Your young dog loves their treats and food. In fact, mealtime may just be their favorite time of day! Your puppy’s love of food becomes problematic if they show aggression when people approach or reach for them while they’re eating.
What is food aggression in young dogs?
Food aggression in dogs is a form of resource guarding. A dog is resource guarding if they exhibit aggressive behavior when in possession or in proximity to valuable items, such as food, favored toys, beds or people.
It’s normal for a young dog not to want someone to take food from them. A dog may stare, freeze, eat rapidly or even growl to communicate that they want the person or other animal to respect their space. However, ignoring these signals may cause the dog to resort to lunging or biting. When lunging or biting gets the dog what they want, which is for the person or other animal to back off, it reinforces the escalated behavior.
Managing food aggression in young dogs
Tactics for managing food aggression in the home focus on respecting your dog’s space during mealtime, reducing potential conflict and using positive reinforcement to address problem behaviors.
- Feed your pet allotted amounts at specific times rather than giving free access to food
- After meals, pick up the dog’s food bowl so it’s not left out to trigger guarding behaviors
- Feed your dog away from other people and pets, such as behind a baby gate, within their crate or in a separate room
- Teach your children that they shouldn’t approach a dog while the dog is eating (or sleeping for that matter)
- While your dog is eating, roll higher value treats to your dog as you pass them (from a safe distance) to help them understand that your approach means a high value treat comes to them, slowly decreasing the distance until you’re able to drop the treat in the dish
If your young dog is showing signs of food aggression, it’s a good idea to contact your VCA care team. They may have additional suggestions to help you improve your puppy’s behavior and keep everyone safe. Do not attempt to take your dog’s food bowl away from them while they’re eating, as this could result in bites.
Find out more about resource guarding, also called possessive aggression.
