Hi,
Well my gsp is now 4 months old and he has developed a problem behavior I'm hoping you can help me with.
I feed him barf, but if he isn't done in the 25 minutes I give him, or if he doesn't perticularly like the selection and i pick it up, or if he thinks the cats are getting a better meal, or if we are eating, ( we feed him after we have eaten) He becomes very agressive! Standing barking challenging us, snapping at us. Today he actualy made contact and bit me, also snapping. He allows me to pick up his bowl when he eats, to touch him while he eats etc.
This behavior is becomming worse, although I do not allow him to win his way.
The only other time he gets aggresive is when he needs to go out. He has chosen to become aggresive and barking snipping, etc. At other times he goes to the door and sits, letting us know.
Please help!!!

jode

Do you only remove the food if he isn't eating it anymore or just if he hasn't finished in the 25 minutes you have allotted him? If he is not done he may just need more time and he may be trying to protect his food.

If he is done and he is being dominant w/ you I personally wouldn't take that crap from him.At 4 mos old he is still small enough to grab by the cheeks and jowls, pull his front feet up off the floor and give him a good shake while glaring into his eyes and telling him to knock it off like you are gonna kill him w/ your bare hands if he doesn't!!!

Others may have different ideas, but this worked for me w/my dominant bitch.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Food guarding is not neccessarily a stand-alone problem, but rather, indicates that there is more to the story.

How much obedience training, if any, have you done with him? Is he crate trained?

There are some things about your post that are unclear to me. It sounds like there may be some really inconsistent behavior on your part around meal times. How do you feed him? Do you just put his dish down and let him go for it, or do you make him hold a sit and wait for a release word before he eats? Do the cats eat in the same room, at the same time? Do you try to take away his food while he's eating, if it doesn't look like he's enjoying it? Maybe you could clarify....

JnJ,

This behavior in a 4 month old is a sign of a bigger problem. There could be several causes from a temperament problem to a learned behavior. My guess is that a big part of it is a learned behavior. He has gotten away with it so he continues. He may even be getting you to leave him alone while he eats, and not control his access to his food by picking it up. In addition it seems that he is learning that this behavior will get you to let him out.

You need to teach him better manners. In addition, how often are you feeding?

Whether this is a learned behavior or not, better get a handle on this now.

First of all, give the dog a quiet and secure place to eat. If he is out in the open and the cats are lurking around this would tend to put him on edge about his food. I feed all my dogs in crates. While I don't allow food agression towards me, I feel that dogs should not have to tolerate people or other animals hovering over them while they eat. I know I don't like it. If I feed any of my dogs in the kitchen my cat will circle the dogs in hopes that they leave so he can check out the menu. Drives me crazy!!

Second, work on obedience now!! Possession of toys, food and being bossy to go out indicates a dominance problem to me.

I have a client whose dog started like yours as a puppy and now NO ONE in the family can even go into the kitchen if the dogs bowl is on the floor. He will guard the entire kitchen even if the bowl is empty. This is an Airedale and they thought it was no big deal that he would growl at them when he was eating.........a couple years later they now have to trick him into going outside just to pick up his EMPTY bowl. :rolleyes:

Yes I will clearify. I only pick up his food if he is not interested in it. He finishes way before the 25 minutes. Ahh yes I am starting the training. he sits and holds a stay for about almost 30 seconds. He will come, although he won't if he is busy. Ugh. I do unfortunantly feed all the animals at the same time. In diff. but close rooms. The cats do hang around. I will remove them. I will also start to feed him in his crate. Am I right though that we eat before the dog? I was told to never feed him before we eat. I feed him now 3 times a day. I hope this helps.

JnJ

Jode
Its sounds like you got a problem brewing, but as mentioned at 4 months you can control it.

You feed the animals all at the same time, in different rooms, but apparently were the cats still can get in. This needs to be corrected, by closing the door to the feeding areas.

Also maybe you need to place him in his eating area before you guys eat, to stop the barking while you are having dinner. Most dogs whine when they beg, his way is more forceful. Feed them behind closed doors to relieve the tension.
And may be a longer time to eat and drink, may be in order, SGt Jode.

Watch him for signs that he needs to get out and relieve himself, most dogs sit at the door and they may whine, if they really need to go. Your puppy way is more forceful.

Last but not least, it really hard not to laugh and point at a puppy acting like this, don't do it again. Its cute at 35lbs but it could turn dangerous at 75 - 90lbs, stop his aggression but cute action now. By not showing him that its his show, or that he gets attention from this action. How close am I to what's happening, when he does this?? Do you all find this humorous? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I agree that you have a marvelous window of opportunity to correct this now, as he is young still. Work on the obedience in general, make him wait for a release before he gets to eat, keep the cats away from his food, and keep working on teaching him to allow you to handle his food. You might consider hand feeding for a while, to teach him that you are the GIVER of food, rather than a THREAT to his food supply. I know, it's kinda hard to hand feed with BARF, but you could wear latex gloves or something.

The main thing is, with a pup this young showing such dominant behaviors, that you obedience train him well.

As far as feeding after the humans have eaten, that is correct. But, if it's time for his lunch, and you're not planning on having your lunch for a while, I don't think it's neccessary for you to make a show of eating in front of him before you feed him. This could just be exacerbating the problem. Just feed him if it's time for him to eat, unless it's close to your dinner time, then just feed him after you've had your dinner. Put him in his crate while you eat so that he doesn't get into the habit of demanding that you feed him.

I know that if someone were sitting there eating chocolate cheesecake or a broiled salmon steak in front of me while I was hungry, I'd probably have a hard time containing myself. At 4 months, your puppy probably doesn't have the self control to NOT act out when he sees you eating in front of him.

Jode,

I would work the obedience to get more control over the behavior. I would also start having the pup drag a leash or rope around attached to a flat collar. When he goes into his act, give him an obedience command, if he doesn't do it correct. Go through rapid fire obedience commands until the dog has calmed down. With the food, if he starts I would correct for it and remove the food. I would then give him another chance in a fewminutes, if he does it again, let him go hungry until his next meal.

Here are 2 articles Ed wrote on these types of problems.

web page

web page

I just wanted you all to know that Bear (MY GSP is doing much better. He eats alone I remove all the cats (2) and let him eat. I also do the sit, stay, before I set the meal down. He gets to the noise of the bowl hitting the floor at this point. Should he be farther? I used the suggestion of grabbing his jawls and shaking him, scaring the crap out of him. I have also made changes in his feeding. If we eat late he eats at regular times. I also make him sit stay to get his coller to go out. I pray for the day that these leerburg tapes become dvd ready!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you listening??? People like me who have moved to dvds are waiting for your new concepts on dvd.....My pup is 4 months old, and I need guidence. I never even allowed a pup to come to my home because I am not consistant enough to housebreak. Well because of the suggestions her I helped Bear (my gsp) to be housebroken. I believe as is stated in articles her that never is the only acceptable housebreaking.
Bear NEVER soils his home ( our home)
Althugh he did one time when i held his food for the sit stay for meal time thing. I shook him and he never did it again. I believe a dog should never be hit. I use your site regulalry.

Plz come out with some dvds soon.

He has completely stopped the aggresion behavior.
Hmm another question...

I am the person who does all the training. Not bragging but just stating. Well he does the come, sit, stay, and gets his tug ( sometimes) for me. When others do it he is reluctant. My question is this....
should there be only one trainer for my pup or should others be a part of it? He is part of our whole family I want him to obey us all.
I am at a loss because i have no dvds as of yet.
Please help

Jode