# Food aggression



## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

I read recently on another forum of a dog nipping a small child who reached to pick up a toy nearby whilst he was in possession of food.

The owner mentioned that the young dog, not 12 mths old, was in PPD training and that while he previously had had other dogs as pets, they let *him *take food away from them and there were no issues.

I was in agreement with those who said isolate dog from kids whilst feeding or always and don't want to start a discussion on this. My question is "what on earth has this to do with the fact that the dog is in "PPD" training?" I had the feeling the poster thought food aggression and PPD go together and pet dogs don't do nasty things like this.

As I see it, even the weakest, saddest little canine out can be food aggressive - dog is dog - correct me if I'm wrong:???:


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## Michele McAtee (Apr 10, 2006)

I read (perhaps?) the same thread, very similar to what you've written.

I did not see the relation to PPD and food aggression as you are seeing it or describing now, here. My interpretation of the PPD aspect was simply the poster describing the work his dog is training for...perhaps an attempt to justify *why* the kids need to be around the dog??? Dunno.


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## Dan Long (Jan 10, 2008)

The most food aggressive dog towards people in my house is our JRT, followed by the Pug. The GSD and Dane have no food aggression towards people but they will defend their meal from the other dogs if they get too close. I agree, PPD has nothing to do with it, but it gets mentioned because to some people, any kind of bite training will make a dog want blood. Oh, and DO NOT feed a PPD dog raw! Once they taste blood they will get aggressive and you'll never fix them!


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## Alyssa Myracle (Aug 4, 2008)

I think he mentioned the PPD aspect, more because he was hoping to justify the mistakes he was making, as in, not wanting to damage the dogs drive by correcting it.
If it's the gentleman I'm thinking of, he makes many excuses, and generally seems to lack any level of maturity or responsibility.

He needs a cat, not a PPD.


ANYWAY, I've never had to deal with food aggression with any of my own dogs. Been lucky, I guess.
The most food agressive dogs I've ever seen were little dogs, especially dachshunds.


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## Jamielee Nelson (Apr 24, 2008)

I have had my share of food aggressive dogs come out of the shetler and homes into our rescue. I guess you can say the "best" case I had was a puppy we had recieved at 3 months with a broken leg, very sick and all in all not socialized. 
He was a hard case personally for me bc I felt bad for the puppy and did all the wrong things... at the time I didnt see that I was doing that but looking back now I do. :-\" 
The puppy would acutally try and attack you if you got close... yes hes a puppy so it was easy to get a hold of him and shove him out of the way. But it was my Very First time dealing with food aggression and I thought it was a great experience. At 5 months old he was 68lbs and 9 months he was 85lbs. He turned his aggression on and off and wasnt _Just for food_ though.

He is currenly in a home with two kids. Both can walk up to him and take a treat... toy... chew anything from him and shows no aggression. He was adopted out at 9 months old.










Hes still to this day one of my fav fosters. He taugh me a lot. (Here he is at 4 months)


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

It's true - one learns from "difficult" dogs - bless their little cotton socks.


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## David Scholes (Jul 12, 2008)

Dan Long said:


> ... I agree, PPD has nothing to do with it, but it gets mentioned because to some people, any kind of bite training will make a dog want blood. Oh, and DO NOT feed a PPD dog raw! Once they taste blood they will get aggressive and you'll never fix them!


My previous dog an Anatolian as a puppy was very food aggressive but I was able to get her over that. I fed her raw whenever it was available. Often portions of a goat or other animal she was protecting just hours earlier. She was very gentle with newborns foals, kid goats. The kids would climb all over her. I might have a pic somewhere of a colt grooming her. But if they were stillborn or died of natural causes they were lunch. She also would be right out there cleaning the young if the mother would let her and eat the afterbirth. When my last foals were born she stayed right out in the pasture for several weeks sleeping near the young ones. 

My point is.. I was kind of surprised that she was easily able to recognize the difference between live and dead and treat the live animals she knew differently live than after they died. She would chase strange animals or predators but feeding her raw did not make her more aggressive. She did get more aggressive with age but only against those she viewed as a threat, nothing to do with her eating raw meat.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Dan Long said:


> The most food aggressive dog towards people in my house is our JRT, followed by the Pug. The GSD and Dane have no food aggression towards people but they will defend their meal from the other dogs if they get too close. I agree, PPD has nothing to do with it, but it gets mentioned because to some people, any kind of bite training will make a dog want blood. Oh, and DO NOT feed a PPD dog raw! Once they taste blood they will get aggressive and you'll never fix them!


