My dog is possessive over her food

My German Shepherd dog is normally lovely but he is very possessive over his food and will growl at anyone who goes near him when he is eating.  His bowl is in the kitchen and we have a busy family life, so it is difficult to not go near him after he has been fed.  Yesterday he had a chew in the living room and went to snap at my daughter when she walked past him, which has made me extremely worried, what should I do?

Response from
Cat Henstridge

You are right to be anxious, a growl is a bite waiting to happen and I am very concerned if you don’t do something soon, your dog will bite a family member.  I can give you some advice but you should also contact a qualified pet behaviourist who will be able to give you individualised advice and help.  The best ones are registered with the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, their website is www.apbc.org.uk .  Often the cost of this help will be covered by your pet insurance policy.

Firstly, you should make sure that you don’t disturb your dog while he is eating, so move the food bowl out of the kitchen and into somewhere where he can be left in peace to finish his meal.   Some people believe you should always be able to remove your dog’s food from them but if this is done too often it can backfire and they can become very guarding of their bowl because they are worried you will take it away.  Think how you would feel if people kept stealing your dinner!  

Try to keep him away from his food while you prepare it and only invite him into the room once it is ready.  This will help prevent him from becoming over-excited and more like to act up at mealtimes.  Also, make him earn his dinner by sitting and waiting for you to give the command to eat and maybe doing a trick like offering a paw before he gets it.  This is a good tactic to use before feeding any meal or treat but once he has what he has earnt  you must respect that and leave him alone to eat.

You can help your dog to accept your presence near his food bowl by only putting a small amount of food in there at first and then gradually adding to it by hand as he is eating. Over time he will associate you being there with good things (more food!) but you must be careful and ensure you don’t get bitten if you try this.

For the moment, move the food bowl, don’t allow him to eat at all when the family is around, ensure all your children know to be very careful and contact a behaviourist or your vet for more advice.