Just wondered how many of you would trust your dog enough to take food from them ?  I had to take a bone from Inkie today and although very reluctant she did give in. I would never do this to anyones eles dog. How about you ?

Yes, I can take anything from my dogs. I can take a bone from Willis with my teeth - not that I do (ahem) :D Infact, we often sit together an I lift his lip to see how he's getting on with them - but he is a dane so its usually a big bone and a lot of lip :D

Wouldn't take anything off anyone elses dog though - no matter how I trust them :D

Yes, I can take anything I want from their mouths - even when it's been half-swallowed. Strangers can as well - I can't imagine not being able to do that.

>Yes, I can take anything I want from their mouths - even when it's been half-swallowed.

But would you want to? :D

When it's lumps of dead bunny which I don't want 'returned' when they get home, yes! *insert vomitting smily here*

:D I'd take some barbeque tongs out walking :D

Yes, I can but no, I would not do it with someone else's dog.

Yes i can take any object from my dogs mouth and so can anyone else, to be honest it would worry me if i couldn't. I also would not risk it with anyone elses dog unless i knew the dog and it's behaviour. My aunties dog is a bit of bone guarder, and this sometimes is a little worrying when we look after her, we have to clear all the bones away, as she will take bones from my dog, but will guard them and growl if he goes anywhere near her. Or anyone else for that matter.

I've always been able to do this with every dog I've owned bar one, current devil dog. I probably could take anything off him now but why risk it...the little collie pup usually takes things off him then I take them off her :D

Of my seven dogs, I can take anything from six of them easily. The other one would be more difficult,:rolleyes: but no way would I allow him to win. I'm the alpha momma in this house.

Dawn R.

Yes, if they picked anything up whilst out walking and didn't give it up on command I would think nothing of going in their mouths to retrieve it.

Banya's always bringing me stuff so we have a "ooh look mummy" and a "oh good, bring it to me then" situation usually :P

I did train her to "bring" anything to hand (had to for working trials).

Lindsay
x

Yes we can take food and bones from our dog and take things out of his mouth. I don't think I would try it with anybody else's dog though.

I can take things from him no problem. A couple of weeks ago at an allotment BBQ someone i had just met said can i give your dog a sausage, i said yes if its cooled down and he gave it to him, as he was biting into it the man said "perhaps he would like some tomato sauce on it" and went to take it back!!!! morgan just gulped it down quick before he could take it away. I couldnt believe it! this man didnt really know my dog at all. I suppose I would have been in trouble if he had bitten him

I can take anything from my two and always have with any of our dogs, all have always been trained to give things up readily (safer if they ever pick up anything poisonous or dangerous ;) )  I'd be worried if I couldn't too.

would never try to take anything off anyone elses dog tho - not that brave :D :D :D

Lucky people - mine has been a food guarder from the start.  Tried to do some of the things like adding a little food to her bowl at a time or feeding her out of my hand.  She eventually just stood away from her bowl and waited for me to go away!  If her food is in her bowl and she is waiting she will snap at hands if she is patted.  I always carry a treat in my pocket to swap with anything she finds outside but I dread the  day she finds an old bone.  She knows the command give and leave - she has been taught not to pick up bits on the kitchen floor until I tell her to take it.  However outside off the lead is a different matter.  Giving her a chew can be a tricky decision for her because I tell her to take it and she is unsure what to do and snatches it and runs to the corner of the room.  This does not happen with biscuits or other small treats though which she seems to view differently.   My last 2 dogs never had a problem with food - It is surely genetic rather then a learned behaviour? 

Don't know about genetic Ceejay :rolleyes: but I do think that some dogs are more likely to guard food than others.  Did the dog get fed from it's own bowl when in the litter or did they have to share one bowl?  sometimes this makes a difference.

I have helped retrain a scarey case of food guarding :)  the dog had got so bad that the family weren't allowed anywhere near the kitchen or dining room when she was fed and she'd even bite them if they were eating a snack watching telly    I worked with the dog myself and then worked with the family.  By the time I finished the dog was happily eating cooked chicken from the children's hands as well as the parents' :) so it can be done.  There is plenty of information on the site about food guarding and I used the same techniques.  It takes a lot of time and patience tho.  After all the dog didn't get like this in a few days, and it can take longer to alter behaviour than it took to learn the original behaviour ;) ;)

I would certainly hold off trying to pat her or even look at her directly until she is totally comfortable with your presence while she's eating.

