If your household has young children and your dog growls when they or someone else gets near their food bowl during meal time, you likely have a problem that could escalate into something more serious. You have to nip that defensive, growling behavior in the bud before your children get bitten by your dog or worse. This possessiveness felt with their food is often tied into other behaviors as well. Examine your dog's life and routine. Chances are that you have other issues with your dog that could be related but you are just not linking them together.
By solving the growling problem during meal time, you will likely see an improvement in other behaviors as well. It is not normal for a dog to be possessive about their food. In fact, most dogs have no problems with their "people" being around them not only to put food in their bowl but also to be beside them when they eat. When dogs do growl, it means that their brain is reverting back to their genetic patterning with the "hunting in a pack mentality." Your dog's ancestors likely had to fight for every scrap of food they could get.
A dog can add so much to the family unit. You should do what you can to preserve that relationship. There are a number of solutions to the food possessiveness problem and it may take some trial and error before you happen on the right solution for your dog. However, the rewards are worth it. Here are just few ideas that could help you "re-train" your dog's behavior when it comes to food:
1. You need to associate your interference and his food with positive things. For instance, put just a small amount of food in his bowl and keep a special treat handy like a milk bone or a chewy treat. Let him eat for a minute or two, and then approach him. When he starts growling, offer the treat to him. Sometimes, he may take it right away and other times he may continue to guard him bowl. Be persistent. Eventually he will take the treat. When he does and starts eating it, put more food in his bowl. Repeat this scenario until he finally stops growling whenever you approach him at his food bowl.
2. One of the reasons why your dog may growl at the food dish is because he feels he has to protect his meal. Again, this is sometimes engrained in his genetic makeup. Another way to solve this is to spread his allotted amount of food among two or more bowls and place them in front of him. As he starts to eat out of one bowl, approach him, pick up another food bowl and add a treat to it and then set it back down. Wait a few minutes and repeat with the other food bowls. Once your dog realizes that good things come when you are around her food bowls, the growling should stop.
It is important that each member of your family be a part of this re-conditioning process when it comes to the growling situation with food. That way, everyone in your family forms a better bond with your dog. And be sure to never, ever separate your dog from its food. This will only make matters worse!
