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You should never be afraid of your dogs.
Never. Ever.
A lot of times I'll be at someones house and they will literally feed their dog and run away and then half laugh and say, "She just doesn't like to be bothered while she eats."
What is actually going on here is a dominance issues. Your dog is food aggressive {and probably toy aggressive, and probably is a terrible listener...}. She owns that food, and she is the boss of you. And that is dangerous. If a little kid walked in there, they would get bitten. You could get bitten! It is totally NOT, under any circumstances, ok for your dog to be food aggressive.
Now, this is not the same thing as your dog asking for respect from another dog while they eat. I will explain that in the video.
Food aggression usually doesn't start out being an issue in puppies. It starts when they are lacking a pack leader and lacking any type of rules and boundaries. This could happen within weeks or over the course of a few months. In this video, I'll show you a method for feeding your dogs that will guarantee that you never have food aggression issues.
This video is Poppy doing a wonderful demo of how we do meal time in our pack. I explain what I'm doing and how you could approach the same situation with an older dog who has some issues. Obviously if your dog has major issues, you should consult a professional trainer. I mention "claiming" in the video. You will physically see me claim her space and the food but what is even more important to understand is the way I am presenting myself. Call this what you will - aura, energy, presences, whatever. It's the feeling I'm giving off to my dogs. Pack leaders are clam but in charge without a question in anyones mind. Do whatever you have to do to feel that way. If you don't feel that way, fake it til ya make it. This mental status will be 70% of the battle won for you. I'm serious.
The truth is, you will never be able to overpower any animal and permanently win, at least not without breaking their spirits. And that is something we never want to do. I can have an entire conversation and win an argument with an animal 10x {literally} my size by having the appropriate energy. Dogs are the same way. Although easier to physically over power than a cow or a horse, if you learn to communicate through appropriate body language and energy, it will be 100x more effective.
This is how I am teaching Maverick our same meal time ritual. There are a few differences in approach and expectations which I outline in the video. Check out all the posts in this series here.
Thanks for watching! As always, leave comments or questions below and let me know what you want to see! Also, follow me on Periscope for a morning preview of what video is coming up for the day! {@awklongbourn}
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