Food Agression Books?

Huggirl84 · #1 03-03-2006, 09:03 AM

My vet suggested getting a book on food agression because Cooper has very gentle personality almost all of the time except he turns into this crazy beast when a dog comes near his food or even he'll attack the other dogs at their food bowl at times. Anyone know any good books on how to deal with this issue?

TheDuke · #2 03-03-2006, 09:30 AM

I think when it comes to food aggression with dogs there is not much that helps except for feeding the dog separately and not letting other dogs bother him when he is eating. I would feed all the dogs separately so they do not feel the need to defend there food or steal the others.

**Jan** · #3 03-03-2006, 10:18 AM

You might try this one. http://www.dogwise.com/search.cfm

ladyluck_t · #4 03-03-2006, 10:33 AM

I have this same problem, I have found though that most of the books that deal with food aggression deal with dog-human food aggression and usually just say causally: if it is dog-dog then feed seperatly. If you do find one, please let me know though, I would love to read it.
Here is what I do:
1. NILF program, all dogs all the time. Best way to keep things from spirally out of control. I pay the bills, it is my home, therefore it is my rules that must be followed. Sounds harsh but saves alot of fights.
2. Feed seperately. I feed my food aggressive girl loose and EVERYONE else eats in crates. I also have to crate them if any human is eating too, otherwise she gets nasty then as well. Certainly helps with my snacking

Who wants to crate 3 dogs just to have a ice cream sandwich. Way too much work!

my waistline is shrinking due to laziness! How cool is that!
3. When my girl starts trying to "attack" the other dogs in their crates she is calmly told that this behavior is unacceptable and to stop. If she makes one eye contact or one peep after that, she gets a "too bad" and goes to her crate. Again My house My rules!
The main thing is to be calm, confident, compassionate, and most of all CONSISTENT! Things should settle down into a regular routine.

*Side Note: Since my home is so small the spare crates are in the living/dining/kitchen areas where I spend my time. This means that the feeding in the crates does not equate with seclusion. If you dont have the room in those rooms for a crate or dont like the "Early Dog" motif for your rooms, Wal-Mart has some nice nylon folding crates (~$15.00) that work great for meal times. These are for crate trained dogs only, but fold up flat in about a 12" disc size.

JulieM · #5 03-03-2006, 01:02 PM

I'm not sure if these specifically address dog-dog food aggression, but they may give tips for dealing with aggression overall (personally, I think dog-dog food aggression is only to be expected, but "My House, My Rules" is a very good philosophy to follow

).

Mine! , Dogs Are From Neptune , and Fight! by Jean Donaldson
Aggression in Dogs and Canine Body Language by Brenda Aloff
Click to Calm by Emma Parsons

All can be found at DogWise, posted above.