My dog is aggressive with food and his toy. How do I fix this?

Question

My new dog has an issue with food agression. He eats quickly and does not like others around when he eats. He learned this from having to fight with another dog for food with his previous owner. I am not comfortable going near him while he eats because he growls at times. Secondly, if people food is near he paces and acts starved. He has growled and nipped at our nephew as he was trying to play with him because people food was present. Also, when I give him treats he snaps at it. I make him sit and give it when he stops the snapping, but truly want this to stop completely. The other thing is his squeaky toy. He has become very possessive and growls when you go near it if he is playing with it. He is extremely sweet and loving at all other times though. He is happy and so much fun. FYI - He is an overweight beagle we are trying to slim down. He is fed twice a day 1 cup at a time with carrots for treats a few times during the day. How do we remedy the aggression?

Answer 1

This sounds like resource guarding. Consult a certified behaviorist for a proper diagnosis and help on changing the behavior please.

Answer 2

Before you hand his food down to him pretend to eat that way he knows you eat first and your the boss.

Answer 3

Try to ask if Cesar Milon (the dog whisperer) could come to your house and help you. I heard he's excellent. Go to www.cesarmilon.com (i think that's the website) or you can search his name on Google.

You need him to you that you are boss. Give him his food, then take it away from him, and give it back to him. Let him know that you are in control of the food that he eats. If he growls or snaps at you, say "NO!" and take the food away. After a while, give it back to him and try it again.

Answer 4

It sounds like you need to talk to a professional dog behaviorist about your new dogs aggressionn issues.

Also NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) is a great training method..

http://www.pets.ca/articles/article-dog_...

Be sure to talk with a trainer though to be safe.