Gotcha, absolutely. Thanks Anne!

My life is spent 100% of the time working with animals. I bred reptiles, own a dog training business and train horses and riders. These are my only jobs and this is what I do for work, so its pretty much a 7 days a week thing. I also volunteer at a large cat rescue in WI, north of where I live.

That being said, I learned to stop playing blame games a long time ago.
I see a problem arise and I fix it. If it don't get fixed the first time, I try again. If at the end of the road I can not fix it on my own. I ask for help, never to proud to ask for help.

I don't blame the dog really, or the owner. I don't always word stuff the best when I type. I just see a problem that needs to be fixed.
Both the dog and the owner, or owners friends need to be trained. It is funny, normally when working with animals I notice the owners/handlers need more training then the animals. Haha. But a good mix of both and you can have something very positive and healthy.

I agree with a lot of what was said in these posted. There is a lot of good hands on people here with a lot of different, yet positive experiences.

I do hope your girl friend is okay. It is a learning experiences. I believe now it is up to you to take the steps in correcting this situation.

You have came to a good place.

Shrug,
It's no skin off my nose if anyone wants to go testing their dogs compliance face first.

But I gotta say Dave I categorically reject any claim that my dogs or, any one elses dog for that matter, should submit to just anyone messing about with their food. Or when you come right down it even looking for a sit just because some any old tom dick or harry asked for it, much less asking/expecting the dog to give up their food to them.

because I got three kids and Mrs Jones refuses to listen, I've trained the four puppers not to react to their food being handled. It' really simple, hand feeding is a good start, the next thing I did was take thier bowl away and put something even better in it. Teaching the leave it command is also a help. the one down side to this sometimes when I put the kibble down they just stand there and look at me as if to say "I see this crap, where's the real meat?"

 Quote: craig cirelli

Anne I understand your point, but at the same time - what does one do when they can't take something away from their dog?

You train a leave it, drop it, or give command.

But we aren't even talking about the dog's owner here, right?

I have to say that I agree with her that it was her fault for ignoring a growl and sticking her face into the dog's eating-high-value-food face.

A tad off-topic: I can take any food items from my dogs too. No problem. Doesn't mean that I do, though. What I give the dogs is then theirs. They trust me, and when I have to fish around in the dog's mouth for something stuck, for example, I have no fear at all that the the dog will do anything but let me.

I think that dogs should be left alone with their high-value food item. I don't think the dog should have to perceive uncertainty or fear about HV items that the owner gave. JMO. But even if someone disagreed with this, I'll stick with "keep your face out of the face of someone else's dog who is eating."

Shrug,
Thanks for the slap Dennis. That's your (and everyone elses) prerogative for sure.
But to say all dogs and owners must or should adhere to that criteria is entering into the realm of big brother pc bs.

I just needed to say so.

 Quote: randy allen

Shrug,
Thanks for the slap Dennis. That's your (and everyone elses) prerogative for sure.
But to say all dogs and owners must or should adhere to that criteria is entering into the realm of big brother pc bs.

I just needed to say so.

I have the kids feed them in the kennels and they are left alone, so there meal time is undisturbed, I just don't want the dog to over react when my daughter puts the food bowl down and remembers half a minute later to dump and fill up the water bowl.

Oops,
I do that all the time. Click, freshen the water bowl ya idiot. And the dogs back off standing around looking like 'yeah yeah what is it, can I eat now stupido?'

In our house when the kids need to handle a dog and it has a high value item I have the kid take the DOG away....not the item.
I will have the kid (the older ones) Call the dog's name, get it's attention, and while ignoring the item step over it toward the dog, or call the dog to them.
Then the hook the dog up and take the dog away from the item.

Can they take an item away????

Yes, and in an emergency they have....but for a regular day to day protocol, they take the dog away, not the item.

Yeah. I agree. To each is own. "There is more then one way to skin a cat." an old Horseman used to remind me.

I always try to add "this is my opinion" to posts, because I know that there are many ways to get the same basic outcome.

But, the one thing I have noticed in pack and herd animals (my work with horses, dogs, and lions), is that he/she who controls the food is the boss. Its one of the main leadership benefits of about any group animal structure.
In my house I control the food.
Now, does that mean I take food away from them if they are eating? No, it just means I reserve the right to, with out any negative reaction from the animal with the food.

The Alfa wolf don't get bitten when he is eating. Nor does the Alfa Mare, or stallion get kicked over, or about anything. Including food.
Personally I can not remember the last time I have needed to take food from a dog. My dogs eat in their own kennels and when family, or friends come over I take the dogs food out of their kennels and put away bones, chews ect. ect. Not because I think something bad will happen, but because I understand the possibility is out there.

So, if this were my house and my girl friend just got face rolled by my dog. I would better educated my girlfriend about my dog and then I would modify the dogs behavior, that in my opinion needs to be corrected.

Again, just my 2 pennies.