Lab puppy growling when eating

mameadhbh

I have a 12 week old lab pup and I noticed this week, my 2 yrs old went to pet her when she was eating and she started growling at her. I tried petting her myself as few times and she is doing the same thing, continuous growling. The thing is, its only when I give her some tinned food, and there is no problem with her when I give her nuts and pet or rub her. I've tried petting her, down alonbg her back and not near her head, while talking in a calm voice but it doesn't seem to work and I want to stop this before it might lead to a more serious food aggression with her as my kids are only 2 and 3. Anyone have any tips as to how I can stop this?

The Pheasant

Fairly common behaviour, although not desirable you should always leave a dog alone with its food - I learnt the hard way at the age of 3 and have a decent scar on my face to show for it

toadfly

Don't let your kids touch the dog when he's eating. That's just looking for trouble. Leave the dog to eat in peace.

gowley

agree with those replies. have a lovely lab for 5 years now and just leave them alone when they are eating. the way they eat its only for a minute or two anyway.

Hooked

I disagree.

I've made sure from an early age that my dog has no 'food envy'. I used to take his food away mid session and give it back. Place my hand in his bowl (while eating) and move his food around. I eat first, and he is fed when I'm finished. He has to know that I'm in charge of the food. Every other day I place his bowl in front of him and have him wait until I 'release him' to start eating. I've been doing this since we got him.

Why you might ask? If it only takes a couple if minutes to eat it anyways.

Because I need to know he won't react to another dog sharing his bowls, say they're thirsty after a play - or - most importantly, if a child wanders close to him while eating (only this weekend there were 4 families and 5 kids camped side by side with Hugo the only dog) I need to know he won't react if I take my eye off him during meal times.

Only today he was eating a brisket bone for lunch (the butcher had cut this one a bit too big). I had to take it off him with about 40% not eaten. I walked down to him, placed my hand on the bone (he did try to make a run for it) and simply told him to 'give it'. No growling or or danger of me being bitten.

tk123

Yes leave her alone when she eats but that's not where it ends. She's resource guarding the tinned food because she see's it as a higher value/more special than her dried food. Now what happens when she has a toy or chew or something dangerous she doesn't have and you can't get it off her? My dog started resource guarding like this for a new chew we started giving him. I was able to train it out of him - walking over dropping a treat and walking away - repeated again and again building it up at his pace to him swapping eg the bone for the treat and worse of all dropping a manky bone in my lap when he wants me to hold it for him!!
The thing is I know my dog's limits/pace and we're all adults in the house - I wouldn't be taking chances with toddlers in the house - you need to get some one to one training to get this sorted imo - take a look http://apdt.ie/ or let us know where you're based and somebody will have a recommendation.

BTW ignore anyone telling you the pup is trying to be dominant/pack leader or any crap like that -she's a baby not an evil genius!

borderlinemeath

Food guarding can escalate, so while you say it's only when she's got tinned food, it can get worse so it's best to work through the problem rather than just "leave the dog when she's eating', particularly as she's so young.


She sees you and the children as a threat to the food, so in order to shape her into thinking that it's ok for you to approach start with you (not your children) dropping really nice food into the bowl as your passing by.
Something like a treat or a small bit of chicken or cheese. Keep giving small morsels of treats and if she doesn't react then see if she does when you rub her head (as this seems to be the trigger). If she's not reacting then praise her and give her another treat. Soon she will realise that you are not a threat but in fact are a welcome person around the bowl as you keep putting nice things in it!

Also keep the amounts of food that are in her bowl as small as possible, so she'll keep looking to you as the feeder of nice food, rather than a threat to a big bowl of goodies.

gowley

its fine to train the dog regarding feeding with adults around. the food gaurding comes from being part of a litter when born and having to fight for food. while you can do all sorts of things to train the pup at feeding time it is just common sense to keep a 2 year old child away from a dog when they are eating. labs are fantastic with kids the vast majority of the time but no matter how much training you go through there is no certainty they will not react when a 2 year old approaches when eating

snoman

I got a rescue when he was 6 months, he was pretty malnourished and would get very still and bare his teeth a bit when I got near him and his food. I read somewhere that if I added food (nuts) by hand to his bowl whilst he was eating he would associate people coming close when eating as a good thing. It seems to have worked - he's fine around people and food and he'll let me take bones off him. Obviously I wouldn't trust that training 100%, he's a dog!!

