Dog Training Tips - Solving Food Aggression

How to Stop a Dog's Aggressive Behavior When Eating with Other Dogs

Mar 6, 2009

Food aggression in dogs can be a difficult problem to solve. Dog training problems involving aggression should be handled with help from a professional dog trainer.

Food aggression is one of the most common causes of dog fights among dogs who are living in the same household. Food aggression incidents also account for a large number of dog bite incidents involving owners who are bitten by their own pets.

So how do you stop dogs from fighting over food? How do you stop dog aggression during meals? This article will focus on how to stop dogs from acting aggressively toward other dogs when food is present.

How Do I Stop Food Aggression in My Dog?

It's important to remember that food aggression is not a dog training problem; it's a behavioral problem that's driven by the dog's instincts.

Food aggression is about dominance and pack order; dog fights over food most often occur when the dogs are unclear over dog pack hierarchy. So to stop fights over dog food, an owner must take the following steps:

Defining Dog Pack Hierarchy Roles As a Method to Stop Dog Fights Over Food

In the beginning, it's best to separate dogs who are fighting over food. Feeding the dogs in separate rooms, out of the other dog's line of sight is the best and only effective way to prevent dog fights during meals.

The dog owner must then determine each dog's role within the pack. Which dog is the most dominant? Which dog is the least dominant? Watching the dogs' behavior with a critical eye during play, walks and other interactions is the best way to determine the dog's natural pack order.

Often, assistance from a certified dog trainer or dog behaviorist is helpful in determining the dogs' hierarchy.

It's important for dog owners to put their own feelings aside; often dog owners will feel that a certain dog should be the dominant dog in the pack and the dog owner will act accordingly, giving that dog the first greeting, the first bowl of dog food, etc. But if the dogs have a different idea about which dog is the alpha, then the well-intentioned owner's actions are confusing, since the owner is treating a less dominant dog as alpha.

Reinforcing Dog Pack Hierarchy As a Method to Handle a Dog's Food Aggression

Once pack order is determined, dog owners must reinforce that dog pack hierarchy. This can be done in many ways. The most dominant dog always gets the first greeting, the first bowl of food, the first treat, the best sleeping spot.

The second most dominant dog gets the second greeting, he's the second dog to get his leash hooked onto his collar when it's time for a walk, and so on.

When a pack order hierarchy is clear and each dog's role is properly defined and reinforced, dogs can eat together in harmony, because each dog knows his place on the social ladder and therefore, a less dominant dog knows to step aside if the alpha wants to eat his meal and so on.

Feeding the Dogs Who Have Been in Fights Over Food: Reintroducing Food Into the Equation

After a couple months of reinforcing the dog social hierarchy -- the hierarchy as it's been determined by the dogs in the household -- food can be reintroduced into the equation.

Dog owners can start by feeding dogs at opposite sides of a hallway, with a baby gate placed between the dogs to give an owner time to intervene if a dog fight is imminent. If the dogs appear calm and there is no sign of tension, then the dogs' food bowls can slowly be moved closer and closer over the course of several weeks. The key is to do this process slowly to avoid unexpected dog fights over food.

Exceptions to the Rule: Dogs Who Can't Eat With Other Dogs

On occasion, a dog owner may encounter a situation with a dog who simply cannot eat with other dogs due to a tendency to fight over food.

A dog who has been subjected to a starvation situation may be overly protective of food due to past experiences. Likewise, a dog who was frequently bullied during meals by a more dominant dog may have a difficult time eating with other dogs.

And just like humans, a particular pair of dogs may have a perpetually unstable relationship, where the dogs are engaged in a constant power struggle for the role of alpha.

Whatever the case, dog owners must take appropriate measures to keep the dogs safe during meal time. Most dog owners will agree that the time and effort spent feeding dogs in separate locations is nominal when compared to the financial cost, physical pain and mental stress associated with dealing with the aftermath of a dog fight.

Related Reading on Dog Aggression Over Food and Dog Dominance

Looking for additional dog training tips? Read Dog Training Tips from The Dog Whisperer for dog training advice from Cesar Millan, star of the National Geographic Channel show, The Dog Whisperer.

The copyright of the article Dog Training Tips - Solving Food Aggression in Pet Training is owned by Mia Carter. Permission to republish Dog Training Tips - Solving Food Aggression in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.