Dogs could care less about you eating first. They're not being dominant. They obviously find their food to be a highly prized possession and want to protect it/fight for it. It's a somewhat common dog behavior, moreso in terriers. I agree with all of Jeanie's advice - she always gives awesome advice ^^
I would think it would be fairly simple to just feed them in separate rooms. I really don't see a reason why they should HAVE to eat right next to each other if they're obviously miserable and hurting each other because of it.
And I am always an advocate for training (dog training is a huge hobby of mine and having well behaved dogs is a plus, always) but something like this? I just don't see a reason to risk. Even if you work with them and train them to try and tolerate each other while eating, I just don't see the reason for the added work and stress when the two dogs can just be fed in separate rooms.
We have 3 dogs over at my dads house, and while they are not gated or blocked off from each other, they all eat in separate corners of the kitchen just as a safety precaution. The 2 terriers can get fiesty around food if one gets too close. |