I’ve had a couple of instances where the dogs have snapped at the cat as they all clamor around my legs at feeding time. I found the best way to diffuse the situation is to feed Bob first. Then Bob is out of the way and there are no issues.
Saturday I made a run for raw food, so I had a bathtub full of chicken necks. After letting them defrost for a few hours I went in to separate them into individual baggies, naturally Delilah had to come with me, just in case I missed the baggie and dropped a neck on the floor, or I turned my back for a minute so she had an opportunity to lap the chicken water. 🙂
After about 20 minutes Sampson decided to check out the bathroom, when he tried to pass Delilah she snapped at him. I didn’t hear her growl, she just turned her head and snapped at him.
I wasn’t in the least way prepared for this so I handled it all wrong. 🙁 I shouted “Hey!” Then I said, “GET OUT.” Both dogs tried to leave the bathroom, but eventually I sorted them out and got Delilah outside and Sampson in, and I shut the door and left her out there.
I sat there wishing I had a clear glass door so Delilah could sit outside it and watch Sampson and me in bathroom sorting chicken necks with me slipping him the occasional neck. Which wouldn’t be the right way, since she wouldn’t understand why he was getting the necks and she wasn’t.
I’m really at a loss at the best way to handle the situation. Normally Delilah does not guard her food, I can reach down and take her dish away if I need to. I have in fact taken something from her mouth with no issues, so it’s not a typical food guarding issue.
So how about it? How do you handle this? Do you have a dog that guards a particular food, or any food at all? If so, how do you manage the situation?
Delilah seems very food driven. Didn’t Delilah loose a lot of weight this past year? That is a lot of weight for a dog in a year and she may just be plain ol’ hungry. Sometimes that can bring on food behavior issues. With winter coming on, you may want to consider upping her calories. Not to put weight back on her, but to maintain her weight through winter.
I don’t know just a thought.
My GOD, you wouldn’t believe the excitement she has for a green bean, it is hard to train her with food because she becomes so excited it’s like she can’t focus.
Thanks for the thought, I’ll keep a watch on her and see what our food lady says, I didn’t think about that.
You’re right, this isn’t a ‘typical’ food guarding issue. It’s one where your pups consider something ‘high value’ and they really want it, forgetting their manners when their instincts kick in–The chicken necks would certainly fall into that category of something they would think of as high value. I don’t know that I can give you any advice on how to teach your dogs to remember their manners, and to not react to one another–But when we’ve had situations where I know the dogs would/will react, I really try to not let them around one another, or if it can’t be avoided, I really keep a watchful eye on them, and anything that they do to the other that could result in a fight, or something else, I get after them before it has a chance to escalate. Unfortunately I’ve learned this the hard way…
Up until now they’ve only snapped at the cat. I so wasn’t expecting it, but now that I know it can happen I will make sure to be aware and try to manage the situation.
I think I learned a lesson the hard way too. 🙂
Those chicken necks must smell like the most delicious food in the world; I’d have probably snapped at my friend if I thought he was going to get some before or instead of me! woof.
LOL Kathy, you can have my necks, you don’t need to snap at me. :-0
I have no experience with resource guarding so I don’t know if I’m able to help any more than offer sympathy. I probably would have handled the situation in much the same way.
However, when I read through the earlier comments I noticed you mentioned how food crazy Delilah is and I wondered if some impulse control games might help. My dog is nuts over food as well and we actually didn’t use treats at all for the first few months because even the slight scent of kibble would make her bonkers. Have you ever heard of the game “It’s Yer Choice”? Playing that has changed everything and now we can drop food on the kitchen floor without Shiva scrambling to gobble it up. It’s taught her patience in so many ways.
Here is a great explanation: http://raisingk9.blogspot.com/2011/03/its-yer-choic.html
Thanks for the support Kristine, I do appreciate it.
No I had never heard of that game and I love it, this is so awesome I cannot wait to try it at home, this may be what I need to get Delilah to stop becoming so excited around food. My blogville friends are a God send!!
I am so glad I could help! When it comes to crazy, there isn’t much I haven’t seen. 😛
We are dealing with similar issues too! Hurley snapped at Sadie for the 1st time the other day over kibble I was using as treats. We knew he had food issues but this is the first time he’s acted out towards another member of his pack. The best advice we’ve found is to manage and monitor feeding times to prevent any issues from happening. Then practice sharing. We have all 3 dogs go through some basic commands and get treats in turn. I’m going very slow and starting with low value treats, hoping to work my way up to something as tasty as chicken necks. I’ve read (but haven’t tried out) sitting them down and alternately giving them increasingly high value treats: ie, Hurley gets a piece of kibble, then Sadie gets a biscuit treat, then Hurley gets an even better biscuit treat, then Sadie gets a piece of cheese, then Hurley gets a piece of meat. At any point where either of them acts uncomfortable and breaks their sit stay, start over. This teaches them that even though the other dog just got something better than what you just got, if you behave, you’ll get something even better. We are about to start this training in the next week after we practice a bit more treating of all 3 together with the same value of treats. I’ll be sure to post about how it goes!
I glanced briefly at your first sentence and thought it said, “Hubby snapped at Sadie” and I thought, this gal is joshing with me. 🙂
I’m sorry you are going through this, but I love the game you are playing to help them learn patience. I need to teach patience to Delilah too.
Did you see Kristine’s post above? That link had a little video which also has a great game for teaching your patience. I am excited to have such great readers that have such great suggestions.
Not much to offer except I would and have done the same thing as far as yelling at her. I really don’t have issues with the girls but while Riva was whelping and babies on the ground I really watched and just tried to diffuse any glazed looks I noticed before anything happened, which I see you could not have done since that came out of the blue.
The other posters seem to have good suggestions for teaching patience.
Thanks Misty! They do have some great suggestions, look for a post where I try to implement them. LOL
Resource guarding is a continuing struggle for us too! Good management is certainly the best ally. The dogs will all calmly tolerate each others presences when they know there might be a treat in it for them, but I have to be on alert every moment that all are clustered near the bed or a snarlfest will erupt. That is to say, the alternate treats have not resulted in long-term behavioral changes–only given us another tool to manage each moment as it arises.
I lose my temper sometimes too at the snarling, but that hasn’t made it go away either so far 🙂
Oh Kirsten, I got some great comments and advice, and I will be implementing some and reporting back.
I knew it was the wrong reaction but I was caught off guard, now that I am aware it could become a problem I will be remain alert!
hi to all jodistone.wordpress.comers this is my frst post and thought i would say a big hello to yous –
speak soon
garry m