Tuesday, July 19, 2011

How do I stop food aggression in puppy?

My puppy is 5 months old and since I got her, she has had problems with food aggression but lately it seems to be getting worse. She will growl at my kitten or cat even when they are like 5 feet away from her. It doesn't matter what she is eating (bones, kibble, marrow bones, raw meat) she growls at anything and I am wondering how I stop this behavior. When she starts to growl and get defensive I say in a loud firm voice no and if I get close she will in turn then growl at me. I have been removing the prized item when she acts like this because I don't want her attacking my cats (and possibly my daughter in time). The reason I take the item away is basically to try and teach her that behavior is bad and she won't be rewarded for it but punished instead, but it doesn't seem to be helping. Any suggestions? I've never owned a dog with food aggression before, nor have I dealt with one. Also, my daughter is NEVER around her when she is eating a treat OR her kibble. I would never take that chance. In fact, I am usually the only one around when she eats because of her aggression with food.

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