Star is so lazy she likes you to hold her bone for her while she is chewing it

Sounds like Good Advice Lizzy.

Hi Azz :smt039 I think as Dizzy mentioned, a lot depends on the Breed of dog, my Retrievers are quite soppy, I may not want to be quite so bold with a guarding breed etc :smt107

libs :smt039

Yeah I guess I was leaning on the side of caution

What I was trying to say, as I know a lot of Rotties etc, can be quite soppy too, Is that Retrievers are bred to be perhaps more biddable, where as Rotties etc, are expected to 'think' for themselves more... if that makes sense ??

libs

lol u always make sense

:smt081 :smt052 Thanks Azz :smt058

I have always assumed that removing a dog's food bowl is more likely to encourage possessive behaviour, rather than engender trust that this most precious resource will be returned.

With a new pup I frequently hold the food bowl in my hands while the pup eats. The pup can eat without interruption and learns that hands near the bowl pose no threat. I occasionally do this with the adult dogs, and will also sometimes place extra tasty tidbits in the bowls whilst they are eating.

Mainly, however, I leave them to enjoy their meals in peace.

I certainly would not advise that food removal should be attempted with a dog that is showing guarding behaviour. Most certainly it should not be attempted by a child, no matter how 'soft' the dog appears to be. That situation has the potential to end in tears, or worse.

When we first got Dollar (sadly no longer with us ) he wasn't overly keen on my youngest son, who was only 18 months so there wasn't a lot he could do on the 'training' front

However, to help with 'positive association' with short people my daughter would feed Dollar. I would fill the food bowl, pass it to her, then she would put it down for him. Then just sort of loiter...then we built up to her 'dropping' something extra yummy in - ie sausage or a bit of chicken etc. She would also take the empty bowl away - once he had walked away from it.

As my son got older he too joined in the feeding game.

This is a tad of topic sorry. Do you find it is easy to take something you have given the dog away but far more difficult to retrieve something they have found for themselves. That half rotten rabbit is far more desirable than anything I have ever given them.