All mine allow me to take food from them if needs be, even Lastar who has only been with me since he was 6 and lived in an environment where I would think food was of high value, he has never tried to do anything to me.  Did nearly have a crushed thumb once though when I tried to get a dead bird out of Lana's mouth :d

All of our family, kids as well, can take anything off the dogs. But when its half a long dead rabbit, or something else disgusting, i really wish i didnt have too :)

Well, they're not keen to let me take things, but they only clamp their jaws together to try to hang onto the dead fish / half a spare rib etc, I'd never be worried about them growling or defending their trophy. If it's toys / stolen tissues / paper etc I have very little trouble. :-)

I would feel totally comfortable taking anything from my dog even if it was halfway down his throat. I never take things just to prove I can, only things that are dangerous and he shouldn't have. I might if someone else's dog was in grave danger but otherwise I would have to know the dog.

can take anything off either of mine (actually being honest have to 'bribe ' Clara :) if its her ballie,  i have something rewarding & tell her to give she will spit the item at me!)
they both no what 'give means.
however wouldnt have a hope in hell in taking anything off the cats! ;) isnt it funny how whenever i take either of my large dogs to the vets i can restrain them & they will let the vet do anything- if i take the cats especially the old boy its hands on all round, nurses holding on to every leg & sedation if needed

i 100% trust any of my dogs to take anything offof them.

not trust anyone elses dogs though

All mine can have anything taken away rom them.  Food, toys, food bowle etc.  I would be very worried if I couldn't.

Yes, me too, can take anything from my dog, my mum's and my brothers dogs.

My dogs will easily give up food bowls toys or bones no trouble at all.
think some people just do not realise the enormous strength in a dogs bite, last week out on a walk Inga picked up a dead bird from the grass verge and there was no way on this earth she was going to give it up there I was on the main road with two GSDs trying to open Ingas mouth while cars are flying past I ended up with two dogs tied to a lamp post for safety while I tried to prise the bird from her, car drivers were slowing down to see what was going on the other dog was sat poised to grab the bird if Inga dropped it but no chance she closed her mouth like a vice and I don,t think even a crowbar would have helped.dogs in this case it was her prize and she was having it.
I tried all the usual tricks covering her nostrils turning back her lips etc  but in the end had to let her eat it no growling or staring or grumbling just sheer determination on her part.
It always worries me a bit when I hear people say children can take things of the dog or my dog wil let children do anything with him imho children should not be allowed to just do anything with a dog its usually the poor dog who gets the blame when things do go wrong.

I really do not understand the fixation with giving dogs food/toys etc & then taking it away again, I can understnad teaching swappsies(a treat for something that the dog shouldn't have or teaching to give a toy etc) but just to give a dog it's food etc & then removing it for no reason isn't something I can understand at all-smacks of the old domination of owner over dog theories. In the wild giving up food to a higher ranking animal without a disagreement just doesn't happen

Now resource guarding is a totally different ball game

MM completely agree! I can take anything off any of mine if necessary but deef will always give me a "look". I know he would never bite me, it's just not in his nature but I usually get him to bring his bones to me then I can take them and put them somewhere he can chew without being in the way! He thinks this is a good game and gets all silly and puppyish, win win I think. Neither of the other two react if I have to move them with their bones, they just get up wagging their tails and wait until they get it back. Sol will guard his from Kelly because he knows that  he would take it given half a chance. Kelly knows better than to push it as he would be in trouble with  both uf us. Never had any problems with any of mine and they are all farm bred and fed from the same bowl as pups. I just don't think it occurs to them to guard anything from me as they know I rarely take it and if I do then it's not for long :-D

If they clamp their jaws shut like that I find that pressing the inside of their top lip against the points of the teeth behind the canines in the top jaw makes them open eventually rather than hurt themselves. Then if you keep the lip between the teeth they can't clamp shut again without hurting themselves first. It's not cruel or unkind because the dog's totally in charge of how much pressure is applied.

