Good answers on the food. I schedule water also while house training. It doesn't mean the pup gets less water, just that I know when so that it's easier to know when s/he'll probably need to go out. Once the pup is house trained then water is available at all times that the pup isn't crated.

Absolutely. Romeo sits and waits before he's allowed to eat, drink, go outside the door, out of his kennal, ect.
I always love the "Puppy Look" he gives me as he waits for my signal. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Tessie has free-choice water at all times.

As far as food goes, she will politely give me my space and watch me eat it. She eats after I eat dinner, which she also watches. I set the bowl on the ground and she is in the sit position, giving me about 3' of space, watching me. After about a minute I will release her verbally and she eats. I will frequently stand -right there- as she eats. She knows I can and sometimes will take it away from her. If she shows no aggression, she gets it back (or gets something better instead).

When we have had an issue with her being a bit snarky about her food, or what she -percieves- to be her food, I will handfeed her a couple of times, then sit on the floor with the bowl in my lap and make her eat, periodically taking it away and making her sit politely.

The only time I ever have an issue with her and food aggression is when she gets into the trash and I stumble upon her tearing into it. She gets testy (and sharply corrected) and we go back to this for a few days.

Just a question perhaps you can answer. I've been working with Romeo on the food agression. I Don't want him to think that anyone is going to take his food away, ect. But I do want him to know that If I stick my hand in the bowl while he's eatting - that is acceptable. However, I've heard conflicting opinans on whether or not a person should or should not interfer while a dog is eatting. I read on here in one post someone actually mixes the food by hand so her scent is on the food (hence the packleader provided the food) which I thought was brillant. But my problem with Romeo is - since day one I've worked on sitting, than command before eatting, than while he's eatting I would pet him right near his mouth or stick my hand in the food. For about a month now he's gotten pretty testy about it - turning around and nipping my hand while he's eatting. How should I correct this?
My childhood GSD was WONDERFUL around her food always. You could stick you hand right in her mouth and she would stop chewing. My now 5 year old, when he was 2 actually walked over and took a handful of food from her bowl while she was eatting and she just wagged her tail like she was enjoying his company and paid NO attention to him other than a slobby pup kiss. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

 Quote:

Tessie has free-choice water at all times.

As far as food goes, she will politely give me my space and watch me eat it. She eats after I eat dinner, which she also watches. I set the bowl on the ground and she is in the sit position, giving me about 3' of space, watching me. After about a minute I will release her verbally and she eats. I will frequently stand -right there- as she eats. She knows I can and sometimes will take it away from her. If she shows no aggression, she gets it back (or gets something better instead).

When we have had an issue with her being a bit snarky about her food, or what she -percieves- to be her food, I will handfeed her a couple of times, then sit on the floor with the bowl in my lap and make her eat, periodically taking it away and making her sit politely.

The only time I ever have an issue with her and food aggression is when she gets into the trash and I stumble upon her tearing into it. She gets testy (and sharply corrected) and we go back to this for a few days.

Amanda, I really like what Katherine Ostiguy posted. And she said it so well it sounds too simple, but it's really a BIG DEAL.

IN GENERAL, if someone was messing with my food each and every time I eat, it may get me a bit testy too. So I don't ever want to get to the place I feel I'm having to pester my dogs just to test them.

That said, IF I do have to take something from them, or pull up their food, or dart in to remove something from them, they better let me without any issue and growling.

The reason my dogs let me, isn't because I'm constantly messing with their food, but because of TONS OF TINY little things I do thru out the day so they know I am in charge and it's fine I am with their food. So my 'training' with the food issue isn't MOSTLY even at meal time or with the food in the bowl. It's day to day re-inforcing that I am the QUEEN of the house, I'm in charge, and that's ok.

