Sonny is almost 4 months old now and doing well. He's a Goldie.
We've recently changed his diet to raw feeding which he loves. Previously, he wasn't fussed about eating at all. However, this new love of his food has caused him to growl when ever anyone walks near him at feeding time or when he has a bone etc.
We're training him by offering treats and then removing his bowl or bone when he takes the treat and also just by removing the food. He's responding quite well to this but some reassurances and tips from other owners would be great.
We have small children and run a boardng house in a private school where we also look after nine other children so Sonny has got to be trusted not to be aggressive.
Ruth

Hi Ruth, When I feed my dogs I don't just prepare the feed and put it straight down, I get them to sit and wait, the bowl get placed in front of them and then told to wait again, they are released with an 'ok' to start eating - I do this by holding the collar , physically restraining the pup whilst the bowl is down until they get the idea, I can tell mine to wait half way through eating and they will stop and wait so I can put in a biscuit or something. - With growling over food, I have never had it (touch wood) but feel that taking the food away whilst the dog is eating is running the risk of getting nipped at, and also in my opinion reinforcing the idea to the pup that he has to gobble it all up quickly and guard it cos he knows you will take it away at some point whilst he is eating. A lot of people do this though. I personally feel that if you make up half or three quarters of his feed in his bowl and then once he is eating , approach and add more, a little bit at a time. This gives him the idea that when his food is approached , it is a good thing and he is benefitting from it , as you don't take his food, you give him more - does that make sense! Is he guardy with toys as well or is it just his food? with toys in my house, the dogs are not allowed to have their toys around the house, they are given when I want them to have them, thus they are my toys not theirs, they always give them to me with no worries and I put them away after the game. They have filled kongs when I go out but that is it, and particularly favourite toys (balls on ropes) are kept for going out on walks only and played with when we are out, making them a real treat and helping to keep their attention focused. Hope this helps, Julie:)

ps just read this back - don't I sound like a mini- dictator to my dogs!! :D

Try hand feeding him this way his food comes from u and not his bowl, make him sit and do something to recieve his food and praise/treat. Do the same with toys, give one and allow to play with then take it away later, maybe offer a different one in place. But when u take it away offer a treat/praise for good behaviour, always let ur dog know that all this stuff is coming from u. Start teaching some basic commands so they know u are in control and not them.I have never had any of my dogs growl at me over food or taking something out of their mouth. I always made it clear that everything is mine and not theirs, I have toys all over my floor and can take it out of their mouth when I want. My biggest is 141 pounds and my children can do the same. My daughter usta always stick her hand in his food and he would wait until she moved it and some times she would give it too him (she was only 2 1/2 at the time). I have always got them to hand feed the dogs since they were little so if a piece of meat or something falls on the floor and our dog gets it any of us can take it away.
Good luck and I hope he stops
ttfn :)

HI Muddy dogs and dollface,
Thanks for the tips. It all makes good sense so I will give it a go.
Sonny's quite inconsistent in that he will let you take toys, etc from his mouth with no problem - it's just his food.
It's early days yet and I'm sure he'll do fine but thanks again. I'll keep you posted.

Muddydogs - no, You don't sound like a mini dictator - well, not too much:) but aren't we all the same with our pets:) I guess it's a quesiton of having to be the dominant 'alpha'!

Ruth

Hi Ruth

Do you just take the food away or take it away, add more, return it.

I mut admit I would probably also growl if you gave me food and then took it away once I had started to eat it.

Teach him wait (ie stop what you are doing and wait for the next command) so that when he is eating, you say "wait" and the moment he stops or looks up you add a bit more - preferably something that is more tasty than he is currently eating. Once he is confident you can take what he is currently eating away, give tasty treat, and retun main meal.

If everyone has taken his food away from him when he is eating then he has quite possibly become wary and will try to stop anyone taking it. If he was mine I would ensure he was fed away from the children until he is confident about you handling him and his food when eating, then reintroduce your own children and then the others.

Christine

Hi Ruth
I childmind 4 other children as well as my two ,so I understand what you mean ...
My two can go in his bed and take anything off him -bones included -I encourage them to remove the bone, toy whatever and then give it back ,not torment him with it .The other children can take stuff off him but only under supervision .it is still early days and it will come :)
Liz

Hi

I have found the simplest answer to this. When putting the bowl down dont take it away, that will make him gulp it while it is there. ADD to it, put your hand near and let him see you have more and then drop into the bowl, repeat this each feeding time. He will grab at first but soon realise you are not taking the food but adding more. He will calm down eventually.

So when someone goes near his bowl or enters the same room he will expect more to be added if anything, not it taken away altogether, thats not a good thing to do.

It works, I know thats how I did it with a rescue dalmation who was three years old. After that we never ever had a problem, you could take anything from him.

regards
Jackie