Just had a phone call from a friend - she has an 18m old dog who in the past 10 days has started to growl when eating his dinner.  As I've never had a problem with feeding wondered if anyone has any advice.  I've suggested hand feeding for a while.

I'd also consider putting the dog's food down and then leaving the room and shutting the door so that he can eat alone and in peace.

Are there any other dogs in the house?  In can be a different issue if the dog is growling at his owner...

My youngster went through a "It's mine!" food phase at about a year old and he started to mumble under his breath whilst eating.  I realised that his eating had slowed down a bit and the other two dogs were finishing before him.  I always stay in the room with them and they didn't take even one step towards his bowl but it was enough that they looked at him!  In his case I simply changed the order of serving, grumbleguts went first, and I asked my fastest eater to wait just a beat or two longer before starting.

My recommendations: always stay in the room with your dog/s whilst eating (no need to stare at them but just hang around in case you're needed :) ) : always feed them in the same place/position : change the order of serving to ensure that one dog doesn't finish much earlier or later than the rest : teach food manners such as 'wait' before allowing your dog to dive in : split the meal into 2 portions (this way your dog looks to you to deliver the goodies) : whilst eating or as soon as your dog finishes drop a really good treat into his bowl (again, this way your dog knows that your presence around the food bowl is a bonus not a threat) : don't allow anyone else to enter the room or walk past whilst the dog is eating : make sure the dog is facing out into the room not against the wall with his back turned whilst eating (it's natural for him to want to see who is coming)

In general I wouldn't worry overmuch about a bit of grumbling in this circumstance as I know my dogs very well but I wouldn't really want it to continue for an extended period.  Dog's do need to communicate with you and other dogs in the household BUT it does need to be watched and understood as it is a behaviour which can escalate.  Some single dogs may prefer to eat in isolation and feeding in a crate might help too

Has anything happened to make him wary, a dog or human taking food away before he was finished etc.?

They need to immediately start resource-guarding prevention:

http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/resource-guarding/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mine-Practical-Guide-Resource-Guarding/dp/0970562942

If they are at all anxious or worried or feel it is not something they can manage using the above, they should consult a behaviourist asap.

He is the only dog in the house and has been fine up until now - being asked to sit and wait for his meal.  I too wondered if anything has happened recently to make him like this.

Yes, he is growling at the owners.  I will pass on some of these tip and see if he improves.

Thank you

I think they ought to film what he's doing ? it could be simple eg they've moved his bowl slightly and he can see his reflection?

good links rabid. wish I had that info when I had this problem. was given very bad advice which escalated the problem

difficult to say without  seeing the dog. you are sure he isnt just grumbling (talking) with pleasure? I would certainly not leave him alone in the room. you have a problem starting and you really want to fix it. it it were me i would present and empty bowl and put in a piece of food. after he has eaten ask him to sit and place another bit of food into his bowl and so on. he should start to associate you being there as good and hopefully this is just a phase that can be corrected. let us know how it goes.

The reason for leaving him totally alone to eat is to break the cycle in his mind that he needs to guard his food before it gets properly ingrained. After a couple of weeks you can then start the retraining with a more relaxed dog.

I understand the logic behind that jeangenie. however i knew someone that tried this and they ended up not being able to be in the same room as the dog whilst it was eating. i expect it is just trying to see what works for each particular problem. as i said previously it is difficult without seeing the dog in question.