[The Diesel]

If you had 2 dogs, one being a 5 month old pup that always got in a scrap every time your fed because the pup would finish his food then steal from the older dog. What would you do? Would you continue to try fixing the problem or would you just eliminate the problem by feeding seperatly? There is also a middle dog that never gets in the middle of it, all 3 dogs are pit bulls. This is a discussion on another forum and i was just wondering what other thought.

I figured that since the only time they scrap is when they eat and the puppy starts it. So i though feed seperatly. The pup is still learning its place in the house and will learn who is top dog through everyday life, then later on try feeding together again.In the next few months the pup will not only not stop but will probably try harder and probably get hurt.

Is it wrong to feed seperatly?
Is it selfish to try to make them live in harmony when they obviously not?

i think sometimes we try to make DA and food agressive dogs work with others dog because its convenient for us and thats selfish and dangerous.

Anyway, opinions?

[Maddie's Mom]

I really don't know what the right or wrong answer is, or if there is even one.
But I will share my experience.

My solution, was to feed separately. We were feeding together, when I first rescued Maddie, but there were too many scrapes. So I decided to feed her separately.
I started feeding her in the family room out in the open with a baby gate. But it was suggested that I feed her in her crate, with the crate covered. So that is what I do.
I set her bowl down, and tell her to sit and wait. She will not touch her food until I give her the "okey dokey". Sometimes too when she is in the middle of eating I made her sit again and take her bowl (this has nothing to do with her food aggression but with her seeing me as the giver/taker of food).
Anyway, that is my experience. I am interested to see how others respond

[maryellen]

the pup should be either fed in its crate, on leash with you holding the leash and teaching it to not go after the other food bowls.

some dogs will be food aggressive, even with pups.. you can train the dogs, however if someone slips up the pup could get hurt..

my 3 eat in the kitchen/dining room area..i stand there to make sure no one rushes to the others bowls for extras... after they are all done and food is gone then they can roam to the other bowls only if they were fed kibble.
if they were fed raw the bowls are immediately picked up once each dog finishes so no fights break out.

[Zoe]

I think I would leash the pup while it is eating and when it tries to go for the other dogs food, I would correct it. I think it is important for the other dogs to see that the pup is not allowed to steal their food, as they will feel respected and probably have less animosity towards the pup and respect for you as the alpha, and important for the pup to learn to respect other dogs and not just think it can be a brat as being a brat like that is obviously a danger to the dog and the rest of the household dogs. I always think working on things like this are important as it lets the dog knows where it stands and that you have the ultimate say. At the same time though, I wouldn't depend on this training as a "cure" but I think training is as important as other control factors like supervision and proper confinement. They all go hand in hand as "fight prevention". I feed all my crew together, but they have to all lie down and stay lying down until I give them their bowl and they have to leave the second they are done. The fosters I feed in their crates though. There are just too damn many of them! lol Well, except for Bailey. She's been here so long, she's like one of the pack! lol

[The Diesel]

DUH! why the hell didnt i think of the leash thing. Im gonna go recomend that now.

[Zoe]

Oh ya.. I was going to add as well, it's not about training your dog to not be DA as well all know the genetics involved. It is about teaching your dog that it is required to listen to you, ESPECIALLY under a high stimuli situation.

Originally Posted by The Diesel i think sometimes we try to make DA and food agressive dogs work with others dog because its convenient for us and thats selfish and dangerous.

I think NOT working with it is the convenient way! lol It's much easier for people to separate, then try to establish some boundries for their dogs. I think not at least trying to lay down the law with your dog is much more dangerous, as there are those fluke times when an uncontrolled situation may arise {ie like somone dropping piece of meat on the ground or something and more than one dog goes for it and a fight errupts. At least if they have some sort of foundation put forth for them that scrapping over food is unacceptable, you have a bigger chance of keeping unexpected things from turning ugly. At the same time, depending on training alone is just as much a recipe for trouble. As well, sometimes you just have to accept your dogs boundries. Some dogs will just never be able to handle that situation regardless of how much work you try to put into it, so in some cases, separating may just well wind up being the best thing in the end. I always try to work with an issue though.

