate the condition, also It is otherwise exhibited sweet, well-behaved, well-adjusted family dogs. Like an evil djinn, the problem can raise its ugly head only when the food (or food dish) is present: a real case of Jekyll and Hyde.
A dog with serious food protection problems can be a real danger to anyone who should approach it during a meal: it is not a scenario where you can expect to train your dog to "play well." Instinct is what forces you to act in this undesirable and even dangerous way: You must take steps to change the behavior before your relationship with your dog suffers or someone gets hurt.
There are different degrees of food protection. In the slightest case, a dog simply gets a little tense or freezes if someone approaches her while trying to eat. You can even keep eating, but your posture will be stiff and stiff: you will clearly feel uncomfortable.
The signs that the problem is more serious would include a marked increase in the speed of the meal, a direct and hard look directly at you (often accompanied by a quiet, tense posture, "observing"), a raised lip, a growl, a click and Finally a real bite.
Note: A dog that presents any of these last three symptoms has a fairly serious case of aggression that meets the food, and may be prepared to inflict actual damage. If this is the case with your dog, hiring a practical trainer may be the best answer for you: it will guarantee your safety, and you'll be able to examine your overall relationship with your dog and see if there are other areas that contribute to the problem.
A dog that keeps food is quite confusing. In her mind, she's got your mixed paper. She does not recognize that you are the food dispenser (which should automatically grant you alpha dog status, securing your immunity against any type of aggression or domination), and instead see you as a threat: a scoundrel who might be going To bring her precious food. Therefore, the possessiveness.
The degree of aggression that is capable of a food watchdog can be difficult to understand, until you consider the fact that food is one of the greatest pleasures of your dog's life. Dogs are scavengers by nature: they are programmed to eat just about anything that can remove their jaws. In addition to the instintividad of this gluttony, most dogs simply enjoy the tactile and taste sensations that accompany a good meal (or an indifferent... and sometimes even bad). They just... like to eat.
And it is this great importance that is given to the food which makes some dogs to be confused: his understanding of the situation looks a little discarded, and they begin to wonder, as if they were miserable, who could succeed them and take away their precious food. . The obvious conclusion: you. Or anyone else who comes in at mealtime.
To cure her of this frustrating and anti-social habit, you must remind her that you are actually the provider of what she so cherishes: make it clear that you are the one in charge of the kitchen, and all the delicious snacks it contains. Dogs can develop instincts that protect food at any time in their lives: some will have had the problem from their puppy, but for others the trend remains latent until it is awakened by a particular element of juiciness. [Post: How to stop puppy biting]
For most dogs, the deciding factor is meat, in some form or shape, whether it is a bone marrow, a hock of lamb or discarded debris from the table. Dog meat is like money for humans: You can change them, make them do things they wouldn't otherwise do. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that the intrinsic value of meat-related foods can provide our dogs with a new and unpleasant perspective on the sanctity of the food platter.
Because of the possibility that feeding will become a problem in your dog's behavior at any time in your life, prevention is obviously the ideal way to take: whether you get your puppy dog or adopt it as an adult from a shelter, It should make a point of approaching it during mealtime.
Have you ever heard a friend with dogs ask you to "leave her alone when she's eating"? This is a short-term solution at most: it will prevent any adverse thing from happening, as long as all human beings obey the rules and make sure that they do not disturb the dog, but the dog is still the one who is attracting attention.
And what will happen if the unexpected happens? What happens if a small child loads the total inclination towards the dog and makes a playful grip for his plate?
In a herd of wolves, the Alpha dog never gets upset when he or she is eating. Not only can she eat first, and eat most of everything; But he or she also eats without being disturbed. This is why a dog that is allowed to eat in a solitary splendor can become more aggressive with food, not less; Without anyone lowering the category, begins to assume more authority than it actually has.
To prevent your dog from having an exaggerated feeling of his own importance, be sure to disturb her a lot while eating. Don't worry about tiptoeing every time the food bowl comes out; Just get used to loneliness and silence when you eat (which are things that only the alpha Wolf or the dog have right).
At the other end of the spectrum, do not make these disturbances a negative experience for it, otherwise you can create a problem where it did not exist before. All you have to do is approach her from time to time as she eats, starting from the very day you bring her home, and adds something tasty (and small!) to your plate while you eat, to establish the connection on it. See that ' humans are approaching the food plate = good news. ' A spoonful of scrambled egg, a piece of liver, a few pieces of cheese, whatever she enjoys, and that has a greater "nutritional value" than the croquette she is eating, will work perfectly.
