Food Aggression Getting Worse!

[Bambi92]

As most know Sasha has had good aggression since I got her. We were going so well with it that all the animals could be in the same area eating without a problem but today Sasha attacked dozer the whole time I've had them they haven't had any issues.

I went out the back to fill there water up and I gave them there tuna ice cubes they went on opposite sides of the yard dozer being a pig ate his as fast as he could Sasha took her time dozer came back over to me and was playing with the water while I filled up the bowl then went over to the dog house Sasha was next to it he didn't go towards her or anything she just lunged at him right at his face and he lunged back they bit each other but didn't hurt each other I yelled at them both and walked towards them Sasha got scared and ran away with her tail between her legs.

My question is what can I try to get her out of it?

What I did last time that work isn't working now

They door get fed together the only time they have is when they have there ice cubes and they have had them 4 times now and they had no problems until today.

I'm thinking about seeing what it'll cost to have Kate (the dog trainer/groomer) come and do some training with them

[Markulous]

The concensus seems to be that any reverting to food guarding/agression is to go back a stage to where there wasn't a problem but that's possibly more difficult with them both together. Thinking about it, Sasha only 'launched' as she thought Dozer was coming to steal her food - yet Dozer doesn't appear to have anything like that on his mind. Personally, I'd ensure there were no circumstances that tempted Dozer close to Sasha - once she's established that he's not going to take her food (which may take a couple of weeks of ensuring Dozer stays away) she'll relax and hopoefully no reoccurrence. I would say it's only a small setback rather than any form of failure (it just seems large because of the reaction from them both) - these things always take time and rarely are they resolved overnight. I'm assuming that Sasha's fine if you go near her when she's eating - and allows you to remove her food (and then return)

[Bambi92]

The concensus seems to be that any reverting to food guarding/agression is to go back a stage to where there wasn't a problem but that's possibly more difficult with them both together. Thinking about it, Sasha only 'launched' as she thought Dozer was coming to steal her food - yet Dozer doesn't appear to have anything like that on his mind. Personally, I'd ensure there were no circumstances that tempted Dozer close to Sasha - once she's established that he's not going to take her food (which may take a couple of weeks of ensuring Dozer stays away) she'll relax and hopoefully no reoccurrence. I would say it's only a small setback rather than any form of failure (it just seems large because of the reaction from them both) - these things always take time and rarely are they resolved overnight. I'm assuming that Sasha's fine if you go near her when she's eating - and allows you to remove her food (and then return)

When I first got Sasha (4-5 years ago) she had so many problems the first time she showed aggression with food was when I try to take her bowl from her I got her out of it she was letting me take her food, she didn't care if my cat went near her while she was eating she was really good for about two years then she started growling at my cat and went to bite me a lot then she was good for another year then me and my partner moved into our house were in now and he has a Maltese at first they were fine then Missy (the Maltese) started trying to steal Sasha's food which started her aggression again then dozer came into the house and Sasha loves him they adore each other. They are all fed separately in the last 3 or 4 weeks Sasha hasn't let me take her food off her, if she has a dentastick she will growl and run away if we walk past her.

I'm not sure what's changed nothing is different but when she launched at dozer today it was like she was a completely different dog she's never done it before and when she walked away it was like she didn't know what was going on she was so scared I took her inside after (I had to fix her ears from fly bite) and she sat between my legs shaking

[MollyCharly]

When you've more than one dog, and the dogs have different eating pace, I think the best is to confine them so that everyone can have their peace enjoying the food. I've a slow eater Charly (submissive one) that wouldn't eat if the fast eater Molly is near by. I feed Charly in the other room and when Molly is done with her food she will now just wait by the door for us to return and the pack is reunited.

[Bambi92]

They are all fed in different places Sasha is in the dining room dozer is outside and Missy is in the laundry it's always been like that.

I'm scared that if some idiot throws something over the fence that they are going to get into a massive fight when I'm not home its not a likely situation but it still could happen and I live on the corner of a main road people walk passed all the time

While i save up the money to get her trained Kate sent me a few articles with things to try hopefully they will help one one done before and it works but when I tried it again it's like she knew what I was doing.

[zannabianca]

As most know Sasha has had good aggression since I got her. We were going so well with it that all the animals could be in the same area eating without a problem but today Sasha attacked dozer the whole time I've had them they haven't had any issues.

I went out the back to fill there water up and I gave them there tuna ice cubes they went on opposite sides of the yard dozer being a pig ate his as fast as he could Sasha took her time dozer came back over to me and was playing with the water while I filled up the bowl then went over to the dog house Sasha was next to it he didn't go towards her or anything she just lunged at him right at his face and he lunged back they bit each other but didn't hurt each other I yelled at them both and walked towards them Sasha got scared and ran away with her tail between her legs.

My question is what can I try to get her out of it?

What I did last time that work isn't working now

They door get fed together the only time they have is when they have there ice cubes and they have had them 4 times now and they had no problems until today.

I'm thinking about seeing what it'll cost to have Kate (the dog trainer/groomer) come and do some training with them

 

Well, I suppose that if you cannot remove the food from her in front of her, you have a little dominance problem. 

First, make sure you can take her food whenever you want. Second, Dozer has to respect sasha (stealing food is not respect), third eating separately I feel is not a good idea(that's a my opinion), they don't build a pack relation and it seems there are no hierarchy's rules, this is why Sasha felt to bite him, because Dozer don't know his position inside the pack. No clear rules make the mind even of human confused .  

