If I reach into Simba's food bowl while he is eating, he initially growls. After I leave my fingers inside it for a while though, while he eats, he stops growling. We are concerned that this could be a red flag. Should we be worried? He is 14 weeks old.
Why are you putting your hand in Simba's food bowl while he is eating? Are you teaching him to resource guard his food which the growl is about. He's telling you to leave his food alone and I agree with him. Would you be happy with someone putting their hand on your plate/food while you were eating? Woukd you feel like telling them to go away and leave you to eat in peace?
Hi @Simba Mama why do you want to put your fingers in the dog's foodl? The growl to you is telling you that she does not like your hand there. If you keep on doing it, you will sentise her and make the problem worse. I think you need to get a dog behaviourist to come in and observe your dog. Get him/her to explain to you how your behaviour can sensitise a dog, and how to read your dog's thresholds. In the interim keep your hand off and out of her bowl.
It's not that I am casually putting my hands in it. A while back when we were beginning to potty train we wanted to get him outside as soon as he was done eating. So we put on his collar while he was eating and that was the first time he growled (quietly and subtly). This morning I wanted to see if this problem was still ongoing, and though it's very minimal, he does growl a bit if I get really close to the bowl, but only for a moment. I am not OK with that because I'd like him to be completely comfortable to any and all contact while he is eating. Not so much because of me, but because if say, a child ever touches him in the face while he is eating (something kids do), I wouldn't want him snapping or something. And since he is a puppy, and very moldable/teachable right now, I would like to do away with even the minimal growling because I am afraid that it could turn into louder growling or even worse, biting, as he gets older. Though I have faith that it won't, since as I have said before, the growl is subtle and lasts only a second. I have been doing research and found ways to teach him that hands near his food bowl are a good thing so that he stops growling. I guess what I wanted to see was if any other puppy owners are experiencing/did experience the same thing and if it easily goes away.
Hi @Simba Mama I understand what you are doing now. I would have used a short house line to encourage her to come outside with me. You need someone to teach you how to desensitise your presence to the dog while she is eating. What you are currently doing is not the way to desensitise and counter condition the dog. Essentially you have to teach the dog is that your presence is not a problem. And you don't do that by getting the dog over the threshold which is what you are doing currently. I reiterate, I think you need a dog behaviourist to come to your place and explain the steps you have to follow. I believe it is too difficult to explain on this site because the trainer needs to explain how you should read the dog's body language in order to work out threshold distances.
Thanks for your advice Michael. However, these are the steps that we have been following and so far so good. No growling the last two feeding times today. https://www.thelabradorsite.com/how-to-stop-your-dog-growling-over-food/
Simba Mama, it's great you have caught this before it develops further. There is a good chance you can fix it totally. I would suggest that, every time your puppy is eating, you walk up and drop in a few bits of something even tastier - like a few bits of chicken or some leftover meat. Do that once or twice every meal time. Don't try to touch the bowl or pick it up, just drop in from a few feet away. When you can do that, get everyone in the family to do the same. "Hands come to give, not to take away."
Of course we never want a aggressive growl from our pups......but the good thing is pup is issuing a warning......some dogs will just BITE with no warning at all......I like the idea above of dropping a few bits into the bowl from above......teaching pup good things happen when you approach the bowl.....will just have to stay far away from those sharky teeth .....LOL Good luck.
That is true. It's just growling, thankfully!! But we are continuing to work on getting rid of even the growl. And oohhh yesss, those crocodile teeth will always give me nightmares...lol!
