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Will a raw diet make my aggressive dog worse2007-11-25 2:56:33

It seems strange your dog is doing this because it means something happened to make him do this, for instance, in the litter, I wonder if he was last to get to eat, having seen more aggressive pups push away the smaller ones.

My dog was a runt and she seems to need that security of her food being around. So we keep her dish filled all the time. It's her dish and she goes throughout the day to check on her food.

Besides a dog whisperer I would also consider training. Do you keep the food around 24/7, take it away to bring it out only at meal time. Perhaps you could put a dish in a place away from the kids, a place the dog knows where he can find his food anytime. He wouldn't feel less threatened,

I'd be concerned for my kids too.

Don't wait until he bites the kids to do something.

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this is a hard problem to solve once the dog is older. I start all my dogs off when they are young by putting my hands in their food bowl while they are eating. If they growl or snap at me I pop them on the nose. I was attacked by a dog over food when I was five and now have a child of my own so I understanding trying to solve this problem. You can try putting your hand by the food bowl and when he growls take his bowl away. However this could make the problem worse. You could also try poping him on the nose. I know some people don't like hitting animals but in the wild they are snapped or bitten at when they are out of line. I don't really see where it is any different. Hope that helped.

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Hopefully you dog is already neutered, if not do so. There are many methods for food aggression. Even toy breeds can be obed trained. too which helps tell him who is in charge. You can try the hand feeding method where for about 2 weeks you drop the food on the floor so he knows the food comes from you then try putting yummy stuff such as cheese into his bowl while he is eating so he understands that your hand near his bowl means good things. If he is leashed and growls you can correct him then take away his bowl. A better food, to him, may make him more possessive over his food but he sounds like a problem anyway. I adopted one of my MinPins because no one could handle him w/o welding gloves. He had to be sedated to clean his ears or do his nails. After training he went to nursing homes and is well behaved. He knows I am Alpha so does not challenge me over food. He will growl and eat faster but knows not to bite. I can take RMB from all my dogs without a fuss.. Even the "No Free Lunch" method of training is worth a try..

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Before you read any of this call your VET! I am not a licensed pro, only a fellow dog lover. Print your question and take it to the people who deal with dogs as a living. Once you have done this here is my anecdotal experience as a freelance wolf speak student.