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Originally Posted by ilovejoel  I've already decided to not say no to the couch lol! But im working on other things, the main two things he does that I don't like is protecting me and kind of guarding his food bowl and I'm not sure how to correct those things and I keep making excuses for it, like for protecting his food, Rosco really eats it sometimes but he even runs to it when a person comes in the room. |
Shake him up a bit. Change the food bowl, move its location and when he is eating, walk by a drop in a treat without a word and not stopping. Use boiled chicken or something he ADORES. Keep on repeating that a few times a meal - not much at first but more and more and just placing a juicy goodie in his bowl and walking on. In time - he's going to want to see you coming toward his bowl!
In another few days, stop and wait near the bowl before you drop the treat. Then drop and walk off. Repeat a few times per meal.
In another few days, stop and wait beside the bowl with the treat in your hand and wait until he asks for it - whines or jumps up or goes around or barks, etc. This is good. He is now submitted enough to you being around his food he wants your input into his bowl enough to request it. Drop the treat or maybe two and walk off. Repeat a few more days a few times per meal.
In another few days, squat down near the bowl and place the treat in it when he asks for it happily. If he looks hesitant, go back and repeat the above steps and don't get near him down squatting until he is tail-wagging happy to see you there. One thing you might try is tossing the treat away from the bowl and while he's getting that one and then coming back, let him see you putting your hand right over his bowl, dropping another treat and getting up, walking off.
Eventually, you work up to walking up, getting food from his bowl while he is eating and feeding him yourself. You can make him back off from the bowl at first if you are a bit unsure of him still and then get the food and reach out, offer it to him to eat from your hand.
Another technique is to handfeed the dog for a few days in another location away from the empty bowl and eventually work over toward the bowl and then feed them from that bowl in a few weeks' time. There are so many ways to deal with this - these are only some. Good luck!