I've always fed the dogs separately and crated, unless I'm hand feeding one, they're eating at the end of a track or some other special circumstance. It just makes sense. People eat in the people places -- kitchen, dining room, living room. Dogs eat in crates.

I may also feed outside the crate if a dog is tall (like some of my hounds) and needs the food elevated. They eat in the downstairs bathroom. One of my greys had a cargo-cult thing going where he'd shut himself in the bathroom in hopes it'd bring on the food. Greys can be as greedy as any rottie and hellacious fighters with tissue paper skin.

Any deep-bodied dog has the potential to bloat, especially if they snarf their food. If they eat in their crates they don't feel like they need to inhale the food. One bloating dog was enough.

I've not had a problem handling my dogs' food or taking things from them. We've settled those issues away from the food (I own the mouth <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> ), but I want the dogs ripping off eachother's ears because one of them made hard eyes over the edge of his bowl.

Duh. Meant I DON'T want the dogs ripping ears off... etc.

 Quote:

Originally posted by Tanya Cassinat:
Is it ok for a dog to growl at another dog when it comes near its food or is it just bad when they do it to a human?

Is it OK with you if your dog growls at another dog when they come near his food while he's eating?

It is very possible to train dogs to eat nicely and not fight over food, but is it important to YOU to do so? Is it worth your time and energy? That's a matter of personal preference. Many people just avoid problems altogether by feeding their dogs separately, as illustrated in some of the responses in this thread. Many people feed their dogs loose and have no problems at all. Personally, if there is any tension at all around the food bowl, I would opt for the former, simply because I have bigger fish to fry than whether my dogs tolerate other dogs nosing around their food bowl. But if it works for you to feed them loose, meaning that there is no aggression and everybody's happy as a clam, then it's completely up to you and there is not a "right" answer.

Was that as clear as mud? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />