Food Aggression/Guarding Questions

Now with the intro out of the way...

Recently, my otherwise playful, energetic, smart boy has started gulping his food and growling when someone passes his crate during his feeding. I have been hand feeding him quite a bit over the last week, alternating that with dropping a few bits of kibble in the bowl. He generally does well with it, but still scarfs down a whole cup of food within a minute or two. And today, during this process, he still snapped at me twice and actually bit me once (didn't hurt much, but the point remains)....

What more can I do before I have to make a tough decision?

Hi AJ
Finding yourself in this situation must make you feel dis heartened, disappointed and probably a little nervous
I think the hand feedin* will be at the top of everyone’s “ advice “ list, for now I would continue to give as much of his meal by hand
I would also avoid giving treats in the form of food, chews etc, as I’m guessing he will growl if you go near him
I’m interested to hear what everyone else suggests, it’s one of those situations that you need some help quickly !

Thanks. The ONLY time this issue shows itself is during an actual feeding. I can take toys and chews from him without issue. The only growl I get from him is around the food bowl.

Resource guarding is quite common, usually caused through fear you are going to take their stuff.
I don't agree in messing with food and dishes on a daily basis it teaches them to be suspicious and can increase food guarding behaviours.
If he is only guarding his food, just give him his feed and leave him in peace to eat it, and remove dish when he’s not around.
OR
I would divide his daily quota into three meals, sit down and put the dish on your lap make him sit and stay’ in front of you and feed little by little by hand out of the dish until finished.
Then in a few weeks or when you think he’s ready, you can try him eating from the dish while you are holding it, You can also add ‘bits of cheese/hotdog, mine loved liver sausage) while he is already eating, this is to help him learn that hands in his bowl are a good thing,

I would imagine that this behaviour is a hangover from competing with his siblings for food. I wonder if Coco would be less likely to guard his food if you didn't use the crate for feeding. Dogs are rather inclined to run to their lair and attempt to guard what they see as prizes.
Maybe you could sit next to him in the kitchen, with his ration of food, in a container on your knee. Keep dropping small amounts, (of kibble?) into his bowl, until you have delivered the whole ration. When you have finished, allow Coco to leave the room, (out for a wee), before you pick up the bowl. As he comes to realise that your hand is only giving and is not competing, you should be able to move your hand gradually closer to his bowl, until you are actually placing the food into the dish. Encourage him to remain calm at feeding time, by praising him using a quiet, steady voice.

Both of you have delivered interesting perspectives. Didn't really consider the guarding of the crate angle in addition to the resource guarding. Being that Coco is a rescue, I began by feeding him in the crate so that he would feel comfortable that he could eat in peace without having to worry that food was being taken or that someone would bother him. When the behavior presented itself the first time, I tried feeding him outside the crate. In either place, he woofs it down (no pun intended...lol) like it's the first meal he has ever seen and the last one he will ever have. The one time he actually bit occurred outside of the crate, albeit still in decent proximity.....

I will try the above listed steps and see if they help (not daily, of course). My biggest concern is for my kid. He is good with the Coco, and Coco is GREAT with him, but I don't want there to be a mishap at feeding time. Thanks....Keep the responses coming.

Hello AJ - TIkva's crate, which is in my bedroom, is only for sleeping in at night, and the only thing she gets once I open it so she can get in [after she has done her twirlies!] is a small biscuit.

Her evening meal of meat and vegetables etc is put down in the doorway between my kitchen and backroom, and I just leave her to it, although I can do things in the kitchen and she does not bother, and does not mind if I go past her. But - if she has a chewstick she takes it into the salon and up on what she considers is her couch, and if she thinks I might be too close she growls "do not come any closer". With her frozen chunk of turkey neck or chicken wing that she has for her morning meal - also taken onto the couch, the growl will turn into a snarl, teeth baring as well.

Would she bite me? I have no idea but I respect her wishes not to go near her, so I just ignore her. But like your Coco I can take toys away from her, but food? Once I give her her meals they are hers.

I want to be able to take anything from my dogs if I want to, one never knows what they could pick up.
I teach to voluntarily ‘give’ things up for a reward, depending on what it was they either got it back or got something else to replace it.

This is my thought, but I can also understand the other argument as well.

Things like crisp wrappers or small empty plastic bags do occasionally blow into the front yard, but mostly Tikva ignores them, but if she does pick something up, usually to shred it, she will drop it when told. She is also keen on swapsies [a couple of tiny treats] on anything she has picked up in the yard, but I would not offer swapsies for the food she has indoors.

I guess my main thing is that as good as Coco is with my kid, and as good as my kid is with Coco, I don't want the kid to accidentally enter the no-fly zone during feeding time and end up with an innocent accident of disastrous proportions.

It’s all about building up trust and bonding, there are lots of fun games that include a bit of training and give mental stimulation.