I'm not sure what forum to post this under so I put it here.

I'm having severe issues with Sniper the springer spaniel and food aggression.

Sniper is very food aggressive with other animals and his food bowl. I can deal with this part. I cannot deal with the fact this dog will go after human hands if we attempt to touch his bowl when he's eating.

While I know some believe give him his food and leave him alone, this is not an option here with kids in the house. I feel it's an accident waiting to happen if one of my grandsons puts his hands in the crate while Sniper is eating. Granted, they have been told not to bother any of the dogs while they are eating and we are usually right there it takes but a split second for something to happen.

That said, what is the best way to correct a dog with food aggression towards humans?

I've heard put a few kibbles in the bowl and wait for the dog to look for more and then put more in to show them that good things come from hands near bowls.

I've heard that a firm leash correction or collar correction sometimes works, and then I've heard that that can backfire too. And I'm not too sure I'd be real willing to grab Sniper by the collar without a leash on!

What is the best way to treat this behavior? See, for rehoming Sniper I cannot possibly expect anyone to take on a dog that is this aggressive with his food, it's a definate liability on my part and one I am not real comfortable with. Of course it would be disclosed and I would hide nothing about his personality or this aggression prior to anyone taking him in to their home. I talked with the ESS rescue in my area and even they said they would not take him with him being as food aggressive as he is with humans.

Sniper is fed exclusively in his crate due to the other animals in the house. I'm thinking that I have a double issue here. I have territorial aggression with the crate, add the food in and I've now created two fold aggression. Am I correct in assuming this? Would it be better for him to be fed outside of the crate in a neutral area such as the basement or garage and work with him there on humans being around?

Any help is appreciated on this, I do not want to put this dog into any situation to fail, be it in my home or in another, any further than I already have.

i'm just wondering if you could put the crate in a room and close the door so there's no issue w/your grandsons?

i know that doesn't address the root issue, but it would make it possible to give him his food and leave him alone, and address more immediate safety issues. neither of my dogs would be positive about me trying to take food away, and that's how i handle it.

You can always hand feed him for a while and then graduate to holding his dish and dropping his food in it.

IMHO, the grandsons need to be taught to leave the dog alone unless it is a supervised interaction. They should never be allowed near his crate whether he is eating or not.
A crate is a dog's haven and a safe place for them to retreat and relax.

I do not believe in re-homing a dog when the situation is something like this. If you know he is food aggressive, try the hand feeding or feed him in his crate with a blanket over it and make sure he is left alone while eating.

Sounds like this is the only issue? Something that can easily be managed. Maybe not totally fixed, but well managed.

The only other thing is, I believe that you may want to implement a "leave it" or "out" command so that if the dog does get a hole of something that you do not want him to have, he will drop it and allow you to take it.

Carol that's what I am going to try, the putting food in the bowl in increments and see what he does. I'm also going to try feeding outside the crate and see if that makes a difference.

My grandsons are taught not to bother any of the dogs while eating but as I said it only takes one second for a mistake to happen. Which is why I need to address this food guarding issue as much as I can anyhow. I realize Sniper will never be 100% with his food bowl, but if I can lesson the severity of his desire to guard the food than it becomes a bit more manageable in my mind.

I wish I could find him a home in an adult only home who can live with his behavior over food and just feed him and leave him alone. Unfortunately most people dont' want to deal with this type of behavior so it becomes a problem.

I'm working with him and trying my hardest to correct this behavior and seeking any advice I can find to help me do this right.