# Severe food aggression in 8 week old puppy - bit me several times.



## XenaWarrior (Apr 22, 2014)

My mixed 8 wk old puppy bit me several times when she was eating. My son threw his toy into her bowl and when I went to get it she lunged at me. How do I stop this?


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## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

Two resources for you:
Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs
Resource Guarding: Treatment and Prevention

Are you taking classes (or do you plan to soon)? If so, I'd ask the instructor (assuming s/he is competent) about the incident.


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

This is the pup that was sold to you at 6 weeks? Food aggression is a breed trait (mine has it but only with other animals, he killed a rooster over this d/t Roo challenging him over his food bowl, Roo lost)...its also excarbarated by large litters if the pups are having to fight to get their fair share...
Constantly treat (little treats like kitten kibble, they love it, or small bits of cheese/ hotdog, drop bits into their food bowl at random times) I have 3 dogs and pockets full of left over bits, and just got into the habit of proferring bits of goodies, my dogs love my hands cause they are associated with treating...my hand in their food bowl means I am adding something yummy to it to them...
x2 on the puppy classes, many puppy classes will take the pup as soon as shes had one set of shots, as long as shes had a clean bill of health from the vet...

Cookieface left good resources...


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

BernerMax (is this a normal trait to the guardian breed pups ?)


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## aerebos (Nov 19, 2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i60q52DqIuc

I really like this video. 

The notes below the video are extremely amazing also. Mine also had aggression when she was a pup. What worked for me to nip it in the bud was hand feeding for two weeks. It may be different for you. As I transitioned Oreo to a bowl I would bring vast amounts of liver treats, make her notice these treats in my hand, let her sniff them and show her that I am placing these treats into her bowl. I did this for at least three months and then I would take her bowl while she was eating and give it back with some amazing treats. [And I mean amazing!]. When she noticed I began to stop as she no longer showed aggression she carried her bowl full of food and dumped it all over the floor and brought it to me. . . As above, hands in the bowl or 'trading' the bowl and then giving it back became associated with treats and good things. 

Slowly teach her trust through whatever training process you choose and do it at the pace she is comfortable with of course.


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

PatriciafromCO said:


> BernerMax (is this a normal trait to the guardian breed pups ?)


Not neccessarily biting human hands, but yeah- defending their food-- its one of the topics I covered with the Great Pyrenees rescue lady before we went and got our Pyr- anatolian... 
and with such a large package, its not going to be tolerated long in a pet home...


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Also XenaWarrior, I know how hard first-hand it can be to watch little kids and little (big!) puppy,
but toy flying into food bowl while dog is eating is TOO CLOSE.....

Kids should not be close enough that that could happen, I hope this hadnt happened alot before... 

Feed puppy in a seperate room or even a crate with the door shut for safety and so puppy knows she can eat in peace (after you are done hand feeding?)...


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## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

BernerMax said:


> Not neccessarily biting human hands, but yeah- defending their food-- its one of the topics I covered with the Great Pyrenees rescue lady before we went and got our Pyr- anatolian...
> and with such a large package, its not going to be tolerated long in a pet home...


Thanks! I wondered if breed played a role in tendency for resource guarding.



BernerMax said:


> Also XenaWarrior, I know how hard first-hand it can be to watch little kids and little (big!) puppy,
> but toy flying into food bowl while dog is eating is TOO CLOSE.....
> 
> Kids should not be close enough that that could happen, I hope this hadnt happened alot before...
> ...


Yes, this. Kids and puppy (and later dog) should not be in the same area during dog meal time. Dogs should be able to eat in peace, as BernerMax said.


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Ok last one--
I dont know if its overrated (we are on our first LGD ) but I see things similar this quote alot on various websites:


Most Great Pyrenees will not willingly share his or her food with any other dog, (Sometimes littermates prove the exception, but don’t count on it.) Between adults these fights can be vicious and bloody (many start practicing food aggression as puppies while still nursing and eating milk soaked kibble), so please feed your dogs individually or provide two to three automatic feeders to allow your dogs some freedom to decide who eats where and when.


This is from a website called Bountifulfarms.com


Whats unusual is that puppy is willing to do this to her people- 
I am not guessing it was a complaining growl, or protest nip, or a "real" threatening aggressive one? (Didnt sound like it)...
But she is only 8 weeks old, plenty of time for this to be corrected/ worked with....


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

BernerMax said:


> Not neccessarily biting human hands, but yeah- defending their food-- its one of the topics I covered with the Great Pyrenees rescue lady before we went and got our Pyr- anatolian...
> and with such a large package, its not going to be tolerated long in a pet home...


Ok it's true or very common for the CO's not hard to get through . Main thing is don't challenge them and "teach" them by your actions to fight you for it. This subject is a nature vs nurture for me for what outcome you get in the ling run. It's natural in a pup more so in this individual and never seen in another pup.. But it would be natural normal behavior to see in a pup, just like jumping and mouthing...... so I don't see the freak out over it... at the puppy level (it's not set in stone) until the owners set it in stone for a life time......


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

PatriciafromCO said:


> Ok it's true or very common for the CO's not hard to get through . Main thing is don't challenge them and "teach" them by your actions to fight you for it. This subject is a nature vs nurture for me for what outcome you get in the ling run. It's natural in a pup more so in this individual and never seen in another pup.. But it would be natural normal behavior to see in a pup, just like jumping and mouthing...... so I don't see the freak out over it... at the puppy level (it's not set in stone) until the owners set it in stone for a life time......


Very true, those puppy years are so important, but little kids and dogs at feeding time, not a good mix...


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## XenaWarrior (Apr 22, 2014)

Thanks for the advice and resources everyone. I agree, the kid's will not be in the same room she is fed in, I guess being that as a child I always used to pet my dog's when they ate I didn't think anything of it. I am going to hand feed her the next week and see if it makes a difference. My goal is to be able to put my hands in herwhile she is eating without being bit or growled at. 

Yes, I did get her at 6 weeks from a farm. It was a large litter. When she bit me it was aggressive. Her hair was standing and her growl/snarl was loud.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

XenaWarrior said:


> Thanks for the advice and resources everyone. I agree, the kid's will not be in the same room she is fed in, I guess being that as a child I always used to pet my dog's when they ate I didn't think anything of it. I am going to hand feed her the next week and see if it makes a difference. My goal is to be able to put my hands in herwhile she is eating without being bit or growled at.
> 
> Yes, I did get her at 6 weeks from a farm. It was a large litter. When she bit me it was aggressive. Her hair was standing and her growl/snarl was loud.


I had wondered what now adults had been taught when they were kids and how that has affected their perspective with their own dogs as adults. (not that one is right or wrong that is not my point) in being interested.. We were always taught great respect for animals as kids, that they are animals do animal things (that they no human and think like we do) don't mess with them when they eating.. not because they were acting aggressive, but general rule to not mess with any animal when they have their food as being a kid. It's a foundation I still have today and find it normal when animals do animal things not to find it un normal to worry about them.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

Let me suggest that she growled, but you kept coming [not realizing...], so she bit you. I believe that if you had been aware of the issue and backed off when she stopped eating (?) and started to growl, then she wouldn't have escalated.

I don't have experience with these breeds, but many young puppies will do this, and the hand feeding, along with habituating to being interrupted, has been successful for me. I love the method of stopping the dog to add a better treat, teaching the dog to look forward to interruptions.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

It would probably be helpful to review this chart on dog body language. Dogs give you a lot of warning even before the growl, but most people don't know what they're seeing.


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