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.

by Naomi Heck, M.Ed., CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA

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About Simba's Mom

I was born and raised in California, lived in Pennsylvania for several years, and have recently moved to Delaware. I have gone from being a teacher for 20 years to a blogger and now back to teaching but still blogging. I have a great dog named Simba. Simba is a German Shorthaired Pointer. Life with Simba is an adventure every day. I have had dogs my entire life but I have learned most about dogs living with Simba. German Shorthaired Pointers really do become your best friend. They become extremely attached and that is why they say they have the Velcro phenomenon. Simba now has a sister 8 years younger and her name is Gypsy.

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