What is happening? Help
 

I can't believe it but Buddy went after me when I tried to pick up his dinner bowl! There were a couple pieces of kibble left and I went to pick it up and he growled at me. I laughed and continued to pick it up and he went after me! He's lucky to have ears left:eek: I have, since day one, been petting him, feeding him and talking to him while he ate to keep him from being food agressive. Now this! Has this happened to anyone else?
I can't believe he would go after me. This morning, I swear, he left a few kibbles in his bowl and looked me in the eye to dare me to pick it up.:eek:
I walked away and ignored him. What is going on? Why am I the enemy all of a sudden? I will not live with this behavior. It is something they go through? HELP Carol

Chachi did that to me one time too. He had got ahold of a chicken bone. He ran under this little wing couch that we have. I reached underneath to get it and he growled and bite me. My Husband reached underneath to get it and he growled and acted like he was going to bite him. My husband lifted that couch up and grabbed Chachi by the back of the neck not too gently either and told him he was a bad dog. Chachi has never did that again. I think you have too do somthing right then that makes them think about it. I think when My Husband lifted that couch that took the aggressiveness out of him. Also Chachi doesnt like to get into trouble and he knew he was.

I understand what your saying, Buddy is a good boy and tries to please me as well. However this was very different. He lunged at me showing teeth and growling!
It was almost like he forgot who I was because in a couple of seconds he was back to himself jumping all over me and trying to kiss me like he was apologizing. It was strange and scary. I need to understand what happened.

I wish I could help...I can imagine how upseting it must be to see him act like this....I hope someone can help you out with this

It definitely sounds like food aggression which i dont totally understand and maybe someone else can explain it to you. I know when Chachi did it he seemed like a totally different dog

lexi has never done that to me with food, but you go near one of her bone,s
she will run and if i grab the bone, my finger would be taken off...and then
there goes her life,,, kidding, i would punish her

Quick ? ....Does anyone tease you baby with bones....Any kind of bone? My bf likes to tease Tiny with his rawhides and greenies and he knows they are his favorites...I keep telling him not to tease him with food....Get a toy...Not his food...That is just like him eating normal dry food....Be like putting his food bowl down and then taking it right back up..and then sitting it down...You know? thats just the way I feel about it..I know that when you tease them like that, they can and will get aggresive!!! Most and any dogs does!!!

i will not tolerate anyone teasing my puppy. no way no how...
second, rawhide and greenies are both no nos for any dog...they are
very very dangerous.. i would suggest throwing them all out and perhaps
get bully sticks for your baby to chew on.. they are 100% digestable..
please do not give them any rawhides or greenies... i cant say it enough

Buddy is never teased. It is only he and I. He is a love. This is worring me.
I just have no explaination except to think he is testing me for whatever.
These Yorkies are smarter than we give them credit for. He will be turning 3 in January. Maybe he is testing his manly powers:( If he does it again
he won't see 3 :mad:(right) I really hope someone can shed light on this.

mine don't do that to me not even my huge rorrie but they will do it to each other in a minute. princess gaurds her bowl from truffle even when she's not eating!

Don't worry, he is just testing the waters. But this is definetely something I would nip in the bud now before it's too late. I'm definitely not a behavioral expert but I would test this out a few times to correct his behavior. Try taking his food away again, and if he growls or tries to bite you lay him flat on his back and say no in a very stern voice. That is one way you can show him who is alpha, because thats what dogs do in the wild. Do this a few times a day and hopefully a few stern NO!'s and some time outs will correct this new behavior. Don't worry he's still the loveable kissable baby you have, he's just acting on his instincts as an animal. As long as you don't put up with it, he will not continue it.

Vainchick5 thanks, that's something at least. I will defineately try it. Carol

He don't really tease....He just plays with him like he would with a toy...Thats what I meant to say...And he only gets raw hides long enough to make them soft and I take them away before he gets to eat them...And plus...My vet says that there is no problem giving them greenies as long as you give them to them properly...They need to have to right size greenie...Thats why ppls dogs were dying..Because they were giving little dogs to big of greenines and the big dogs were getting small greenies and choking...I have never had a problem with greenies...And I know all about the rawhides....He Can only have them for a limited time!!!

This is EXACTLY what I was going to suggest. When he does it again, flip him on his back right then and tell him NO in a very stern voice. You need to show him that YOU are the alpha dog, not him. Then get some kibbles in your hand and make him eat out of your hand. Then pick up the bowl for a few minutes but set it back down. Show him that you are not the enemy and that you are not trying to take his food away.

Remmy is food aggressive
 

Remmy can be this way also but more so with Chance his younger brother. One thing i also do with Remmy is I make him sit before I put him bowl down. Then I put the bowl down and say leave it...for a few minutes. Then I say okay and give him permission to eat.

This really has worked well for me. I notice when in the kitchen if I drop food instead of him making a dive for whatever I dropped he kinda looks at me like can I have it. He waits for me to give him permission to eat it.

I've never had that happen. Was he still hungry?:D Actually, do you think this is more likely to happen with the males than the females?

