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Topic Dog Boards / Behaviour / sudden food aggression
- By little jayne [gb] Date 29.03.09 18:53 UTC
I wonder if any one has any ideas. My dog has suddenly become food aggressive towards my other dog. Ihave taught her to wait when I give her her meals she is brilliant at that. I can feed both dogs together with no trouble. But if I give them both a treat that takes chewing time as soon as I turn my back the younger one takes it off the older one then wont even let Him walk by her without going for him. She wont then even let me take it off her. Have tried distraction sometimes that works sometimes not.
She has also started jumping on the older one even though he is telling her not to. but again if I stand over her and tell her to leave him she will. Again as soon as I turn my back she is jumping on him again. Strangely though she jumps on him he has a growl she jumps abit more but will then lay on the floor on her back being submissive. This I am finding very confusing so dont know what training to do with her. 
She is 11 months old He is 10 years old.
He really doesnt need this at his age.
My last resort is to find her a new home so my old boy can have some peace.
Just to make the point again this has only started happening in the last few weeks. He has always been top dog
Thank you
- By deansami [gb] Date 29.03.09 18:56 UTC
i will be glad to read the replys you get from this as i have same problems between two of mine and its getting worse
- By krusewalker [gb] Date 29.03.09 19:05 UTC
dont feed them treats, that take a long time to eat, when they are together
- By deansami [gb] Date 29.03.09 19:12 UTC
trouble is they might get bored and eat my house, lolol, they do this over toys too,
- By little jayne [gb] Date 29.03.09 19:35 UTC
I have just had a bril conversation with a trainer. It appears that the bitch in the household will be by nature the dominant dog. ( I didnt know that ) so Im making things more confusing by trying to keep the boy as the top dog now that the bitch is getting older. I find it difficult to accept that my old boy wont be top dog as he always has been. But that is my problem not theirs.
- By krusewalker [gb] Date 29.03.09 19:36 UTC
then i wouldnt leave toys out unsupervised. bring them out for controlled play and training.

the young girl is being just that, and you need to teach her some boundaries and training.
its good that the old dog puts her in her place, but it sounds like your old'un needs some back up?

does the young'un get enough one on one training and exericse?

have you enrolled her in dog training club?
- By Gemini05 Date 29.03.09 19:45 UTC
I am no expert, but have had similar happen with my bunch.
I put it down to the younger to trying to dominate the elder dog, to me she is trying to become the Alfa in the house regarding your older boy.

My older girl still roles the roast with my younger dogs, she will take their treats from them and store them next to her and if they show any sign of wanting them back she will growl at them, she has never 'gone for them' but just gives a warning growl.

I decided that I could not live like this as although she did not show any signs of aggression towards us humans with food, treats etc: it was still very annoying when she did it to the my other dogs!

I made sure that I showed her with my body language that I was boss, standing over her upright if she decided to growl at the other dogs over food, and if that did not work I then took the item away from her, as to claim it as my own and give it to the other dog, and sit by the other dog to show her I was allowing the other dog to have the treat and she was not to touch it, you need patience, but believe me it does work!

Now my dogs can have treat again, near each other, without problems, and when its feed time the first one to finish will sit and wait for everyone else to finish then they will calmly check each others bowls in case they had missed a bit of food!
It is also quite funny to watch them drinking, they sort of like form a que! and wait for each other to have their drink then the next one goes, and so on!

As for her jumping up at your older boy, again I believe this to be domaninance or maybe trying to erge him to play with her, I have had this too, and have normally left it to the older dog to tell the younger one off it they are annoying, but sometimes I have had to intervene and stand over the younger dog and say 'Hey'
It again has worked with my dogs, but I suppose it all depends on the individual dogs.

xx
- By Lindsay Date 01.04.09 08:32 UTC
We always need to remember that dogs are dogs...:)

Dogs often "take" what they want to be theirs, they have no concept of right, wrong or morals in the way we do. They learn in context what they can and can't do with each other individual dog in the family group.