The hand feeding of ALL meals is a great way to start this cause it reinforces that all food is coming from ME ME ME. Not just from the miracle of the constantly filling bowl. ME ME ME. So to put baggies of kibble in the fridge, and then keep them in my pockets for the day. And my dog's have to 'do' something to then get the food. And it can just be to come when I call their name. Or a 'sit' or a 'down' or whatever. The interaction, the praise, the attention, the focus, and the FOOD coming from my hand. Geez, they can't growl at the hand with the kibble that's coming their way. And I don't play games with the food, they do what I ask, that's their reward.

I also eat something first when it IS meal time with the bowls. I have my more assertive dog 'sit' then I put down the bowl and release her to eat. When I come and go in the house, my dogs move out of MY way, I don't go around them (when they are standing this is). I GO TO DOG CLASSES, to reinforce my timing, praise, corrections, bonding, and dog focusing on me when there are distractions.

Have you had a chance to read The Dog Listener by Jan Fennell ? Click here for info on book Book Review Here

So what I'd do if I were you is to stop messing with his food, and hammering him when he growls (stress stress stress around the food bowl). And work on all the OTHER things you can do to strengthen you position as the Leader of the Pack. And this does NOT have to be done by harsh corrections, or with negatives. It's alot of calm, controlling, reinforcing, and dependable behaviors that come from YOU and that our dogs really 'get'.

I feed in the crate. I put food in, command DOWN and release with "OK" about 10-20 seconds later. Do it twice a day. Water is "uncontrolled" but picked up at 8pm.

Ok, maybe try this.

If your sitting on the floor beside Romeo when he's eating have some treats in your hand. When you move your hand towards him, as soon as he turns his head (as long as he doesn't snap or growl) open your hand and give him the treat or put it in his dish. That way he'll start to associate your hand being near his food dish with something good. If he starts to growl as soon as your hand starts to move...keep your hand still and call his name so that he can see you have a treat and let him take it. Once he gets used to that try sliding his bowl away from him (not too much, even just a cm or 2)and put some treats in it then slide it right back to him, that way he'll learn that you taking the bowl just means he's going to get it back with something good in it.
I am kind of on the fence with messing around with a dog while he's eating...I wouldn't want someone constantly messing with me while I am trying to eat, and I would probably get a bit grumbly myself. But if they took my plate away then gave it back to me with a big piece of chocolate cake added to it, i'ld wag my tail if i had one!

As I stated before I make the dogs sit and stay prior to getting their food. I also try to eat something first or do the "fake/play" eating thing with their food bowl prior to setting it on the floor. Once they have "worked" for the food by waiting patiently I never take it away. They have already earned it and messing with it would not be something I do. Having said that I will say there have been a couple of occasions where I did need to take up the bowl before they finished when I forgot to put a pill or something in with the food. Maybe its because I never mess with their food so they have no reason to protect it that this was uneventful each time. No acknowlegement,protest, sound or anything else from my dogs. I simply made the addition and sat it back down.

Where I do occasionally take something away to make the point is with things like bones or bully sticks. It belongs to me, not them, period. They only get to have it because I share it with them. So if I've gone to the butcher shop and gotten some good bones sometimes I will let them have it on the deck and chew and lick to their hearts content, other times I have given it and after 15 to 20 min either put it on the ground by my feet or actually bagged it and put it in the refrigerator. The dobie is food aggressive and she will pace after I've taken the bone, try to get at it and get corrected. Once she accepts the fact that its mine and lays down calmly I will give it back.

Don't know it this is the best approach but it works for me and I get zero aggression from my dogs no matter what I do with food.

Amanda,

I agree with what others have posted:

Hand-feeding (no bowl) for two weeks IF a dog displays food-aggro; once you switch to using a dish do NOT mess with the dog's food while he's eating; remove bowl with any leftovers after 15 minutes; if possessive guarding persists THEN feed only in a crate or kennel & forget about it <:-)

Flu, I live in NJ. I can tell you the good, bad and ugly from my own experience with helpers. My experience is very, very limited but the recommendations to look into or stay away from said helpers comes from people with a ton of PPD experience. PM me with where you live exactly and maybe how far you're willing to drive, etc.