These exercises can help prevent your puppy from feeling uncomfortable when you are around or approach them while they are eating. The old advice was to take the food bowl from the puppy while they are eating. This can potentially have the opposite effect we are after and create more stress for your puppy resulting in guarding behavior.
It is natural for a dog to guard something that is important to them if they feel like you are going to take it. Teach your puppy that your hand always brings good things to them versus takes it away.
Do these exercises 4 or 5 times a week during the first 18 weeks of the pup’s life. Continue on with once a week, then every couple of weeks, and then periodically until the dog is mature (see Your Puppy’s Development).
It takes very little effort to decrease the likelihood that your puppy will grow up to guard their food bowl. It is much harder to curb even a seven-month dog of the behavior. Even after maturity, now and again it is important to practice some of these exercises with your dog. Just like people, dogs can get rusty.
If your puppy is already showing signs (freezing, growling, eating fast) of being uncomfortable as you approach when he is eating please seek the help of a certified coach.
As the puppy is eating out of his dish, approach, and say hello. Drop a tasty piece of meat or cheese close to the bowl. Walk away, repeat five times.
Approach the puppy while they are eating and offer them a piece of meat or cheese from your hand then turn and walk away. Repeat this exercise five times in a row.
Be sure to stay in the proximity of the puppy whenever they are eating, versus giving them a bowl then leaving the room. It is important they becomes accustomed to having people and activity around while eating.
The puppy feels comfortable with people in close proximity while they are eating.
Hand-feeding is a great way to spend some time together. All the pup’s food for one straight week comes from your hand, not the bowl.
You can do this exercise in the kitchen, or on the floor in the family room while watching TV. You can do this exercise on a walk, take a portion of the pup’s food with you, stop, have a seat on a park bench or where ever you are comfortable, and proceed to feed the pup.
Measure the pup’s food for the day and use it for training sessions, games, or just hanging out together. The main point is the food comes from you, not a bowl.
Start by getting rid of the puppy’s food bowl altogether. Sit down with the pup where you normally feed them and offer the food directly out of your hand.
If you feed a wet or raw food you may use a spatula to deliver the food or hold a toy you stuff for the puppy to access the food from.