Think about if you are eating at school, and a random guy enters come to you while you are eating your pizza slice and he takes the pizza from your hands and eat it. What would you do? Your next move is the cornerstone between respect and be submitted, because when he does once you won't come back easily to gain his respect again. The same work with the dogs. 

 

This is the human reaction of someone wanna still their food: http://youtu.be/nU9dinwMyHo?t=3m11s

 

This is how it goes in animal world http://youtu.be/RWmOtXSAr1M?t=40m01s (listen carefully from 40:01 to 40:35) "He should be more the pack leader and decide who eat before" and in my opinion is the same with dogs, especially huskies. 

 

In my opinion, we try to manipulate too much the animal behavior instead of building rules. Another example, you have two sons and they are arguing over some toy, what you do from now on they will play in separate rooms? 

[MollyCharly]

From what I read Dozer wasn't trying to steal but he got too close. That's why I think if the dogs are confined to their own space at eating time, there won't be such opportunity for fight to occur. If you have crates you can use it, eventually you can even leave the door open when the other dogs understand the rule.

As for the food from stranger thing is it possible to reinforce the fence to avoid this, heighten it or add privacy mesh etc? It is not just the food aggression but also the danger of people throwing poisonous food knowingly or unknowingly (kids give chocolate for example)

[zannabianca]

From what I read Dozer wasn't trying to steal but he got too close. That's why I think if the dogs are confined to their own space at eating time, there won't be such opportunity for fight to occur. If you have crates you can use it, eventually you can even leave the door open when the other dogs understand the rule.

As for the food from stranger thing is it possible to reinforce the fence to avoid this, heighten it or add privacy mesh etc? It is not just the food aggression but also the danger of people throwing poisonous food knowingly or unknowingly (kids give chocolate for example)

 

In my opinion, we try to manipulate too much the animal behavior instead of building rules. Another example, you have two sons and they are arguing over some toy, what you do from now on they will play in separate rooms? Instead of trying to close in another room or crate, that seems a little too odd. He should be more the pack leader and decide who eat before and after. It is not an easy task, and it requires energy. 

[Bambi92]

From what I read Dozer wasn't trying to steal but he got too close. That's why I think if the dogs are confined to their own space at eating time, there won't be such opportunity for fight to occur. If you have crates you can use it, eventually you can even leave the door open when the other dogs understand the rule.

As for the food from stranger thing is it possible to reinforce the fence to avoid this, heighten it or add privacy mesh etc? It is not just the food aggression but also the danger of people throwing poisonous food knowingly or unknowingly (kids give chocolate for example)

I don't have crates Sasha hates confined spaces.

They are all fed separate that's how it's always been that's what they are use to

In my opinion, we try to manipulate too much the animal behavior instead of building rules. Another example, you have two sons and they are arguing over some toy, what you do from now on they will play in separate rooms? Instead of trying to close in another room or crate, that seems a little too odd. He should be more the pack leader and decide who eat before and after. It is not an easy task, and it requires energy.

Dozer wasn't trying to steal her food he was walking over to his dog house/shack they would of been at least a meter or two away from each other she has never done it before they are outside together all day every day except at night Sasha and Missy sleep inside.

As I said previously it was like Sasha had no idea what had just happened like she was in a daze. It scared me because the look on her face was the same look she gets when she's about to have a seizure (she has anxiety induced seizures, hasn't had one for a few months now though) but she didn't she just went to the back door and came inside with me.

[zannabianca]

They are all fed(food) in different places Sasha is in the dining room dozer is outside and Missy is in the laundry it's always been like that.

I'm scared that if some idiot throws something(food) over the fence that they are going to get into a massive fight when I'm not home.

 

They are not used to eat together and they have not hierarchy. So if someone throw something to eat, they will fight to eat it. .

So, instead of making them eating in separate rooms, let them decide who is higher in the hierarchy. 

 

It is the same for human-dog relation about food. For example,  when I eat, I do in front of him and if he comes closer I will watch him bad and never allow to come me closer and at the end of my meal I will put in his bowl something symbolic to reinforce that I decide when he is allow to eat something as me. 

[Clare70]

How old is Sasha and are you sure she isn't poorly or in pain as this can sometimes change the way they behave.

[NotTheDogWhisperer]

So, instead of making them eating in separate rooms, let them decide who is higher in the hierarchy..

 

When you say: let them decide..what exactly would that involve? Are you suggesting that they fight to see who comes out on top?

 

I would have thought that having them confront each other would only compound the issue. But, I'm no expert. Would love some clarification on this. Inquiring minds want to know, as they say.

[Bambi92]

How old is Sasha and are you sure she isn't poorly or in pain as this can sometimes change the way they behave.

She's is some where between 5-7 years old now I'm not sure when I got her they said she was about 1-2 but her papers said she was 3 and as far as I can tell she is fine she's still happy playing eating and drinking this is the only problem.

They are not used to eat together and they have not hierarchy. So if someone throw something to eat, they will fight to eat it. .

So, instead of making them eating in separate rooms, let them decide who is higher in the hierarchy.

It is the same for human-dog relation about food. For example, when I eat, I do in front of him and if he comes closer I will watch him bad and never allow to come me closer and at the end of my meal I will put in his bowl something symbolic to reinforce that I decide when he is allow to eat something as me.

That sounds like something Cesar Milan would suggest and I completely disagree with how he trains.

And this is going to sound really rude but I'm not letting my dogs fight over the food are you going to pay for the end results when they almost kill each other? I don't have thousands to spend on vet bills when that happens.

I'll stick to positive reinforcement training I'll try the things the trainer had suggested while I save up the money to get her trained properly.