Of course, if it is too late for preventatives and your dog already has a problem, you will have to take a very different approach. Here'
-The dog container will be stored for the next seven to ten days. During this time, you will feed your dog by hand, a small handful at a time. Yes, I know this will take a long time, but the alternative is even worse: a dangerous dog that cannot be trusted around food. So feed it by hand over the next week or so. Make sure you don't encourage any greedy attacks or take the food: just let me remove the food from your hand when you do it carefully. Remind her that bite inhibition is necessary to get what she wants!
-Once you have spent at least a week and are eating politely from your hand, you can re-enter the food plate, with a small modification: it must be empty. And it remains empty until it passes and drops a handful of croquettes on it for her to eat. When all is finished, wait at least a full minute before adding another small handful of croquettes. Keep doing this until all the food has been consumed: this is a very effective way to teach your dog to actively crave his presence near his food plate!
-When you have graduated to the next stage, you can start placing a half-empty food dish for it. Do not allow it to pounces on the bowl and start gobbling: keep the container out of reach (or place it in a handy counter), make it sit and wait before allowing it to eat. Do not leave the container until it complies. Sit or crouch next to the bowl and continue to add small handfuls of croquettes, as you did in step two, until you have eaten a full meal.
-The fourth and final step is to allow you access to a dish full of food. Again, it is very important that you do not allow yourself to make the decisions: you must sit down and wait until you release it with a "OK!" before you are allowed to eat.
To keep the message clean that you are in charge of the food in this House, practice walking away from your food a few times a week and Recompensándola with a super tasty delight for your exemplary obedience while trying to eat. .
If at any time your dog's behavior weakens in any of these four steps, step back until you have reached the level at which it is 100% reliable. Wait at this stage for at least two or three more days before trying to progress once more. As with any training, it is essential that a solid foundation be formed before you move to the next level: you should feel completely comfortable with each step before you try a new one. [Visit: Easy to train dogs]
Additional Reading
For details, positive reinforcement dog training. It is the complete manual for Responsible dog owners, and is packed with valuable tips and step-by-step steps for dog training.
If you have never seen a dog with serious food protection problems, it is difficult to appreciate the possible severity of the problem.
Food protection problems are not necessarily a reflection of the personality or the level of training of the dog: it is something instinctive, and although dogs with a general aggression problem are naturally more likely to demonstrate the condition, also It is otherwise exhibited sweet, well-behaved, well-adjusted family dogs. Like an evil djinn, the problem can raise its ugly head only when the food (or food dish) is present: a real case of Jekyll and Hyde.
A dog with serious food protection problems can be a real danger to anyone who should approach it during a meal: it is not a scenario where you can expect to train your dog to "play well." Instinct is what forces you to act in this undesirable and even dangerous way: You must take steps to change the behavior before your relationship with your dog suffers or someone gets hurt.
There are different degrees of food protection. In the slightest case, a dog simply gets a little tense or freezes if someone approaches her while trying to eat. You can even keep eating, but your posture will be stiff and stiff: you will clearly feel uncomfortable.
The signs that the problem is more serious would include a marked increase in the speed of the meal, a direct and hard look directly at you (often accompanied by a quiet, tense posture, "observing"), a raised lip, a growl, a click and Finally a real bite.
Note: A dog that presents any of these last three symptoms has a fairly serious case of aggression that meets the food, and may be prepared to inflict actual damage. If this is the case with your dog, hiring a practical trainer may be the best answer for you: it will guarantee your safety, and you'll be able to examine your overall relationship with your dog and see if there are other areas that contribute to the problem.
A dog that keeps food is quite confusing. In her mind, she's got your mixed paper. She does not recognize that you are the food dispenser (which should automatically grant you alpha dog status, securing your immunity against any type of aggression or domination), and instead see you as a threat: a scoundrel who might be going To bring her precious food. Therefore, the possessiveness.
The degree of aggression that is capable of a food watchdog can be difficult to understand, until you consider the fact that food is one of the greatest pleasures of your dog's life. Dogs are scavengers by nature: they are programmed to eat just about anything that can remove their jaws. In addition to the instintividad of this gluttony, most dogs simply enjoy the tactile and taste sensations that accompany a good meal (or an indifferent... and sometimes even bad). They just... like to eat.
And it is this great importance that is given to the food which makes some dogs to be confused: his understanding of the situation looks a little discarded, and they begin to wonder, as if they were miserable, who could succeed them and take away their precious food. . The obvious conclusion: you. Or anyone else who comes in at mealtime.
