Aggression in 9 week old puppy?

[corgipower]

When I worked for a boxer breeder, we had a puppy that was very food aggressive at about that age. He was completely fine with his littermates, with the adult dogs, with people otherwise. As far as anyone knew, there had been no cause for the guardiness - it was just his temperament, but he needed to be separated for feedings and as a precaution, he was separated when no one was there to supervise. The rest of the time, he continued to be with his littermates and with adult dogs for socialization.

I would think that if you did the standard stuff that's done for food guarding, it won't hurt - hand feeding, a little bit of food in a bowl and then toss more in there so he sees that goodies come from you, feed him away from the other dogs and his forever home should probably have him as an only dog.

[smkie]

WAs he ever starved for food? I had a cat that was locked in an abandoned house for 8 days..she came back far different than she left. SHe was a food horder and very gaurding about her bowl. Seen a dog that way too but 9 weeks is awful young to have had such an experience. I would hand feed. I would really work on it with the other pups around as well. I think circle treats is a great way for learning my turn your turn..my food your food. I might do that with a couple. Hand feed two at the same time to get him use to it. Pups learn really fast and it would be a behavior i would want gone before he goes to the forever home.

[Mach1girl]

A 9 week old puppy freaking out over her food and such-sounds normal for a puppy who probably has never had any or much obedience or training. And most likely nothing to worry about as far as how the dog will be in the long run.

Number one-in a nine week old puppy-you CANNOT predict temperment, so I highly doubt this is a true temperment issue.

Number two-the pup may have been the alpha of the litter-thus explaining its actions

I am confident that you can correct this and this is just a non-training issue rather then temperment. Because I foster and have fostered puppies from ages 4 weeks and up, that were abandonded very young and have literally been "wild" per sey when I got them. I have a multi dog household (7 dogs, 5 are pitbulls) and every one of them comes in, "aggressive" of his food, toys, space-and I have never had an issue with correcting the behavior. It is just lack of the poor baby being taught anything.

I do not consider it "giving in" however I recommend always feeding seperatly anyways. Dogs seem to have a natural"fear" if you want to call it that, of losing their meal if they come from a possibly hard place. I think it is every dogs right to feel comfortable that no one is going to steal his meal.

As far as behavior, your other dogs should put him in his place, if they are not, then they arent taking him seriously, but to avoid any incident, correct him yourself immediatly, he will catch on.

Good luck. And thanks for helping him

[hugapup]

Good luck she is lucky to have you to work with her!

[adojrts]

My advice is going to be completely opposite to everyone else

I would not remove the pup especially at feeding time. Feeding this pup alone at this stage imo will only re-inforce the unwanted behaviour.
Hopefully you have a multiple dog household and hopefully you have dogs that will disiciple the pup. But your adult dogs have to know that they can and that they wont be punished or corrected in anyway from you for correcting the pup.

If your other dogs wont then you have will have too, at feeding time, feed them all together, (their own bowls of course) and relatively close together. If the pup goes after the other dog, see what happens, does the adult stop the pup or back off? If they back off, then you have to step in, step between them and force (gently) the pup back with your legs. I force them out of the room but they can still see into the room. Here is the key, the other dogs are allowed to eat the pups food. It will not harm that pup in anyway to miss a meal or two.
A few lessons like that (usually only one or two) and the pup will change and learn that guarding the food only results in what they were trying to do in the first place. It didn't work. And we all know that dogs only do what works for them in most cases.

For the other resource guarding issues, I would litter the house with so much stuff the pup couldn't guard it all. And I would also put out items that my other dogs highly value, again I wouldn't interfer if the adults correct the pup.

Clicker training is good and so is capturing/rewarding a positive response to the other dogs in regards to the guarding etc.

Good luck

[Squishy22]

Sounds kind of like duke, but he was food aggressive towards people as well.

Good luck with him!