How I want my dog to behave around food!
March 4, 2010
When we want or don’t want a dog to behave a certain way we have to consider the outcome that we are seeking. With food possession by being clear about this result could never be more important. There are still people that believe that if we take a dogs food away from it we are proving he is seeing us as the boss, this is not so. Even the most submissive animal in a wolf pack will not give up food to a superior wolf, even the pack leader! Animals respect ownership of food, it is too dangerous not to. So must we, I would not tolerate anyone repeatedly taking food from my plate, let alone my plate of food, you might get away with it once or twice but with repetition I would become guarded and dangerous! 🙂
The reality is that when a dog is eating it is necessary that we can move near the dog without him feeling threatened or on guard, the worst case scenario is that someone trips up and lands in thd dogs bowl, and what we want is for the dog to not react negatively.
The video in this post demonstates the out come that is required, over the next posts I will teach you how to achieve this behaviour!
Please give your comments and questions!
Avril Munson's Blog 
March 4, 2010 at 12:03 pm
I agree totally with what you say here Avril. Although I have a group of 9 dogs they are all happy to allow me near their bowls and to push passed while they are eating. I have never seen a need to remove a dogs food and can’t see how this would teach anything other than guarding as it is such a big prize to them. When they are very little I regularly put my hands in the bowl and on their heads while they are eating and they are all very comfortable about it. Occasionally, with my youngsters, I hold back some of the feed and add it to the bowl just as they think it is all gone. This way they veiw hands and people near bowls as good stuff!
March 4, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Thank you for your comments Avis, it is good to hear variations on the same approach! 9 dogs huh that is a lot of bowls 🙂
March 4, 2010 at 10:55 pm
I do agree with your approach and suggestion. I was asked to help a friend who at the time had a young border collie. It growled at her young son, six at the time, everytime he went near the dog when it was eating. It never happened with her other children. With the child under supervision, we followed almost the same steps and…we had a positive outcome and the unwanted behaviour stopped.