with such a large dog like lucy (bm) i think it is important to be able to take such things as bones and treats away from her i have 2 children ages 11 and 6 and they can take her bones away from her even my newish partner of 6 months can do this i have always done this because my parents have a collie x gsd who will not give up a bone or a treat for anyone but the kids also have to be taught to respect the dog when they are eating my girl will take a her treat be it a bone or a trotter or pigs ear to her bed but i know she is quiet happy for someone to get into her crate with her and remove her food/treat bvut saying that we are still working on the leave command when treats are put in front of her but thats coming on slowley

I've never took their food bowl away from them except to add something I may have forgotten - ie medication - they don't object. I have to make sure also that any toy can be given up quite freely because of grandchildren, or if they bring their dirty rotten smelly bones into the kitchen and refuse to take them out, then I simply take them off them  and chuck them up the garden (the bones not the leos :P)  :)
Usually if they pick something up when out walking a firm 'drop it' or 'leave it' works :) not had any encounters with small animals/birds yet but I doubt if I could handle that - Yuk :P

I can get anything of my dogs,but its the half eaten kebab they always seem to find on late night walks i have a real battle with.

You must resist - it'd upset your stomach! ;) :D

Your right!! I will try harder to control myself!!!

Yes, can take anything off of my lot too. I would definitely not want to try it with a dog I didn't know, but if an emergency situation arose, I expect I would have a go
Kat

I can get anything off my girls but murphy is a totally differnt kettle of fish. He came to me very skinny at 10 months so food is very important to him. Hes fine around his food bowl, but then i don't try to take it away, i only go up to him to add stuff. Bones, chews and anything he may have stolen is totally different. I can take some things away by playing swapsies or scattering tasty treats around, but if i simple approach he will stiffen, growl and lift his lip. I definately wouldn't force the situation just to prove that i could. ( i'd probably get bitten!)
I wouldn't try it with anyone elses dog either.
We had a pup at our puppy party last week who was terribly food aggressive as far as other dogs were concerned, he went for a pup over a treat on the floor (he was 12 weeks), so i have a feeling that it has quite a strong genetic component.
I went to a rottie seminar once, and they were talking about a young rottie who had problems with food possesiveness. WHilst they were talking, said rottie managed to steal a bag of sausages. Big panic! THe dog was going to swallow it whole bag and all, so something had to be done. However there was absolutely no way the dog could be approached. It just held the bag in its jaws and snarled at anyone nearby including the owner. THe behaviourist scattered lots of sausage around but the dog wasn't going to give in. I can't remember exactly what happened in the end, i know they got it away in the end, but it took about 15 minutes and was purely terrifying as the dog was even eyeing up the audience, and could clearly have caused some serious damage.
I would like to know what happened to the dog in the end, there was talk of pts, as the owner had children and the dog had already bitten.

Yes, I'm completely confident that I can take anything from any of my lot without the smallest objection.

On other dogs, I'd make a difference between dogs I know socially and complete strangers.

With social acquaintances, I'd say yes, I would and probably could take things from them if the owner asked me to do it.

I can't imagine a situation where I would want to take something away from a totally strange dog but if it something that was absolutely vital to get back I'm probably stupid enough to try. :)

From a quick scan down the posts food guarding seems to be fairly rare.  Dill your post was interesting thanks - Mine was the first of the litter to go and they did only have one food bowl.  However there was food in it at the time and the dogs were obviously full.   My baby grand-daughter who is only a little older than my dog can hand the dog a biscuit and she will take it politely - she has been taught to 'wait' and 'take it'.  However her food bowl and big chews are a different matter.  I can walk around her while she is eating but I ignore her and don't touch her till she is finished.  I have read 'Mine' but it is a very lengthy procedure to work through.  I struggle with teaching the basics like recall! 

