I wondered if she'd been started off like this by the breeder - it doesn' t alawys lead to food aggression to humans, (or dogs come to that) but it can do, it can sow the seeds for guarding behaviour and anxiety around food.

I think some breeders need educating as it would really be helpful if pups could be fed separately at feeding times, or at least not set up so they have to fight for food.

Totally understand your concerns...

It's very hard when you are trying to do the right thing and are given advice by a professional. IMO the advice was wrong, and would cause more stress/anxiety/frustration etc etc...plus it could also have been verging on dangerous advice for yourselves as the owners taking the food away when she got a bit bigger. Vets do sometimes give behavioural advice, and unless they are a qualified veterinary behaviourist (of which there are not that many about!) I wish they'd leave it to the behaviourists.

Excellent news!

That is really good, I am not surprised you are proud . Sounds as if her stress levels have gone right down, which is a great sign. Dogs tend to act and react more "emotionally" when stressed as you probably know

Well you sound like an excellent owner - you care, and are really trying to help her which is so good to read. I wish you loads of luck with her. If at any time she regresses or things seem to go wrong, I'd suggest contacting an APBC behaviourist for professional advice whilst she's young (I think this has already been suggested) and if you are insured the company may pay out for a consultation.

However it sounds as if things are now going swimmingly an d you won't need this - fingers crossed and loads of luck!

Wys
x

I also ask her to wait until the food goes down (had to really otherwise she'd climb into the bowl on the way down). Then she's told "good girl, go eat".

What I have been doing recently is sitting with her while she eats and about half way through her dinner, I show her I have a bonio if she stops and looks up she can 'nicely' take a bit of the bonio (I break it into 3 pieces). I let her go back to eating and then offer her another bit of the bonio again she has to be nice, the last piece of the treat I give to her when I take the bowl away as a reward for giving me the bowl...

My other half fed the dogs today. He was good, he sat with her and offered her the bonio bits, but forgot to take their bowls away... Bless her, Kismet came into the living room about 10 mins later with her bowl and gave it to me! I of course gave her a treat for being such a clever girl, she went and got Selkie's bowl and gave me that one too!

This dog is just too darn clever!

Kismet came into the living room about 10 mins later with her bowl and gave it to me! I of course gave her a treat for being such a clever girl, she went and got Selkie's bowl and gave me that one too!

That's ace little monkey.

I have been reading up on dog food and I have read if the food is high in protein this can cause alot of aggression problems in some dogs. I don't want to talk to soon but this does seem to be the case with Dori.