If you give your new mastiff puppy or dog, a bowl of dog food, and then they growl at you, or try to get between you and the food bowl, they have a dog food aggression. When they have a food aggression, sometimes that carries into toys and playthings also they like to be over protective of.
When your dog shows this type of aggression, he or she is telling you that they are the alpha male dog, and you are not. You have to change this behavior right away, before it gets out of control.
Your dog might not even be aware that he or she is doing this. They might see you as the bad person, because you come and always take things away from them. They might consider their food or toy something you want to take from them, and they want to protect it from you.
Your dog might think that he might not get any more dog food when what you gave him or her is gone, and they growl at you when you get close, because they don't want you to get it. Each time your dog growls and you back away, it reinforces their bad behavior. They think they are being rewarded by you backing off and leaving them alone, they won the battle in their mind.
If your dog is sharing a food bowl with another dog and being aggressive, it is best to simply use two food bowls, and separate the dogs while they eat. If your dog seems like he might bite, it is best to stay back, and then correct the problem by making them work for the food.
One way you could teach your mastiff puppy or dog is, you could put the food bowl down on the ground empty. The dog will look at the empty food bowl, and be a little bit confused, and then look up at you. You would be in charge now, you could add some food to the bowl a little at a time, and get down close to your dog, and bond with him or her while they are eating.
You should get your puppy or dog used to you touching and petting him or her while they are eating. They should get used to human touch, but be very careful, use caution; you want to get your mastiff used to you at meal time.
If your dog is showing you signs of aggression, you could slowly and carefully hand feed your dog. You could use this time to teach him or her "stay" and "sit" commands.
You could walk by your dog's food bowl, and while he or she is looking, throw in a treat every now and then, your dog will look forward to you coming around their food bowl and leaving treats or snacks sometimes, and you will be an invited guest.
You could also substitute their food, you simply take the food bowl of food away from them, and then put down something better they would love to eat, and then they get the idea of giving something up, to get something even better from you!
You need to be gentle with your puppy or dog; yelling or screaming your lungs out is not going to help the situation. Be persistent, and over time, you can teach your puppy or dog to not be so aggressive at meal time, or with their favorite toys. It is always a good idea to enroll yourself and your puppy or dog into obedience classes.
Vince Stead has 14 books up for sale so far, included "Sammy the Runaway Mastiff".
You can find his books at places like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and even his own website at http://www.vincestead.com
You can get every one of his books as a book at regular price, and you also get them as digital downloads for only $2.99 each, including Sammy the Runaway Mastiff.
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