I heard this a long time ago strangely enough from a guy who taught me a lot about dog behaviour, pack structure, etc. I didn't buy it then and I don't buy it now:lol: 

Another thing I heard "don't feed them venison"#-o


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

*PPD, Please Put Down.* I'm food aggressive, my dogs are food aggressive, but nobody bites the hand which feeds! There lies the issue as I see it. Most dogs will guard or protect food. Ones that know "pack" position will seldom try and rock the boat. PPD animals have NOTHING to do with the scenario.


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## Dan Long (Jan 10, 2008)

Gillian Schuler said:


> I heard this a long time ago strangely enough from a guy who taught me a lot about dog behaviour, pack structure, etc. I didn't buy it then and I don't buy it now:lol:
> 
> Another thing I heard "don't feed them venison"#-o


I must be really screwing up, I've been feeding a lot of venison the last month or so. My brother works on an estate and has a "nuisance" permit so his hunting season is extended. He gives me pretty much the whole front end- ribs, neck, back, shoulders, front legs- that are dog food. 

One thing about feeding raw is that it's a MUCH higher value item to the dogs. Feed them kibble, they aren't really too protective of it, but give them a pork shoulder, the other dogs better stay clear until the dog who has it decides it's done. Our pug is the funniest. He'll start growling and protecting his food so bad that he'll drop it, one of the big dogs will walk right over and take it from out in front of him. If he'd just be quiet and eat they wouldn't bother him.


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## Greg Williams (Aug 5, 2007)

I couldn't tell you if I have a food aggressive dog. I don't stick my hands in there food or try to take it once they have it. I feed them in there crates so no one else can mess with them while they eat either.
If they find something outside they shouldn't have, I chase them off of it. My logic is I would get crappy and want to bite if someone stuck there hands in my food. JMO


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## Russ Spencer (Jun 2, 2008)

My hands are in the food bowl from the first bowl of mush. I'll reach in their mouths and take food away. I take chews, etc from them. I have grandkids over, especially when there's new pups, and they do the same thing. I encourage buyers to continue the practice. The adults are treated the same. I don't challenge them, it's all part of our "get-together" sessions.

I feed RAW when the opportunity strikes. I never have a "pack feed." They get their RAW (Venison, hog, goat, rabbit, etc) in their pens and they stay there for an hour after the last one has finished.

I have never been bitten during these exercises. Luck? Maybe not. The pups have gone on to PPD, MIL and SchH lives.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

I think i've tried it all when it comes to food, feeding, food aggression.

I used to do pack feeding to reinforce the order I set in the pack. Basically throw down the food - dogs on sit stay. Each dog eats when given command to eat and stops when told not too. And if a dog screwed up, it was hungry until the next meal. 

I pretty much have stuck with feeding in a crate - no messing with it.

But I also train a dog that good things happen when it gives me a prized toy, treat, food.

I see more issues with growling at the cat when it wanders over. Food goes buh-bye! And if the dog is being a PITA, I'll give the food to the cat and let the dog watch the kitty eat.

Eat by my rules or you won't be eating at all!

It goes without saying that when a young or new dog is learning the rules, I use frequent meals to ensure the dog is getting enough food. A dog that is too hungry won't have the self-control to follow the rules. A touch of hunger can motivate. But too hungry = no good.


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## Alyssa Myracle (Aug 4, 2008)

I've just never given a whole lot of thought to feeding.

When my dogs were kibble fed, I walked around them and patted them while they ate, from the time they were brough into our home.

Now that my dog is raw fed, I feed either in the yard or in the crate.
Obviously, in the crate there is no contact. When she eats outside, I have walked up to her and patted her, and occassionally picked food up and moved it, when she was moving too far away from the porch with it. She knows she'll get it back, and she'll be allowed to eat, so there isn't any anxiety attached to me touching her food. She knows that her family treats her fairly, so there is no need for aggression to protect her food.

If neighbors are out in their yards next door, she will pick her food up and lay with her back facing them while she eats, which could be considered mild guarding of her food. But then, I don't expect her to permit strangers to pester her while she eats, nor would I allow them to do so.


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