I just started switching my 5-month-old puppy to a raw diet last night. This morning was his second meal of chicken neck and he growled at me when I touched him. What should I do? He never growled so intensely before, and could care less about his old dry kibble (I could put my hand in the bowl easily). I have 3 small children and often have caregivers in who will be feeding my dog. I do not want a dog bite! Should I just continue to feed him safely in his crate or is there a good way to train him not to be possessive about this new food? After eating he went immediately back to his friendly, mostly-obedient , self.
I'd like help on this soon so that he doesn't develop a bad attitude or habit.
ps. he is a cockapoo so is fairly small, but those teeth can still do damage, and I want a well-adjusted family dog.
Thank you for the fast advice, that at least makes me feel better that my dog isn't heading for aggressive disaster! We do work successfully with him with other pack issues away from the food so that is good.
Should I try giving him his raw food a bit at a time, out of my hand, for attentive obedience (i.e for a sit command) and then he'll know it is my food and it comes at my discretion. This would be time consuming but would it work? Just an idea.
Sure, you can use the raw food for obedience. It may or may not transfer over when you hand him a hunk of chicken though.
Many of my dogs were possessive of their food as youngsters, I chose to work on our relationship away from the food issue and as time went on the respect the dogs have for me grew through fair and consistent handling.
I can take bones and food away now, if I choose to. I do not subscribe to the method of messing with my dogs when they are eating though, but I know many trainers recommend this. My dogs eat in their crates or in the kitchen one at a time, they don't bother me when I eat and I don't bother them. It's a mutual respect thing.
My GSD was 3 1/2 yrs old when I switched him to raw. The first time I fed him my cat attempted to take the meat away from my dog. It happened very quickly, but we are now without a cat. My GSD lets me pet him while he eats, and I have picked up his bowl on rare occasions only when necessary. However, he eats by himself, away from the little dogs.
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possessiveness over new food (raw)
#167279 - 12/07/2007 10:13 AM 
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Re: possessiveness over new food (raw)
[Re: Melanie Martin ]
#167284 - 12/07/2007 10:24 AM 
, self.
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