[Miakoda]

I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS feed my dogs separately! Each dog gets fed in her/her own crate.

Although some dogs can share food & water bowls, dogs are resource guarders by instinct--instinct tells them to eat all they can now as they don't know when their next meal will come.

There's no reason to set-up your dogs for a potential knock-down drag-out fight when it can be avoided very simply by feeding them separately.

[The Diesel]

Originally Posted by Zoe Oh ya.. I was going to add as well, it's not about training your dog to not be DA as well all know the genetics involved. It is about teaching your dog that it is required to listen to you, ESPECIALLY under a high stimuli situation. I think NOT working with it is the convenient way! lol It's much easier for people to separate, then try to establish some boundries for their dogs. I think not at least trying to lay down the law with your dog is much more dangerous, as there are those fluke times when an uncontrolled situation may arise {ie like somone dropping piece of meat on the ground or something and more than one dog goes for it and a fight errupts. At least if they have some sort of foundation put forth for them that scrapping over food is unacceptable, you have a bigger chance of keeping unexpected things from turning ugly. At the same time, depending on training alone is just as much a recipe for trouble. As well, sometimes you just have to accept your dogs boundries. Some dogs will just never be able to handle that situation regardless of how much work you try to put into it, so in some cases, separating may just well wind up being the best thing in the end. I always try to work with an issue though.

Yea, iv seen some serious fights and had to break up some real nasty ones between an Akita i used to have and my room mates Pit Bull. Im talking open wounds, blood all over me and the dogs, all 3 of us slipping on the floor. I mean how does one person break up a pissed off lean 90lb akita and a high drive pit bull? The only time they ever had a problem was when eating, all other times they were best buds. So, i guess i have the "pretentative" mentality because of that. I know dogs can be trained and stuff. Theres just such a high chance at feeding time that a scrap will arise. All the dogs are very aware of the others and are on their toes. I have always fed seperatly and let the dogs be together all day because they were not da, just really food agressive. Guess we all just have different ways of doing things.

[DivineOblivion19]

It's totally irresponsible to let it continue. The pup could be seriously hurt or killed because the older dog just got tired of it. If the owner doesn't want to separate (which is probably the best option) then it's up to the owner to correct the pup, not the other dog. All suggestions mentioned thus far are ones I would recommend. It's an excellent exercise for the "Leave It" command.

[Zoe]

Originally Posted by The Diesel Guess we all just have different ways of doing things.

Very true and each dog and the dynamics of each pack is so different as well so that has to be taken into consideration. I think in my own case, what one of the big differences is, is that my dogs aren't highly food aggressive. Not that the possibility isn't there. It's just not that much of an issue, although I don't kid myself that it could never happen, as they have all shown some amount of resource guarding issues with other dogs over the years, but I'm so strict with them over it, they find it just isn't worth it.There are have been some fosters I've had that were not very workable in that area, so separating them made more sense.

The other huge thing to consider, that I always forget about, but is of utmost importance, is the owner. Where some people just have that certain "something" in which they can do amazing things with dogs with issues, other people just don't. You can have two different people work with the same dog, using the same method, but one person is more successful because dogs just respond to them better. I've had dogs that were a mess in other homes, unworkable, uncontrollable, etc... and with really, not that much work on my part, they are completely different after being here awhile. I think I must exude some serious "head dog" pheromones! lol

[TheVictor22]

My pup only gets agressive when Duchess sticks her nose in his bowl. He use to growl Then I got him to the poin were he just kinda crouds the bowl and pushes her out. Now he doesn't mind. The only way I was able to get him to that point is because Duchess is verry patient when it comes to Bishop thinking he is a "Billy Bad A$$".

[CoolHandJean]

we used to have Hawkin, Left Foot, and Locus all in a pen together. Hawkin was very food aggressive toward the other two (not toward me, I could put my hand in the food and be fine with all the dogs). I ended up just separating him from the other two at meal time.

[jeoestreich]

JT is very food aggresive. We found that it works best just to feed him in his crate with the door closed. This way he cannot get the other dogs food and the other dogs cannot get to his.

[luvapit]

at my parents house, all dogs eat in their crates, and are let out again when they are all done eating