This is what I was thinking also then I saw you posted it :thumbup: :thumbup: good post :thumbup: :thumbup:

Thanks :D

Thanks for your suggestions. I do make him sit before he gets fed but I will make him wait for a couple of seconds before I let him go at it. I am telling you this thing really scared the heck out of me. To see your baby go after you like you were a stranger is really frightening. Makes you wonder how much you can really trust any dog!:confused: Carol & Buddy

If it only happened once, I wouldn't be too concerned. If he does it again, here is an excellent article on how to deal with it (commonly known as object guarding):

http://www.clickersolutions.com/arti...ctguarding.htm

Joey had issues with this as a puppy, but thankfully we've worked through it using the methods described in the article.

This particular behavior really isn't about dominance; it's about being afraid that you are going to steal his food. Understandably, it's a common behavior, especially in the wild.

FirstYorkie thank you so very much for the info. Just glancing over it (i'm at work) it really looks helpful. I can't wait to read it when I get home. I think your on to something there. Carol & Buddy:aimeeyork

Let us know how it goes!

It worked beautifully for us although, I must say, it didn't happen overnight. Joey used to be protective of new bones. Now, he nudges us with them because he wants us to hold them for him while he chews on them. (You can almost hear him thinking, "Man, I wish *I* had opposable thumbs. You guys are sooo lucky".) Too cute!

All animals ( yes, our babies are animals;) ) have a very primitive instinct and that is to guard their food. Its a survival instinct. If you allow another to take your food while your hungrey and eating....you don't get to eat. But, they can be taught to trust us..by as someone stated continuously letting them know WE are the Alpha, and we will allow our pack to eat and provide for them. Yogi did this to me twice when he was about 12 months and 15 months..I made a hissing noice (thats our sound my husband and I use when we mean back off and give us your full attention) I made him back up (with physically pushing him) and told him NO very stern, and wait for 10 secs and let him go back to the food bowl. He hasn't done it again. Its not so much a behavior problem to try it, but we have to let them know, we are the last word, and attacking their pack leader is not OK, they do understand that notion especially in the dog realm.

I feel so much better knowing there is an explantion. I have been feeding him for 2 1/2 yrs never anything. I guess we all have an off day. I know he realized, after the fact, what he did was wrong because he changed personalities in an instant when he realized it was me. At least I can understand what went through his head. Yes, I also hold his bone while he chomps away on it. He brings it to me. He is a love and this scared the heck out of me. Thank you so much for your help. Carol & Buddy:aimeeyork

Carol, if you feel the need to show your dog "who is alpha" as has been suggested, I doubt you'll do any harm by hissing or alpha-rolling him (despite the fact that the alpha roll is now considered to be based on flawed research). Based on what trainers have told me, though, what I really and truly believe will make things worse is to take your dog's food away from him.

That's the fear motivating this behavior. Why make him even more worried about you?

Feeding your dog 1/3 at the time so that he/she is forced to look to YOU for more food does show your dog "who is alpha". The dog has to look to you for food. What could be more "alpha" than that? Another good technique is hand-feeding your dog all or part of an occasional meal. Not much doubt who has control of the food then, is there?

If you don't mind looking at it from a more positive stance, these techniques teach your dog that you can be trusted and that you are the source of all good things.

Again, though, if it only happened once, I wouldn't be too concerned.

kizzy did this to me once when i was trying to tak an old chewed up bone from her to throw away to make sure she nor maggie got choked on it. i jumped back at first , i wasnt expecting it and it actually scared me. she was ready to actually bite me i am sure. then thinking about my first reaction, i realized it was a bad thing for me to do. so i just tried again and she did the same thing, so i grabbed her by the nape of her neck, took the bone an i really shook her really hard and raised my voice really mean to her. i was about ready to pick her up and just throw her. i will not tolerate this from my own dog, even if it means the pound for her. sorry, thats just the way i feel as ive alwas had a fear of dogs if their higher than my knee, even tho she isnt that big. i still will not have a dog i get scared of and cant trust. so she has one time to bite me and she will be gone from here.

Can't disagree with you there! But, there's a world of difference in a dog who bites you and a dog who says "back off".

i wont put up with one i own tellin me when to back off either for very long.

[QUOTE=FirstYorkie]Carol, if you feel the need to show your dog "who is alpha" as has been suggested, I doubt you'll do any harm by hissing or alpha-rolling him (despite the fact that the alpha roll is now considered to be based on flawed research). Based on what trainers have told me, though, what I really and truly believe will make things worse is to take your dog's food away from him.

That's the fear motivating this behavior. Why make him even more worried about you?

Feeding your dog 1/3 at the time so that he/she is forced to look to YOU for more food does show your dog "who is alpha". The dog has to look to you for food. What could be more "alpha" than that? Another good technique is hand-feeding your dog all or part of an occasional meal. Not much doubt who has control of the food then, is there?

If you don't mind looking at it from a more positive stance, these techniques teach your dog that you can be trusted and that you are the source of all good things.

Again, though, if it only happened once, I wouldn't be too concerned.



This is a wonderful idea...Thank-you as a reader for another way to approach this...Great information! I would like to have the same information as you about the flawless "Alpha theory" I like to be on the same page as the smarter one here..;) Can you tell me a website or book I can obtain to change my mind or at least so I can offer myself a different opinion?

Thank you all for all the great info...