Food aggression in Rottweiler

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(Canada)

My 5 year old rottweiler is still very food aggressive even after multiple attempts to train her.

I’ve just stopped hanging out near her bowl while she is eating. I just put her food down and walk away to avoid confrontation.

What should I do to end this food aggression for good?

Hi
Food guarding or food aggression in a 5 year old dog is probably well ingrained and habitual by now, and you will need to devote a lot of time and patience to retraining her in this area.

If you haven’t already followed these steps then I’d suggest that you start now, and take it slowly and carefully. You want to avoid confrontation and be sure you don’t get hurt.

First of all, start hand-feeding her all her meals. That means either letting her eat her food from a handful held in your palm, or even feeding her a few pieces at a time in your fingers. The idea is to get her familiar with the fact that food comes from YOU, that you control it, and that your hand near her food is okay.

I’d recommend doing this for at least two weeks before moving on to this……

Get some of her favorite treats, store bought, home made or just fresh liver, ground meat, hot dogs – whatever she loves. Then when she’s eating drop a piece or two into her bowl very carefully. Do this every mealtime for another two weeks, so that she comes to realize that your hand near her bowl means that she’s going to get a tasty morsel.

Then once she’s okay with that, start picking up her bowl to put the treat in it, and then giving it back to her.

Even once she’s got to this stage, you’ll need to do it regularly so she doesn’t ‘forget’ that it’s okay. Also, make sure that you don’t allow her to be dominant in any other areas. Aggression or assertiveness in one area can easily extend to others if allowed.

If you are unable to do any of the above with her, or have tried this unsuccessfully then I can only suggest that you talk to a professional dog trainer or behavioral specialist and get some hands-on help. This sort of behavior can’t be allowed as it could lead to someone getting bitten, so do whatever it takes to treat it now.

I hope this helps and wish you the best of luck with your dog.

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Apr 20, 2013

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aggression NEW
by: Anonymous

I have had many dogs like yours and found that there is a way for you to take control.

I would personally hand feed your dog, meaning you sit on a chair and place the bowl onto your lap and make your Rottweiler sit in front of you. Then small hand feeds handed to your dog. Put the command in of the LEAVE IT command whenever you dont want him to snatch it. Repeat the word LEAVE IT as you go.

You have to do this every time you feed your dog for two weeks straight.

Then when the two weeks have ended you place the dog bowl onto the ground with nothing in it and with another bowl of food in your hand. Spoon the food into his bowl one at a time. And use the command Leave It when you don’t want him to snatch it out of the dog bowl. This training gives you more control of your dogs aggression.

I say within a month of this your dog will no longer have food aggression.

It’s all about trust…..

Tip: when yo give the LEAVE IT command you must say it in a growling way….

Dec 04, 2010

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food aggression
by: Julie

have you trained your rottie to “sit and wait”,if so then before you put the food down tell her to “sit” them “wait” and when you are ready tell her “ok”? If she won’t “wait” do not put the food down. If she starts to growl once she is eating tell her to “leave” (if she have been taught that command) and using a broom as protection gently ease the food bowl away and pick it up. keep repeating this until she gets the idea, you will need to be persistand until she gets the idea that you are the one she is getting the food from. I always stroke my dogs as they are eating also. I have my dogs trained so that my grandchildren can feed them (under supervision of course) without any fear of being bitten.

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