Feeding your puppy in a quiet, peaceful area will remove the chances of him becoming stressed out and defensive about mealtimes. Too much activity and commotion near his feeding area may cause him to startle quickly, ingest his food too quickly, or become protective.
(Check out Introducing Adult Dog Food to Your Pup)
If his litter was large, he may have had a great deal of competition either for a teat on the mother dog or for food in a bowl as he was weaned onto dog food. This competition is stressful and may have caused him to have to fight to claim his food.
Sit quietly by your dog in a chair, holding his leash. This gives not only direction to your puppy, but also enhances his ability to adapt to someone being near to his food bowl. Remain motionless and do not disturb him while she’s feeding. Don’t stare at him. Sometimes your puppy may perceive that as a challenge.
Stop puppy food aggression. *
After a week or two of sitting by him, you can begin casually reaching down and petting him gently while he’s eating. Don’t distract him too much. Just touch him as the next step in desensitizing him. Praise him gently for allowing you to interact with him. At later feeding sessions, reach into his food bowl and touch his food. Again, praise him for not responding.
You may want to divide his meal into two “servings.” When one “serving” is finished, you can add the rest to his bowl and let him finish the second “serving,” which is really just the second half of the total meal. This may help him to see that food isn’t scarce, his needs will be met, and there will always be plenty for him to eat.
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