Newbie here. Needs a bit of help.

[Camden's Mom]

I gotta agree with the previous two posters, whole heartedly. You should at the very least test/proof your new puppy or rescues for potential resource guarding instincts, especially since you have children in the home.

 

I'm NOT a fan of harassing a dog while he is eating, but the trade-up games and treats that magically appear when people approach are great ways to work (or just do maintenance) on RGing issues.

 

I just wanted to add that when you are testing your new dog or puppy to see if they exhibit any guarding issues you need to look for very subtle signs which are often missed by us humans. Obviously if the dog is curling his lip, growling or snapping you have a serious issue, however here are some other behaviors that indicated the dog is uncomfortable with someone approaching: The dog's body stiffens when you approach and he "freezes" (often with his weight forward and head over the bowl), the dog starts to eat much faster, the dog looks back at the you with whites of eyes showing.

 

It's just good to be aware of early, subtle signs of RGing. The earlier you address it (and the more aware you are of the distance at which a dog is uncomfortable) the easier it is to work on and train away, IMO.

[sogj]

(I don't think trading a whole bowl of food for a little treat is quite fair.)

 

I am not a big fan of petting a dog when they are eating. Really? Would you like someone petting you while you were eating? Ick! I have pet my dog a couple of times while he was eating (and he was fine), but that was just to see how he would respond.

 

I would like to clarify - I would then give him his food back. I mean, pick up the bowl, give him a high value treat like some cheese or a piece of hot dog, then put the food back. I have small children, and will always have small children around my dogs, that's just part of my life. I want my dogs to know that anything that happens while they are eating - if the food gets picked up, or if kids are petting them, or whatever - that it's fine, nothing bad will come of that.

 

Do I let my kids do that? No. They are not allowed to bother the dogs while they are eating.

 

Would I be willing to bet my dog's life (a bite to a child can be a death sentence) on any toddler's ability to always remember and obey instructions? Absolutely not.

[mum24dog]

I started a little less drastically than has been suggested to you. (I don't think trading a whole bowl of food for a little treat is quite fair.) If my pup was eating his kibble, I would drop into his bowl a bit of deli meat or some cheese - something that should have a higher value than kibble. The idea was to let him know that when my hand came close to his food, it was a "good thing". He was going to get something better. Now if I bring my hand close to his bowl, he stops eating and looks at the bowl waiting to see what good stuff is going to drop out of the sky.

 

 

If you're going to work on it IMO this is better than taking away the bowl.