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Originally Posted by gemy  Thanks Jeanie.
to the OP - I own a very large breed, and my senior male, is very dominant, very stubborn, and very food possessive. You note I say possessive - not aggressive. But he was food aggressive!
With him it is a re-iterative exercise, and one sometimes my husband has no time for and just gives up, when we renew or review what I expect Magic to do.
I kid you not, sometimes one whole hour can go by, before he gets to eat one morsel from his dish. And I refresh his memory every few months or so. My husband has no patience for this - but I do.
Look you have so much going for you, you are the Food Guru. YOU do the shopping, bring in the food to your home, cook that LOVELY FOOD, and you walk through your kitchen like you own it and all the space and contents with-in your kitchen. That is a natural for dogs to understand.
I expect my dogs to get out of my way, when I walk through my kitchen, or when I say OUT - they get OUT of the kitchen. |
That's the way it has to be with a dog showing aggression or dominance. You can't ever be mean, just a confident, calm, top dog, always in charge. Once they get that you expect certain things of them, they are pleased as punch once they do those things and then get rewarded for that. Then the good times start once they learn that doing what you ask of them is how they get their needs met, the best out of life and they become happily submissive and no longer challenging to you. Dogs are happiest and most secure when they feel they have a kind, gentle, loving, confident but limits-setting leader who expects them to behave, thrills in their successes and will always keep them safe and secure. I'd see to it that my aggressive dog worked for every necessity he gets and once he see how it works, he'll love the system as it will take him back to his natural pack ways and he'll work hard to please you.