i can remove anything from nipper's mouth but equally don't see the point of taking food away simply to prove that i can and the same goes for treats. however, since tiny puppyhood, i've always treated the food bowl as something that gets added to, rather than taken away and if i don't want a pig's ear chewed over the only half decent carpet we possess then i've removed it to somewhere suitably shabby and i don't expect any backchat from him when i do! if i hadn't been able to take objects from his mouth he would, by now, have poisoned himself or blocked his innards up with stones, pegs, mobile phone chargers, etc., so it never occurred to me not to train him to accept removal of contraband. stinking, decomposing wildlife is another matter since he's crafty enough to snaffle this very quietly and with a quick look out of the corner of his eye at me, disappear into hedgerows with it at a speed that suggests he's got a jet propelled rocket up his bottom.

i wouldn't dream of taking things out of the mouths of other people's dogs, however.

I can and do take anything from my dogs mouths as one day it may save their life.

I inherited a dog with a severe food guarding issue, in fact he went ballistic if you were in the same room.  Two weeks later he would bring me his raw turkey drumstick and give it to me.

Prevention is much better than cure but a cure is easily done.

Some dogs may be genetically more predisposed to be possessive than others however this is no excuse for resource guarding.

I do not however have any problems with dogs resource guarding from other dogs, it is hard wired and I just manage the environment with multiple dogs.

ceejay,

It's not the amount of food that matters really, it's having to compete for it ;) (or even feeling that they have to) at some point that bowl will be empty (they may just have been fed ;) ) and all the pups will be hungry so pushing and shoving is bound to happen.  Even when separate bowls are provided it's necessary to supervise feeding pups to ensure that one doesn't get shoved out by greedier, faster eaters ;)   what someone else has got always seems better than what's in their own bowls :D :D :D

I've been told that having one more food bowl than pups helps with this. Even if a pup is pushed off his food there's always another bowl to go to. (just using your post as a segue Dill)

I have never had food guarding with any of my pups, but they have never had an empty bowl.  the feeds are always enough for some to be left over for Mum to clear up once they have lost interest.

Once they are having their own dishes (over 12 weeks if there is more than one left), then all the adult dogs are supervised at feeding times and never allowed to go near another dogs food bowl, even after the dog has finished.  I then pick the bowls up.

There area always bones and hoofs around for them to chew and they do not guard these either, not even from visiting canines  who get treated the same.  If a visitor guards the other dogs just shrug their shoulders and move on to another item, and I have never found the visitor keep it up.

I can take anything of either of mine..they dont bat a eye lid..mind i have always taken things off my dogs from a early age..just in case one has a chocking session..easy to get my fingers in their mouths..

I can take food from mine without problems- although the other dogs couldnt take food from each other

Dill - that makes a lot of sense.  She was a farm collie and as I said food was left in the middle of their pen. Several of the pups were a lot bigger.  We didn't go for the larger pup even though she was a lovely red merle because she showed no interest in us.  I suppose this is one of the problems of buying a farm collie. I can see that you and Tohme have succesfully trained dogs out of food guarding and it is encouraging to hear that it can be done.  I think it will be harder work now to stop her food guarding because we have had her for nearly a year but it isn't too late is it?

The dog I helped was 4 years old and had been guarding all that time it had got progressively worse and the owners were talking about PTS :(    It didn't happen overnight and so the cure didn't either ;)   The time it takes will depend on both dog and owner/s ;)

I can take anything from Saffy.  She has never guarded her food, but if she had a small tasty bit of food she would probably swallow it very quickly to avoid letting me have it (not that I would take it anyway).  She has on occasion clamped her jaws shut on something she really wants (usually one of the kids toys), but then if we say 'treat' she drops it. :)

I don't make her food guarding a problem - I just respect her space when I put her food bowl down.  I always make her sit and then tell her to go eat.  As for being out I always carry a treat in my pocket that can be swapped for anything she finds.  However as Alexanders says if it is tasty- like fox poo it goes down pretty quickly!   If she does find a bone or anything I think she will play keep away very well.  I need to train a good recall and 'leave' command.   It is slow progress.  She is not a case for being PTS thank goodness. 

I can take anything from Jazz, he just looks at me gone out:rolleyes:.  I wouldnt do it to someone elses dog though.  My dog when I was little would not let you near him when he was eating, not the ideal scenario but we were just taught to respect his space.