yes i agree roxy i think in dogs though they need to establish that order for themselves, a quick growl soon tells the other..NO CHANCE..i seen this with my male busta , my bitch went right up to him and his bone, he growled but she was stubborn , 2 seconds later he was on top of her, no biting just a show of strength i think , but then my youngest can go out and take the bone no problem because he understands his place in the pack!!!so to speak!!
kinzy

:smt023

Not sure what can be done Lizzy - I can appreciate the situation from both sides. I feel so sorry for the pup but can also see the girl's point of view, nothing worse than always being frightened and worried. I wish people would discuss breeds more before they shoot off and buy one!

Val - I've always trained leaves etc with toys first then moving up to food but never interfered with their dishes. When I teach the leave with food, I exchange for different value treats to keep them on their toes. Leave is always the one exercise when they get something everytime so they have it ingrained on their memory that leave is a good thing! One of my late bitches, Doris, was a madam for trying to pick up chicken bones if you walked her past takeaway's but she would spit it out on a "leave" (she was probably picking them up on purpose to get a treat!).

My sentiments on this one though is that it's one thing for an adult to go down the food removal route but a different kettle of fish for a child. I think it's unrealistic to expect a dog to see a child as a higher ranking pack member. Children by their very natures and size will always be seen as a lower rank IMHO.

hi Alison
what you got to realise is its the alpha(yourself) who decides the pecking order, thus establishing with the dog where they stand, i brought a bitch in when 1 1/2 years old but she knew that all humans come higher in the pecking order than herself and settled in from the start my kids could take anything off her, it has nothing to do with size..imo...what i would be wary of is the owner showing her fear to the dog because he wont be long in picking this up, and in all honestly could see himself as alpha as he grows, which imo is a no go!!!
kinzy

Hi Kinzi,

I didn't word my reply very well, in size I was thinking of very small children (child in this case is about 14 months old) and I don't believe you can expect a child of this age to be a higher rank. Personally I think this pup needs to be rehomed.

My perspective on ranking is that you have a pecking order, for example when I had three rotties after me it was Cheekie, Kane, Doris. I think it's important to give clear signals as to this pecking order and this is what I mean in that children by their young nature are inconsistent which can then lead to a change in heirarchy. Changes in the environment (e.g. behaviour, illness etc.) can then cause dissention in the ranks. When Kane died, Cheekie and Doris began to fight - Cheekie was old and Doris was climbing the ladder due to inconsistent leadership signals. It was always interesting watching them eat as neither of them would interfere with the other.

All dogs natures vary, some need extremely consistent leadership signals, others can be relaxed - all a case of knowing your own dog. I'm very sensitive over issues with food and rotties as it fuels their reputation. There was a newspaper story some time last year that was reported as a Rottweiler savaging a child - real story? Child wasn't supervised with the dog and had been teasing him with a crisp by poking it is his face then pulling it away - dog lunged forward and caught him on the face with his claws but the media wasn't interested in the real story .

mornign all

I also think it depends on the dog, and not soo much the breed, as from chatting to many people here and on other forums i have found many many of the breeds such as rotti's are big softies i have always removed food bones etc from my pup from an early age simply in case someone did at some point try to do this!!! she is fine but and just sits and waits to get it back (or puts nose to the floor to find it) i would not advise just anyone to do this with my dog and i would not just go ahead and do this to anyone elses dog, and would never let any small child do this i feel it is just good sense, the dog is eating and wants to keep there food, do not put temptation in the way (hand/fingers) Ouch!!! It must be very difficult for your brothers girlfirend and the pup Alison the pup will know she is scared and i am sure there will be a tense atmosphere

Sorry Bitsy, it's not my brother, this is a case that was referred to me from my vet.

My brothers's got much more sense and he'll slap me if people think it's him !

18 Months ago with my Bull Mastiff X Lab.
And Now, my 19 week old Boerboel.

When It is feed time, I put food into the dish, at the same time saying No.
Both dogs will sit and stay until told its ok.

The first few times, I have put my hand into the bowl stirring the food while they ate.
When I evaluated the situation and thought it was safe, I have my children do the same, I have my hands 2 inches away from the dogs head at first and then moved them back.
I am not an expert, but believe I can read body language.

My Daughter is 6 and my son 3.

My main reason for doing this, is said in an earlier post.
Kids being Kids, any thing can happen.
Looks like I am on my own with this one.

Take Care

Ashley...

Depending on the dog, hands in food bowl can be helpful, as can feeding dogs bits by hand and getting a dog used to being touched whilst it is eating (just a few light strokes on the back). It is the taking away of food that causes problems.

I agree with you Ash. I think it's an important thing to do when you have kids because as much as you keep a close eye on them, it only takes a second for a child to grab something without you seeing or being able to reach them in time. I also have had my children take food away and put their hands in the bowl. I'm finding with the puppy, it's MUCH easier to condition them early.

When I got Tigger he had food aggression. I had to spoon feed everybit of his meal into his bowl one spoon at a time. Now, anyone can take his food without him minding. Or at least without him showing he minds.