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.