Beginning Food Issues?

corbinam

corbinam

Moderator
I don't want to over diagnose, but I've noticed a few things with Enzo that I want to nip in the bud, and I'm not sure how. Hoping you guys can help!

The behavior I noticed that I don't love:

  • If I reach my hand in Enzo's bowl when he is eating, he starts FRANTICALLY eating as fast as he can, almost panicked. He doesn't bite or come after me, just gulps and grabs as quickly as possible.
  • Enzo never wants to drop a bone or a treat, even if we offer to trade him. I have to chase him around the house/corner him (bad, I know) to get him to give it up. The other day all 3 dogs had their own bones and I think Enzo tried to take Bentley's and there was a short spat.
More Info:

  • We did a lot of hand feeding out of the bowl with Enzo. He waits for his food patiently and if I take his bowl away (after the frantic part), he will wait until released to eat the rest.
  • If I drop a piece of food, the dogs never fight over it. They always look to me because if I drop a piece of food, everyone gets a little bit from me so it's fair.
  • Going forward Enzo only receives bones in his crate so that we can easily trade him when it's time to take them back.
Any suggestions? Should I be worried?
 
Bailey is very similar to Enzo when it comes to food. She's the worst with treats or food she doesn't think she's supposed to be eating.

For gulping down his kibble, try dropping more kibble into his bowl while he is eating. it's sort the same idea as getting him used to your hands around his food by hand feeding. you're trying my to change his mind from thinking "I better hurry up and eat because she's gonna take my food away" to "yay! Hand near my bowl means more food."
 
Try to teach drop instead of removing the resources...
Lol get your hand out of his bowl... Why are you doing that, I'm sure its a reason but seems its causing the opposite of what you want. Its increasing frustration IMO

I like to train "land of plenty" so I don't have to manage as much later :)

today I was reminded that I think that is actually working, because at training class I was telling everyone how I had a couple of bags of amazing donuts in the car from my last day in rural New Brunswick. One of my friends said OMG but you leave your dogs loose in the car while you're waiting your turn, I never even think about stuff like that, they don't really try and eat anything that isn't theirs lol
 
Sounds like Tully. I think it has a lot to do with being in a multi-dog household and not being as confident as the other dogs. I did a bit of research on this to deal with Tully – although I should have dealt with it earlier.

Food is one of the few resources a dog will have in their world and is just below affection in value, a confident dog won't feel the need to guard things but a less confident dog will want to control their environment. Bentley will decide if he wants to defend his food or will just give in to the sake of harmony. With my two if Tully tries to take something while Deska is eating he protects it. If he drops it (to go off and bark) it’s fair game for Tully to take and guard.

Anyway, these are some of the ideas I read to deal with this. Teaching the dog “take it” and using this whenever you give them something high value to let them know it’s theirs and you (or another dog) won’t take it off them. So with food you do this with their meals and with treats. Don’t then try to exchange. Another idea, for a dog that’s not good at exchanging is to get them to watch you having a really fun time exchanging with another dog (learn by example). When you do exchange with the problem child then only use items of lower value and make it a game. With stealing from another dog – if they take the other dog’s treat then the offending dog loses both.

I’d be cutting back on the resource exchanging with food, the hand feeding and taking his bowl away. After all, if 10% of the time you want the high value resource back (or with meals you are taking total control) then to a dog that lacks confidence that’s a lot of times where they may not get to keep the resource or have control over it. Better to build up the confidence first – you know all the stuff about setting up to fail.

When Tully was a puppy it was kind of funny, this tiny little thing stealing food from a much bigger Deska; I should never have laughed about it. In hindsight I think this fed into Deska’s scavenging behaviours (things dropped on the ground have a higher value and ownership) and also why he walks around crying when I give him a bone and why he likes to bury things under the cat or in the kitty litter, the cats don’t steal it. She is better but the behaviour has been impossible to extinguish entirely. Hopefully you can nip it in the bud entirely with Enzo.
 
As Caro mentioned, I think it is much harder in a multiple dog home to handle food issues. The one thing I have found has made a huge difference is that I ask all my dogs to "sit" and "wait"...then I address each one by name as they get either their treat or their meal...no grabbing of the food when it is tagged by someone else's name...and anyone who breaks their sit before their name is called goes to "the end of he line". I do place their meals far apart and for a couple of them who eat too fast when in the company of the others, I put their meal in a different room so they can feel secure that they won't have to defend their food or race to gobble it down. No stealing from anyone else's bowl is ever allowed...if someone doesn't finished their meal it is picked up and put in the frig.

For those who have come in from rescue with bowl guarding issues, I hold the bowl while they eat rather than put it down on the floor...signaling to them that the bowl and food are mine to control...typically I only have to do this for a few weeks before their bowl can be put down and picked up with no issues. Enzo doesn't sound like he is bowl guarding...just afraid you are going to pick his bowl up before he is done eating. As much as it is important to have a dog comfortable with people touching their bowl, I also think it is important to respect a dog being able to finish his/her meal in peace. I honestly wouldn't be too worried about Enzo at this point since he is showing absolutely no signs of actual guarding around his bowl.

Trini
 
That conjures up a hilarious picture - all Trini's dogs lined up for the treat and then a naughty dog slinking to the back of the line with its head hung in shame for breaking rank.
 
Caro said:
That conjures up a hilarious picture - all Trini's dogs lined up for the treat and then a naughty dog slinking to the back of the line with its head hung in shame for breaking rank.
Click to expand...

:lol: The naughty one typically shows zero shame...I usually get the "what, innocent me?" look.

Trini
 
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