Last couple of weeks Levi has been copping an attitude with my male lab for getting into his kennel and eating his food when he's not around. Progressively, he has been challenging the lab. When I feed him in his kennel he barks very aggressively at the lab. The lab is a big galute and just dorks around. Then the last two days, even when there isn't any food in the kennel Levi has been charging out of his kennel and body slamming the lab with a bark. He is clearly telling him to stay away from his food AND his kennel. Should I allow this? I understand him trying to set his boundaries. He doesn't act like this under any other circumstances. Mostly gives respect to the lab. Today, he growled and barked at the female for getting too close at feeding time. Still, it's starting to happen even when there isn't any food, just proximity to his kennel. I have gone and taken his bowl out and he never shows a smidgen of issue with me but with the other dogs he's gotten kind of fed up. I remove his bowl if he doesn't eat his food within a certain amount of time. What does the board advise? I might have a fight on my hands here pretty soon. (yikes)

 Quote: robbinmann

Last couple of weeks Levi has been copping an attitude with my male lab for getting into his kennel and eating his food when he's not around. Progressively, he has been challenging the lab. When I feed him in his kennel he barks very aggressively at the lab. The lab is a big galute and just dorks around. Then the last two days, even when there isn't any food in the kennel Levi has been charging out of his kennel and body slamming the lab with a bark. He is clearly telling him to stay away from his food AND his kennel. Should I allow this? I understand him trying to set his boundaries. He doesn't act like this under any other circumstances. Mostly gives respect to the lab. Today, he growled and barked at the female for getting too close at feeding time. Still, it's starting to happen even when there isn't any food, just proximity to his kennel. I have gone and taken his bowl out and he never shows a smidgen of issue with me but with the other dogs he's gotten kind of fed up. I remove his bowl if he doesn't eat his food within a certain amount of time. What does the board advise? I might have a fight on my hands here pretty soon. (yikes)

QUOTE: I remove the food if he doesn't eat it.... END

Then how does the other dog get it?

When I feed my dogs, no dog is allowed to touch or even approach another dog's food. If I were having any trouble enforcing it, they would all be fed in their individual crates (or kennels).

It's your job to prevent fights. Letting one dog mess with another's food is asking for trouble. JMO.

When you say "Should I allow this?" I say that the situation shouldn't have been allowed where he has to protect his food.

You can change this immediately by changing the way you feed them.

P.S. The bowls of food (just like toys and chewies) are never left out where more than one dog has access.

When you say kennel.....do you mean crate?

I teach all of my dogs to stay clear of each others crates whether they are eating, chewing on a toy or just resting.

My dogs know their own individual crate and they do not even enter empty crates.

I would start there.

Connie's advice is also great.

I don't see where Levi is doing anything that you shouldn't have done in the first place-no offense, but you should never have allowed the lab in Levi's crate, or to go after his food. You cannot apply human logic to dog behavior; Levi doesn't care if he hadn't eaten all his food or not-in his mind, it's HIS food and HIS crate, and since you're doing nothing to protect him, he's going to do it himself. IMO, the lab needs the groundrules.

"He is clearly telling him to stay away from his food AND his kennel. Should I allow this? I understand him trying to set his boundaries."

Hi Robin,

It's never a good idea to let the dogs set their own boundaries IMO. Leadership is important to all dogs but I would imagine even more so in a multi-dog home...I only have one dog I know my limits I agree with the others that this behavior should be stopped by managing crating and feeding in such a manner that the volatile situations are avoided. I am not sure what your set up is as far as if each dog has its own crate or if they are all fed at the same time etc. But I can offer a suggestion as far as Levi charging and slamming the other dogs, lock the crate when he is in it. If the other dogs also have crates I would do the same with them to restrict their movement into each other's space.
Also I think all your dogs would benefit from groundwork. And remember, Levi does not own his food or his kennel. Those niceties are provided by you, keep that in mind. It will help you make fair choices for your dogs.

