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Originally Posted by Yorkie Mum When she eats she will speed up and clear the bowl faster if someone enters her space, she to date has not snapped at or bite in this area of aggression. |
Joy, once again you are showing what a wise woman you are! Very few people would recognize this as an early warning sign of food guarding (which
could turn into aggression).
Joey was exactly the same - not growling or snapping or anything, but obviously not comfortable when someone entered his space when he was eating. We've worked through it for the most part (he's fine now with family, but still displays the behavior you describe when strangers are in the kitchen). I found the following 2 articles to be helpful:
http://k9deb.com/foodguar.htm http://www.clickersolutions.com/arti...ctguarding.htm
The ClickerSolutions article starts out with object guarding (which is treated similiarly). Toward the end, it talks about food guarding.
Basically, it's treated as Erin suggested but these sites give more detail. You can begin by just walking by when the dog is eating, saying the dog's name, and dropping a treat nearby. When your girl, stops eating to look up for her treat, you know you can progress. Very gradually progress to touching the dog's hind quarters after talking softly to her, and dropping the treat. Progress until dog is comfortable with you petting her and putting treats IN her bowl.
Other steps you can use are only giving her small amounts of food so that she has to look to you for more. You can also hold her bowl the entire time she eats, adding more to it as she finishes what is in.
Jean Donaldson's little book
MINE! Practical Help for Resource Guarding is a good guide. She raises an interesting point that is contrary to what I would have thought (but I believe she's right). She says being right there beside them the whole time they eat (even holding their bowl) obviously is a threat, but actually is LESS threatening to the dog than approaching from further away when the dog is eating. She also says approaching from different angles increases the threat. Interesting stuff!