My dogs used to each have their own bone for instance, then after about half an hour the male would just go and take the bone off my bitch - this is normal dog behaviour and when it came to food, he was stronger minded than her and she allowed it although not too happy about it - she'd then go and have a chew at his bone, so it was almost like swopping really.

However, I was happy with this because the male never did this until he had eaten a fair amount and so had my bitch, if he'd tried to do it straight away and kept both new bones I'd have stopped him. Also, I could tell my bitch was OK with this and not cowed, worried etc in fact in most occasions she was stronger minded than him, eg she'd be more guardy, take the ball I threw for them both mostly, etc.

My suggestions: as Krusewalker said, why not either just not give them chewy treats, or else feed them separately eg one dog in the kitchen one behind the gate in the hall :)

No reason for them really to be together when they are given extra special food treats, or is there?
- By little jayne [gb] Date 04.04.09 12:25 UTC
thank you everyone for your suggestions. With regards to my conversation I had with that trainer.(mentioned in my above post) I think it might be a load of rubbish about bitches always being "top dog" found when I was trawling around the net as you do, an article that said the older dog will always be "top dog" until he is infirm. So that puts pay to the previuos therory.
What does everyone else think. If I can work out which of my dogs I should encourage then maybe I would be half way there with my original problem!!!!
- By Astarte Date 04.04.09 12:38 UTC

> I think it might be a load of rubbish about bitches always being "top dog" found when I was trawling around the net as you do, an article that said the older dog will always be "top dog" until he is infirm. So that puts pay to the previuos therory.
>


in honesty both are probably a bit of rubbish. the top dogs whoever happens to be at the time, in the case of our lot its generally the eldest bitch BUT in other situations, such as something 'threatening' the boy is in an alpha position. knowing our dogs i think thats a brains and brawn thing, the girls are far smarter so keep Tio whipped the rest of the time but hes about twice the size so when somethings up he's in the fore. additonally our 'alpha' is the most easy going fo the three, she'll let the other two away with a huge amount, shes still usually the boss though. thats just my lot though and most of it will not apply to anyone elses dogs.

all groups of dogs are different and you cannot say it will be a certain way, different personalities and situations influence things enormously.
- By The Dog Master [gb] Date 06.04.09 12:14 UTC Edited 06.04.09 15:09 UTC
Hi there remeber there are many members to a pack not just two alphas there are varing degrees of submissiveness , allyour are seeing here is a  change in the balance the famale beliveves she is a higher ranking memeber than the male. You only have to worry when sheis not responding to you .Your dogs have to find there place within there pack.Dogs are not black and white,and can notbe seperated into two  different groups alpha and subbmissive. The femaleischallenging the male watch this beahviour it is very intersting watch howthe body langauge changes .
Eventually they willfindpeace among thereselves ,challenging needs to occur as naturally in the wildwhen the alpha  is no longer considered by memebers ofthe pack to be healthy enough to lead it is up to the lower ranks within the pack to find a new alpha to replace the old ,it nature running it course.
Hope this help.Have a great day Billy
- By tohme Date 06.04.09 17:49 UTC
Top dogs are not necessarily top dogs in all contexts. one of my dogs is top dog in the house and around food, the other one is top dog around toys and outside.

Food aggression is perfectly normal within a dog group. He who has most resources wins. 

I always feed my dogs separately so that they cannot be stressed by a bullying dog or vice versa. 

I do not accept any anti social behaviour around food and humans though however I train for it.

Why put one dog at risk because you have unrealistic expectations of behaviour.

Just separate.
- By goldie [gb] Date 06.04.09 19:01 UTC
My two are very different in ways and characters.
My 3yr old is very food aggresive and would never allow the other dog near any food bowl of hers.

But it reverses out side,the 2yr old dog is in charge of all the toys,and the 3yr old is very submisive to her,drops everything the minute young one wants it.
They know what each ones thinking.
I feed older dog seperate in her own space.
Topic Dog Boards / Behaviour / sudden food aggression

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