I agree with all of you...however, the situation is a little more complicated than that. Let me explain, maybe a little more thorough this time. First of all, Levi is the only dog that has a crate. My other two dogs have never ever been crated to eat. They were taught to eat next to each other, a respectable distance from each other and not to bother one anothers food. They have always obeyed this rule. They are both put into a sit/stay and then wait for me to tell them that it is okay to go to their bowls and eat. Now, Levi on the other hand, being a puppy and having no training whatsoever was immediately put into his crate to be fed from day one. He is always locked in his crate to eat until he is done or until he decides he has had enough. I will then remove his food from the crate. He is then released and the other dogs are allowed to come back into the house by opening the doggie door which remains shut during feeding time. Two dogs out, one dog in the house in a crate. Now, whether or not there is a smidgen of a scrap on the floor of Levi's crate or not, my lab will still go investigate. He acts like he is starving, even though we fight to keep him from being overweight. He has always been very food driven. There doesn't need to be food in the crate. Actually, last night I started to feed the dogs. I start by having Levi go get his bowl out of the crate and bring it to me, I will then lock out the other dogs outside. Just in the few seconds that it took for Levi to bring his bowl to me, before I could get the other two outside, he was showing agitation towards my lab. This has never happened before. Now, I know the solution is to put them outside first, then have him get the bowl, kind of a no brainer. Still, once everyone has eaten and bowls are picked up it still doesn't stop my lab from trying to forage into Levi's crate. It's not fair to lock Levi out of his crate, it's his favorite spot. Even more, when the other's are locked outside and I put the food down for Levi he still looks towards the back door and barks aggressively. I put it to a quick stop but he still has this attitude. No food need be involved. So, I guess the answer it just to make sure that the other dogs don't go near his crate, ever?

 Quote: RobbinMann

So, I guess the answer it just to make sure that the other dogs don't go near his crate, ever?

That would be correct, IMHO. That is Levi's crate, not the others, therefore they should be taught accordingly.

If Levi is not utilizing his crate, shut the door. If he goes to his crate wanting to go in, then I would crate him.

I make my dogs crate up (depends on which dogs are inside at the time), get their food ready and then feed them in their crates.
If there is tension when it is feeding time, it is up to you to find a way that works so that all the dogs learn that anything other than being patient for meals is unacceptable.

It really sounds as though it is a crate guarding issue more so than a food issue.

The other thing you could try is to feed Levi in the kitchen, outside of his crate while the other two are outside. That way your other dogs will learn that there is no food in the crate to be found after a while and they will learn to stop rushing in for leftovers.

Just my two cents.......

 Quote:

It really sounds as though it is a crate guarding issue more so than a food issue.

The other thing you could try is to feed Levi in the kitchen, outside of his crate while the other two are outside. That way your other dogs will learn that there is no food in the crate to be found after a while and they will learn to stop rushing in for leftovers.

If it is a crate guarding issue that could work great.

If your dog is very food motivated you might consider my case.

I do not feed my dog in a crate I feed him outside by my back steps. If I have a visiting dog that is friends with my dog they will get on fine in the yard and in the house all day, the visiting dog can sniff where my dog eats, go on the steps, whatever...

Now when my dog decides he is waiting for dinner, could be an hr before he is fed, but make no mistake he is waiting....(always starving this one ), no dog better go near the steps or that area

Now that I know this I can manage it. At first I thought he was being territory aggressive (guarding "his house"), but I have since figured out that it is food related. Just like a crate fed dog might not like another dog hanging out in or around the crate before or after dinner maybe? This is the same dog of mine that can make himself barf just anticipating being fed for too long

Anyhoo, just something I found interesting.

What Jenn just said!
I have two old geriatrics that live for their dinner and I have to kennel them up prior to feeding and leave them kenneled for a couple of hours after feeding. Just the anticipation of a eating and the lingering excitement after is grounds for a scrap - maybe leave your boy crated and non accesible to the other dogs for a while before and after meals.

 Quote: jennifer coulter

Now when my dog decides he is waiting for dinner, could be an hr before he is fed, but make no mistake he is waiting....(always starving this one ), no dog better go near the steps or that area

and

 Quote: lynn cheffins

... I have two old geriatrics that live for their dinner ... Just the anticipation of ... eating and the lingering excitement after is grounds for a scrap ...

I burst out laughing when I read these.

I have a senior dog who makes a high excited keening sound in the back of his throat when he's in a "sit" waiting for me to get the food into the dishes. Sometimes he shivers.