DEFENSIVE BEHAVIOR AROUND FOOD

When your little puppy is busy eating out of his bowl, walk up with a spoonful of canned food or a cube of cheese. Quietly drop it into his bowl and walk away. This teaches him that approaching, bending, and reaching toward his food predicts wonderful things. Never harass a puppy that is eating or chewing a bone with the purpose of teaching him that you really own it. That is the quickest route to later aggression problems. This is a preventive exercise. If your pup already shows defensive behavior around food, contact a positive reinforcement trainer right away for personalized help. Don’t wait, this is an emergency.

trusting paws — by Naomi Heck, M.Ed., CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA

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