To cure her of this frustrating and anti-social habit, you must remind her that you are actually the provider of what she so cherishes: make it clear that you are the one in charge of the kitchen, and all the delicious snacks it contains. Dogs can develop instincts that protect food at any time in their lives: some will have had the problem from their puppy, but for others the trend remains latent until it is awakened by a particular element of juiciness. [Post: How to stop puppy biting]
For most dogs, the deciding factor is meat, in some form or shape, whether it is a bone marrow, a hock of lamb or discarded debris from the table. Dog meat is like money for humans: You can change them, make them do things they wouldn't otherwise do. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that the intrinsic value of meat-related foods can provide our dogs with a new and unpleasant perspective on the sanctity of the food platter.
Because of the possibility that feeding will become a problem in your dog's behavior at any time in your life, prevention is obviously the ideal way to take: whether you get your puppy dog or adopt it as an adult from a shelter, It should make a point of approaching it during mealtime.
Have you ever heard a friend with dogs ask you to "leave her alone when she's eating"? This is a short-term solution at most: it will prevent any adverse thing from happening, as long as all human beings obey the rules and make sure that they do not disturb the dog, but the dog is still the one who is attracting attention.
And what will happen if the unexpected happens? What happens if a small child loads the total inclination towards the dog and makes a playful grip for his plate?
In a herd of wolves, the Alpha dog never gets upset when he or she is eating. Not only can she eat first, and eat most of everything; But he or she also eats without being disturbed. This is why a dog that is allowed to eat in a solitary splendor can become more aggressive with food, not less; Without anyone lowering the category, begins to assume more authority than it actually has.
To prevent your dog from having an exaggerated feeling of his own importance, be sure to disturb her a lot while eating. Don't worry about tiptoeing every time the food bowl comes out; Just get used to loneliness and silence when you eat (which are things that only the alpha Wolf or the dog have right).
At the other end of the spectrum, do not make these disturbances a negative experience for it, otherwise you can create a problem where it did not exist before. All you have to do is approach her from time to time as she eats, starting from the very day you bring her home, and adds something tasty (and small!) to your plate while you eat, to establish the connection on it. See that ' humans are approaching the food plate = good news. ' A spoonful of scrambled egg, a piece of liver, a few pieces of cheese, whatever she enjoys, and that has a greater "nutritional value" than the croquette she is eating, will work perfectly.
Of course, if it is too late for preventatives and your dog already has a problem, you will have to take a very different approach. Here'
-The dog container will be stored for the next seven to ten days. During this time, you will feed your dog by hand, a small handful at a time. Yes, I know this will take a long time, but the alternative is even worse: a dangerous dog that cannot be trusted around food. So feed it by hand over the next week or so. Make sure you don't encourage any greedy attacks or take the food: just let me remove the food from your hand when you do it carefully. Remind her that bite inhibition is necessary to get what she wants!
-Once you have spent at least a week and are eating politely from your hand, you can re-enter the food plate, with a small modification: it must be empty. And it remains empty until it passes and drops a handful of croquettes on it for her to eat. When all is finished, wait at least a full minute before adding another small handful of croquettes. Keep doing this until all the food has been consumed: this is a very effective way to teach your dog to actively crave his presence near his food plate!
-When you have graduated to the next stage, you can start placing a half-empty food dish for it. Do not allow it to pounces on the bowl and start gobbling: keep the container out of reach (or place it in a handy counter), make it sit and wait before allowing it to eat. Do not leave the container until it complies. Sit or crouch next to the bowl and continue to add small handfuls of croquettes, as you did in step two, until you have eaten a full meal.
-The fourth and final step is to allow you access to a dish full of food. Again, it is very important that you do not allow yourself to make the decisions: you must sit down and wait until you release it with a "OK!" before you are allowed to eat.
To keep the message clean that you are in charge of the food in this House, practice walking away from your food a few times a week and Recompensándola with a super tasty delight for your exemplary obedience while trying to eat. .
If at any time your dog's behavior weakens in any of these four steps, step back until you have reached the level at which it is 100% reliable. Wait at this stage for at least two or three more days before trying to progress once more. As with any training, it is essential that a solid foundation be formed before you move to the next level: you should feel completely comfortable with each step before you try a new one. [Visit: Easy to train dogs]
Additional Reading
For details, positive reinforcement dog training. It is the complete manual for Responsible dog owners, and is packed with valuable tips and step-by-step steps for dog training.
