Haven't ever had trouble 'taking stuff off' any of my dogs anyway - even the voracious GSDs! Just haven't ever thought about it. I take stuff off Bella if she is coming in and it isn't 'finished' hell I don't want to be feeding cockroaches! I throw everything she doesn't finish over the verandah for the street cats and dogs. Even kibble.

It was I believe Gnasher or someone else who said about 'pack leader'. My dogs are the dogs and I am the 'human'. My dogs are 'trained' to the extent that I am happy to live with them and they are happy to live with me. I've only ever had one dog that I considered to be 'a danger to very small children' and it was nothing to do with protecting or guarding food.

You are doing completely the right thing, well done you. It is SO important - especially in these days of hearing about dog attacks seemingly every week - that all dogs, but especially large dogs like our's, are exemplary in their behaviour. It is bad enough that my Ben is aggressive with other male dogs, but it is totally unacceptable for a dog of his size and strength to be anything but immaculate with humans and especially children. I think I can safely say that if a child managed unseen by me to approach Ben whilst he was eating his dinner or a bone, or grabbed his tail (something he hates), he or she would not get snarled at or bitten. We have only had him 3 years so I would never totally trust him, but his father Hal who we had as an 8 week old puppy was 100% rock solid safe with all humans and dogs too.

Well in the 50 odd years I have owned dogs, I have never felt the need to give something to a dog & then take it away just because I can. I am not a member of any pack & neither am I the"Alpha".

My dogs are given their food to eat, not for me to take back because I might be in a rush etc.

My dogs are taught to "leave it"for when it is necessary for me to have them not touch something or to give something unsuitable/dangerous to them.

They have recreational bones & are left to enjoy them. I would never allow a child near my dogs whilst they are eating or enjoying a bone etc-children are way too unpredictable for that.

My dogs know there is no threat to them having something I have given taken away so they do not react if I or anyone else is near them at this time.

Taking away food/bones/toys from a possessive dog can(& IMHE frequently does)make them even more possessive, which obviously leads to more problems. Lost count of the number of GSDs who have ended up in rescue because of this & they take ages to learn to trust again

Well said Joedee. I am slightly bemused by all the stuff about 'teaching dogs not to react if children go near their food' when I've read so many times on here posts defending dogs who go for kids and saying it is CHILDREN who should be taught not to go near dogs when they are eating or people who should know better than to stare at dogs and waddever. And now it seems so many are in agreement that it should be the DOGS who should be taught that whatever comes their way - they should not 'react' to it? I will remember that for the next time so many are defending a dog that has either killed or maimed someone.

Yeah that is fine in an ideal world, but we don't live in one, so I would rather my babies be sent out into their new lives fully prepared for whatever comes along.

I'd rather teach my dogs not to react rather than deal with the consequences of a dog reacting if I'm honest.

Same here Trouble.
Not sure who Pack Leader is here, it may be Cariad

What ??

So dogs should be machines & not dogs & children should be allowed to do what they like with a dog ???

No one lives in an ideal world, but in the past 55 years I have never had one of my dogs bite anyone uninstructed(my GSDS were all protection trained)& I trust my dogs 100% however my trust in children is 0%

No dogs shouldn't be machines and mine certainly are not. Children should not be allowed to do as they please to a dog either. My dogs don't bite people either but I'd still prefer them to walk away rather than snap or growl let alone bite anyone. It's not a competition over who's right and who's wrong either, my dogs my responsibility.

My dogs and my puppies know no different, to them it is the norm that I may pick up a bone and move it, if I am cleaning the yard or kennels it often happens actually and they just move to where I have put the bone. If I have put the bone in the bag to throw out they wait and watch me expectantly because they know there will be more when I have finished my jobs, part of their life. They are well mannered, they are by no means machines in any way shape or form. They know 'move over' if I am sweeping up and they are where I want to be, so they get up and move over. Nothing machinelike at all
I can take young puppies in the vets and they never bother what is done because I have prepared them in their day to day lives that someone may have a look in their mouth, ears etc. Check under their tails. No big deal to them
Leaving them unprepared or under the impression that they are untouchable is where the danger lies.