Dogs love food – that’s obvious.
Sometimes when they’re eating, they may growl at you or become protective.
This can seem normal. But it’s a serious problem.
Read this post below to understand and stop this behavior.
Why is my dog possessive?
Has your dog come from a big litter?
If so, it could be the reason for your dog’s possessiveness.
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Being aggressive may have been a way to make sure he got enough food.
In your dog’s mind, being possessive got him what he needed.
But your dog can’t behave that way with humans.
It can lead to accidents, such as people being bitten.
My dog’s possessive – what’s the big deal?
Your dog growling or snapping may seem ordinary and even funny at times.
Don’t be fooled. A possessive dog can bite someone.
You need to sort this behavior out early on.
If not, your dog can become possessive over other things: bones, toys, furniture, and even other family members.
How can I train my dog to stop being possessive?
You are the leader. Your priority is to make sure your dog understands that.
You can do this by only giving your dog his food at your discretion – not his!
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Your dog needs to remember they are reliant on you for food.
Give your dog his dinner.
Allow him to eat for a few seconds, and then take it away.
Every time you do this, use a simple command.
’Leave’ or ‘stop’ are good ones and easy to remember.
If he didn’t show any aggression when you took away his food, say ‘good boy’ and give it back.
Allow him to continue eating.
Repeat this exercise two or three times each meal for a few days.
Then do it once or twice a week for a few weeks.
My dog’s extremely possessive of his food – what do I do?
The technique above can work for some dogs.
But other dogs are a lot more possessive.
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If this is the case, there is another technique you can do.
If your dog is being aggressive with his food – don’t give him possession of it!
When you feed your dog, hold the bowl. Feed him a handful of his dinner at a time.
Do not put the bowl on the floor. This way, your dog doesn’t have anything to guard.
When feeding your dog by hand, give them orders to obey, such as ‘sit’ and ‘down.’
Once they have done this, provide them with a handful of food.
Don’t have your dog run around, though, when feeding them. It can lead to digestive upsets.
Follow this routine for a couple of weeks.
You should see their behavior change.
When this happens, you can try letting him eat from his bowl again.
As long as he doesn’t show signs of aggression, you can feed him normally.
Is there anything else I should know?
If you have a possessive food dog, do not give them bones or toys.
They will attempt to guard these as well.
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Once you have sorted out his food possession, you can introduce a toy.
Make sure your dog knows it is your toy.
He can only play with it with your permission.
At the end of the game, you must have a toy.
A possessive dog is a dangerous dog.
They may bite someone to protect their food.
To stop this behavior, follow the steps laid out.
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Eventually, your dog will become less possessive.