Kevin

[fourofem]

As most of you know, Kevin has had a few issues since he arrived mid-November. House took care of most of them when he flattened him and let him know where he stood in the pecking order. He has made some major strides since then but still has some food issues. While I'm fixing the bowls, if he's roaming around in the kitchen, he can get a little growly if he thinks someone is getting too close. If I keep him right beside me, he's fine. I have his feeder set up in the bathroom (it's a full bath...I don't have him cooped up in a powder room!!!) away from the others. His bowl goes down first and like three of the others, he inhales it. If he even sees me at the door, he gets all defensive and nasty growly. If I speak firmly,he settles down and I'll go in there and sit while he eats but I think it might be making him eat faster. Two or three times, he has thrown all of his breakfast or dinner up right after finishing. Should I just leave him alone? I don't want him to think it's okay to be so ugly when I come around. He's not like that with the dogs, just me. What do you think?

[kamsmom]

Have you already tried putting a large rock in the bowl to help him slow down? My lab eats super fast and now we have the brake fast bowl. It really, really helped him. He gets a bit frustrated because he does have to work harder to get the food, but I figure this helps two issues at the same time. 1) he eats slower and has more time to actually digest... and 2) He gets tired!

 

I don't know about the aggression... I usually separate the one that has the issue and make sure that they eat alone. Either a crate or blocked off in the kitchen, this way everyone stays safe and sound.

Edited February 1, 2010 by kamsmom

[krissn333]

I would try something like that brake fast bowl to make him eat slower. I think that sitting in there with him is good...even coming in and out several times (and maybe just doing other things in the bathroom - open the medicine cabinet, fiddle with something in there, close the cabinet, run the sink, etc.) while he's eating would be good. That way he is kind of desensitized to movement around him while he's eating and he learns that being "interrupted" while eating isn't something to get all huffy about.

[GreyTzu]

I think Dessie eats too fast. I put a smaller bowl of yogurt in her feedbowl and she has to eat around it. It's basically the same idea as a brakefast bowl, without the cost. None of mine have food aggression so no advice there. Danger is a spook and would not eat if we looked at him when he first came home. We worked at getting near him and even petting him while he eats. Again, he is not aggressive, just a spook. He actually looks for me to scratch him on his head when I put his bowl down now.

[Hawthorn]

Something that can work very well with food aggressive dogs is to approach them when they're eating and throw something very tasty into, or near to, their bowl. At first, you throw from quite a distance (you need to be a good shot!), so that they don't feel threatened, and gradually you can get closer before you put the treat in their bowl. Over time this changes the way the dog looks at the situation, so that instead of seeing you approaching as a threat, he begins to see it as a very good thing. I haven't used this technique myself (never had a food aggressive dog) but it was described to me by a dog trainer acquaintance who used to work at a dogs home where the technique was regularly used with good success.

[Batmom]

If you have time, hand feed him. One kibble at a time.

 

 

[BauersMom]

If you have time, hand feed him. One kibble at a time.

 

That's what his foster home did - and he definitely responded to that. Worth a shot Blair!

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Jey beat me to the punch, hand feed. That is a guaranteed way to fix the issue. That and it will help with the bonding. Do you feed your hounds in crates? Personally I feed my hounds and fosters in crates. They all know when its feeding time to go and stand in their crate and wait for me to come with the food. It works wonders, nobody under my foot while I am preparing food, nobody getting snarky. Good Luck.

 

Chad

[Guest goofydog]

If you don't have time to hand feed you can try putting his kibble on a cookie sheet with sides, makes him have to work for it!

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

The hand feeding is not to correct the speed of eating, but to correct the food agression with other hounds/people.

[MaryJane]

You mentioned that you are feeding him first -- you probably want to feed him last. Also, if he gets growly when you are making the food is he getting corrected so he knows that is not acceptable?

[Fruitycake]

I have to weigh in on the hand feeding him. And only give him a kibble at a time when he is not growly. If you can distract him before he growls, and surprise him with food at his nose before that first growl comes out, he may learn that growling isn't getting him anything. If he growls, the kibble goes away until he's quiet again.

 

Have you tried to sequester him away from you while you set up the food (and away from the other dogs, so he doesn't take frustration out on them)? Shut him out of the kitchen, and away from the ability to think he's demanding the food/bullying you into feeding him. I don't know if that would work, but it might be worth a try.

[fourofem]

The hand feeding is working wonders...he wasn't keen on it at first but now is good. When I don't have time for the piece at a time method, I hold his bowl while he eats and he's fine with that, too. Thanks for the good advice! A step at a time!

[Guest mickie37]

Another idea to slow down a dog who eats too fast is to put tennis balls in the bowl. My niece did this with her dog and we were amazed at how this changed his eating habits.

[silverfish]

A couple of our dogs were a tiny bit growly over food when we first got them. My approach is to make sure they associate my presence and my touch with food, but not with a threat that it will be removed. Here's how I do it -

 

Any time I give a new dog food, I make sure that one hand is on the dog first. Then, keeping that hand on the dog, I offer a treat - don't go face to face, stand to one side, because it's less threatening. Any grumbles and both hands get taken away. Then the hand goes back on the dog's shoulder, and I try offering the treat again. They very quickly learn that they don't get the treat unless I'm also touching them. I don't hold them, and I don't make the touch heavy, it's just a reminder that I'm there at the same time as the food is coming. When they take the treat nicely, I just keep my hand on the dog and my hand on the treat long enough for them to know that it's on my terms. Just a second or two, and they get the treat.

 

I also keep a hand on their shoulder as I put the dinner down, and wait until their heads are in the bowl before I let go. The next stage is to add something to the bowl while they're eating. If they're still a little snarky, do as Hawthorn says, and toss it from a distance. Doesn't matter if you miss, they dog knows it's there and available and that's what matters.

 

After a while, I'll walk by and just pet the dog while he's eating. Just the briefest of touches and walk on.

 

I've never had a truly aggressive dog, so you'll have to make a judgement on whether it will work for Kevin, but I would imagine so. Using this method I've been able to do anything with my dogs and food, including dragging bits of 'found' chicken/hamburger/sausage, decomposing rabbits, etc out of their throats on walks. When you first do that, of course, an exchange with something high-value is a very good idea!

[fourofem]

I bragged too soon...Kevin had a setback last night and again this morning . He's an enigma...that's for sure. We'll back up and try again. He's a cutie and can be very sweet but he's wearing me down.

[Batmom]

It can take a *long* time to reform a food-aggressive dog. Hang in there!

[Guest LindsaySF]

The hand-feeding and tossing treats into the bowl should help.

 

I wanted to comment on his growling in the kitchen though. I wouldn't allow him to be around the food when you are preparing it. He'll only get agitated trying to defend it.

 

Like Chad, my guys eat in crates or ex-pens and they wait for their food. I keep the food aggressive ones crated as soon as I touch the bowls. If I let everyone stay loose while I was preparing dinner there would be a bloodbath.

 

Good luck!