The Dog Behavior Answer Book - Arden Moore [77]
Do not let Foggy be a free feeder who nibbles all day. Take his bowl away between meals and store it out of sight. During your retraining period, bring out not one but two food bowls — one empty and one containing food. Call the dog to a new feeding place that isn’t a high-traffic area in your home. Moving the bowl into different locations in your home will reduce Foggy’s territorial tendencies.
Place the bowls on a counter or shelf out of his reach. Ask Foggy to sit and stay and then put down the empty bowl. (Watch the surprised look on his face!) Then drop a piece of food into the empty bowl on the ground. Do not bend over. Wait until he eats that piece before dropping another. If he shows no protectiveness, try putting a few pieces of food in your hand and invite him to take them.
Alternate between dropping food in his bowl and hand-feeding him. When he starts to eat from his bowl, drop more pieces into it. Once in a while, drop in a “jackpot treat” like a piece of chicken or steak, something much tastier than his regular dog food. It may take several meals before he accepts this new method of dining.
Once Foggy shows no signs of tension, you’re ready for the next phase. Partially fill one bowl with his food and place it on the floor. Call Foggy and again have him sit and stay before you give him the okay sign to approach his food bowl. The goal is to make him work for his food. As he starts to eat, place a second bowl with some premium food about 10 feet away. Call him over to this bowl. As he starts to eat from the second bowl, go back to the first bowl and add special treats to up its food value before you call Foggy over. Continue switching between bowls until he has finished his meal, then take them away and hide them.
Over a few weeks, gradually move the two bowls closer together as you feed him. You need to watch Foggy’s reactions to determine how quickly you can merge the two bowls. He should be displaying a relaxed body posture. This dual-bowl tactic is designed to build positive associations and increase Foggy’s trust that you, or other people, make feeding time fun and exciting, not tense and upsetting. You are using positive reinforcement rather than threats or physical force to show Foggy that food time is not a time to fight. He is learning that by giving up a resource, he is rewarded with something even better. Eventually, you will be able to present him with a single bowl, though he should always be expected to sit and wait for your signal before eating.
I followed these steps with my corgi, Jazz, and within a couple of weeks his guarding behavior disappeared. We turned mealtime into a fun game of doggy dining etiquette. He would happily leap into a sit position, watch me put down the bowl, heed my wait cue and my watch me cue before approaching his bowl once I gave the okay sign. I was able to pet his back while he ate, praising him. It worked, and it can work for you and Foggy.
If you don’t feel that you can stop Foggy on your own, however, I urge you to seek help from a professional animal behaviorist. This is a serious behavior problem that can eventually threaten the safety of you, your family and visitors, and your cats.
Ruff! Ruff! Road Trip!
Q All I have to do is say the words “car ride” and my Labrador retriever gets giddy with excitement and starts dancing around. I enjoy taking him along when I go on errands and when I visit family and friends out of town. He absolutely loves to ride in the front seat and stick his head out the window. Why do so many dogs like to do this? Also, I’m a conscientious driver, but is there anything I can do to make life on the road with my dog safer?
A Be happy that he isn’t begging for the keys like a teenager or whistling at that cute poodle in the BMW convertible next to you at the intersection! Many dogs love car rides, partly