Bullseye1

It would be easier to train your child not to approach the dog while eating or feed the dog outside so that he/she can eat in peace.

wexie

OP, I won't go into what I think is good advice or poor advice :eek:, but have a think about this question :

Would you want to know you can take something (toy, food, kids toy, shoes etc) from your dog, AT ANY TIME and FOR ANY REASON, without the dog taking your arm off?

Or, (which will probably happen) if your dogs has one of your kids toys that you don't need to be afraid for you, or them, to take it off the dog?
If it's an issue at 12 weeks imagine how this will be with a full grown lab. Would you be comfortable taking something from a full grown lab that is growling at you?

My dogs know that whatever it is they have, they have because I/we allow them to have it, if I want to take it from them then I will and when I tell them to 'give' or 'leave' then they do (mostly )

borderlinemeath

Bullseye1 wrote: »

It would be easier to train your child not to approach the dog while eating or feed the dog outside so that he/she can eat in peace.

But you have to look forward, what if in years to come the dog is in kennels or in a friends and the food guarding turns into a snap or a bite at somebody? Or if the dog needs to be rehomed but it ends up at the bottom of the list because it's food aggressive?

I really don't agree with 'just leave the dog alone' theory, particularly for such a young pup, it just causes trouble down the line. Absolutely, the children shouldn't be pestering the dog and should leave it alone when eating, but the responsible adults need to look at this behaviour and nip it in the bud or it may escalate into something worse.

OP there's lots of qualified behaviourists around the country that can help you if you feel a bit overwhelmed with this. If you let us know what part of the country you are in posters here may be able to advise one local to you. (somebody that comes to the home to deal with the problem in your environment, not going to a trainer)

Bullseye1

I'm not disagreeing with teaching the dog but it seems that teaching the children is never discussed. Why should a dog be patient with kids pulling at their tails, ears etc? Teach both.

borderlinemeath

Bullseye1 wrote: »

I'm not disagreeing with teaching the dog but it seems that teaching the children is never discussed. Why should a dog be patient with kids pulling at their tails, ears etc? Teach both.

With all due respect your last post indicated nothing of the sort. Leave the dog outside to eat in peace, easier to train the kids etc. Can you see how I came to the conclusion that you think that the dog should be left alone and not bother with any training to shape the behaviour? If I was the OP reading it that is how I would pick it up.

BTW, I do agree with you about training kids to behave appropriately around dogs!

wexie

Bullseye1 wrote: »

I'm not disagreeing with teaching the dog but it seems that teaching the children is never discussed. Why should a dog be patient with kids pulling at their tails, ears etc? Teach both.

Absolutely, good point, my kids have been told to leave the dogs alone while they're eating.

However, I make it a point that the dogs don't go near the food until they've been released and I regularly pick up the food, sometimes to add a few bits of something nice, sometimes just to make sure I can.

On a side note, we got our current big pup as a rescue, when we just got him he kept growling while he was eating and I couldn't really figure out why. Turns out he was growling at his bowl for moving

We now feed him in the corner of the kitchen so the bowl is wedged in and he's grand

Bullseye1

borderlinemeath wrote: »

With all due respect your last post indicated nothing of the sort. Leave the dog outside to eat in peace, easier to train the kids etc. Can you see how I came to the conclusion that you think that the dog should be left alone and not bother with any training to shape the behaviour? If I was the OP reading it that is how I would pick it up.

BTW, I do agree with you about training kids to behave appropriately around dogs!

Apologies I probably should have expanded my initial post. It appears we agree.

Knine

No resource guarding at all in this house. All dogs are taught from a very early age that this is not acceptable.

