How do I fix my dog's resource - guarding food?

Watching your cute dog suddenly turn “ferocious” during mealtime, growling deeply and even making aggressive postures whenever someone approaches, can leave many dog owners confused and worried. Food guarding in dogs, which is the behavior of protecting food resources, not only affects their interaction with family members but may also pose a danger in certain situations. However, don't worry. As long as we deeply understand the dog's behavior logic and adopt scientific and effective methods, we can gradually correct this food - guarding behavior.

The manifestations of food - guarding behavior in dogs vary. When you approach the food bowl while it's eating, it may stop eating, stare at you intently, and growl softly in its throat, warning you not to come closer. Some dogs may even lie on the food bowl, trying to block the food with their bodies, preventing you from taking it away. In more severe cases, the dog may directly bare its teeth at you and make attacking movements. At this time, never try to snatch the food forcefully, or you're likely to get bitten.

The root causes of a dog's food - guarding behavior are often related to its instincts and experiences. In the wild, food resources are limited. To survive, the ancestors of dogs had to protect their food. This instinct has been passed down to some extent in modern dogs. Additionally, if a dog is often disturbed during its eating process as a puppy, for example, if other pets steal its food or the owner frequently takes away the food bowl, it's likely to develop a sense of food crisis, thus forming the habit of food - guarding. Some dogs may have experienced hunger before, and their intense desire for food can also lead to food - guarding behavior.

To correct a dog's food - guarding behavior, the first step is to build a good relationship of trust. Only when a dog trusts its owner will it be willing to lower its guard. Spend more time with the dog usually, play and interact with it. Let the dog feel your love and kindness through petting and talking softly. When the dog is eating, don't approach suddenly or make movements that make it feel uneasy.

You can adopt a gradual desensitization training method. When the dog is eating, first observe quietly from a distance, allowing it to gradually get used to your presence. When it shows no signs of food - guarding, you can take a gentle step closer while talking to it softly to help it relax. If the dog shows signs of food - guarding, such as growling, don't panic or leave immediately. Instead, stay still, stop approaching, and wait for its emotions to calm down. Then, slowly back away and return to a distance it can accept. Through repeated training like this, gradually shorten the safe distance between you and the dog, enabling it to get used to your approach while it's eating.

When the dog can eat normally without food - guarding when you approach, you can proceed to the next step of training - the food - adding training. During the dog's meal, gently add some of its favorite snacks to its food bowl while praising it in a gentle tone. The purpose of this is to make the dog understand that the owner's approach is not to take away its food but to bring it more delicious treats. At first, the dog may be vigilant about the act of adding food. Don't rush. Patiently repeat this process until the dog can gladly accept you adding food while it's eating.

The food - exchange training is also an effective method. Prepare some snacks that are more attractive than the food in the dog's bowl, such as dried chicken or cheese cubes. When the dog is eating, hold the snack in your hand and slowly approach it so that it can smell the aroma of the snack. When it's attracted by the snack and its attention shifts from the food bowl to the snack in your hand, quickly take away its food bowl and then give it the snack. This process should be quick and smooth to avoid making the dog feel deceived. Through repeated exchange training like this, the dog will gradually understand that giving the food bowl to the owner doesn't mean losing food; instead, it can get something better.

During the training process, never scold or hit the dog. Scolding and hitting not only can't solve the food - guarding problem but also make the dog more fearful and less trusting of you, exacerbating the food - guarding behavior. If the dog shows food - guarding behavior during training, stay calm and don't use intense reactions to stimulate it. You can temporarily stop the training and restart it after the dog's emotions have stabilized.