I have a child with a severe disability. I have to have bombproof dogs. However she is also taught how to behave. The dogs are a big positive in her life. They are her best friends. They readily give up their possessions to her. As they do with my older daughter.

mameadhbh

Thanks for all the replies. While I agree that the dog should be left in peace, it can be difficult to get a 2 and 3 yr old to leave her alone all the time, and the 2 yr old was only petting her back not pulling at her or anything. I got a young pup as I was weary of getting an older rescue dog with children so young. As stated on one post, if it is let continue, it could escalate to toys etc. With my older dog, I could put my fingers into her mouth to take out food if I wanted to. I never have but at least I know that I could without fear of getting bitten. I have started giving her some small bits of tinned food with my hand today, and will incorporate some of the tips that I have gotten here. Was also thinking of getting a trainer out, some seem to do an hour session that shows all the family how to handle the pup and deal with nipping, playing etc. The kids might listen to a stranger better than to me. Anyone have any good recommendation re dog trainers, I was goning to start bringing her to some training in the next few weeks anyway

tk123

mameadhbh wrote: »

The kids might listen to a stranger better than to me.

Yep eg
I'l call the man/woman and tell them on you!!
:eek: NOOOOOOOOOOO!!! :eek:

Let us know where you're you based and somebody will be able to give you recommendations

mameadhbh

In north county dublin

muddypaws

mameadhbh wrote: »

In north county dublin

I'd suggest you pm DBB on here

jimf

Knine wrote: »

No resource guarding at all in this house. All dogs are taught from a very early age that this is not acceptable.

I have a child with a severe disability. I have to have bombproof dogs. However she is also taught how to behave. The dogs are a big positive in her life. They are her best friends. They readily give up their possessions to her. As they do with my older daughter.

i love the part of your post they are her best friends says it all really

Knine

jimf wrote: »

i love the part of your post they are her best friends says it all really

Thanks.

You should see them together. She can't talk & neither can they but no words are needed. Its amazing!

jimf

Knine wrote: »

Thanks.

You should see them together. She can't talk & neither can they but no words are needed. Its amazing!

its amazing really they just seem to interact in their own way my friend has an autistic son and his interaction with horses was unreal a neighbour of his had some horses in a field close to where he lives when they had a particular bad day he would bring him to see the horses he was so calmed by their presence and they seemed to understand as well

kevohmsford

I have a 6 year old labrador and he growls when he is eating if people go near him. Great dog when he is not eating.

boomerang

I started out by dropping food into my dog's bowl a few nuggets at a time, so that I'd have to put my hand in the bowl again to add more food. That way she had a positive association with me being close when she was eating from the bowl. When I was confident thus far, I began taking the bowl off her during the meal and adding something nice in before putting it back, to reinforce the positive association with interference with her bowl at dinner time! It worked a treat, OP!

Practice with the wet food by putting small amounts into her usual bowl, OP. Dogs don't generalise well so if you are feeding her bits of wet food from your hand, she may not necessarily make the connection.

Migworks

I love boards for picking up tips! Our Lab is now nearly 5 and has always growled if you went near him while eating, I knew it was something to do with him guarding his food but didn't know what It was called or where it came from. Both my 6 & 9 yr old have grown up learning not to bother any dog while eating, but what was bugging me was his impatience at charging for the bowl as I placed it on the floor! So I started training him to sit, lie down and wait every morning, and before I release him he has to give me a high five with each paw! To this day he will make a run unless I give him a command to sit, but once he has done that he will wait, and wait and wait until I release him. He's a mad Lab in the day but an ole sop in the evenings!

Has a fetish for pulling my socks off? What's that about lol!

IvySlayer

The Pheasant wrote: »

Fairly common behaviour, although not desirable you should always leave a dog alone with its food - I learnt the hard way at the age of 3 and have a decent scar on my face to show for it

TillyGirl wrote: »

Don't let your kids touch the dog when he's eating. That's just looking for trouble. Leave the dog to eat in peace.

I've always trained my dogs that humans can take food out of their bowl even when eating. Food aggression of any form is not allowed.

I wouldn't want them catching something they weren't supposed to eat without knowing I could tell them to drop/not eat it on command.

Quality

My lab has never growled ever, like ever.

It's just not in her nature. My four year old feeds her nuggets by hand,

Would be freaked out if she growled at my kids. She has been sooo good with them so far. She will be 4 in dec.

Maybe try the eating by hand, also making dog wait to be fed. Our girl is very gentle when taking food off the kids, after training of course.