Aggressive dog behaviour while eating

Brian Capture

My neighbour's dog eats from a bowl in the yard.

I am often there playing football.

Sometimes I stand close to the dog while he is eating. He growls.

If I place my foot closer to him - say, two or three inches from his head, the growl becomes more sinister. On a couple of occasions he has nipped my shoe when I persist.

What's his problem?

mikemac

Our own dog does the same thing.
Won't eat from his bowl if you watch him and if you approach him he growls.

I don't know why though

peasant

Brian Capture wrote: »

What's his problem?

That it is HIS food and HIS turf that you're encroaching on.

Take a hint ...leave him alone, keep your distance.

Aru

the dog is food aggessive...ie he thinks your going to try to rob his food and is warning you to stay away...

Do stay away from him he's not your dog so its not up to you to train him so just leave him be for the few minutes while he is eating.

We used to have a lovely golden lab,perfect pet in every way great with children very obedient,retriver etc except that he was food aggressive.

Like the dog you described would growl then snarl if you got to close

...my brothers used to torment him by kicking the football at him just to watch him go for it....
eventually one of them went to close while teasing the dog and got bitten so badly he ended up in the hospital for stitches... the dog had to be put down as he was then considered dangerous and my parents were concerned that he might bite one of our neighbours smaller children if they ran to close while he was eating..

Basicly quit provoking your neighbours mutt and encouraging him to be protective you might make him dangerous...what seems like a small bite to you would be serious to a child

lrushe

As already said he is protecting his food. At the moment he is giving you a warning so my advice would be to take it and keep your distance. If it were your dog I would advise some training but as its not stay clear, if you don't and get bitten its the dog who will pay with its life.

peasant

The really simple solution is to tell the neighbours to feed their dog somewhere where it can't be disturbed.

wantolose

Brian Capture wrote: »

My neighbour's dog eats from a bowl in the yard.

I am often there playing football.

Sometimes I stand close to the dog while he is eating. He growls.

If I place my foot closer to him - say, two or three inches from his head, the growl becomes more sinister. On a couple of occasions he has nipped my shoe when I persist.

What's his problem?

:eek:ah hello what is your problem? Will you just leave the dog alone, and let him eat in peace, what kind of baby are you? If my 14 month old son did that while our dog was eating I would put him on the naughty step...grow up please

elius

Humans are the same if you spent a hard day working are starving hungry when you get home cook a lovely dinner, Next thing your mate comes in the door picks up a fork and starts eating it to. You
A: say work away
B: Get the Fook


I mostly pic pick B :rolleyes:

bigeasyeah

peasant wrote: »

That it is HIS food and HIS turf that you're encroaching on.

Take a hint ...leave him alone, keep your distance.

Agree totally.

dmy1001

Wow! Give the dog some peace! If you came my yard and put your foot 2-3" from the head of my dogs you would probably lose the foot:D

Stop tormenting the poor dog! If you persist it will end up in him biting and then he will have to be PTS, all because you could not keep your distance and let him eat.

If he were your dog it would be different but he is not.

star-pants

Brian Capture wrote: »

If I place my foot closer to him - say, two or three inches from his head,

Would you like someone putting their foot two or three inches from your head whilst eating?... I don't think so.
Cop on and leave the dog alone.

Sigma Force

OP hasn't explained who's yard it is, is the dog coming into your yard and eating out of your dogs bowl. Or are you playing footie in the neighbours yard and it's the neighbours dogs bowl?

Either way as said best to leave well alone, if the neighbours dog is coming into your dog eating out of your dogs bowl then remove the bowl perhaps feed your dog somewhere else or indoors to avoid it happening.

shona2

you want them to sort it out....
if a small child went up to the dog when eating it could do some real damage,maybe get a trainer in

Paul91

Brian Capture wrote: »

My neighbour's dog eats from a bowl in the yard.

I am often there playing football.

OK this sounds like your in your neighbours garden - is it fenced/walled off - are you there with their permission?

Brian Capture wrote: »

Sometimes I stand close to the dog while he is eating. He growls.

so don't

Brian Capture wrote: »

If I place my foot closer to him - say, two or three inches from his head, the growl becomes more sinister. On a couple of occasions he has nipped my shoe when I persist.

if i was eating and you stuck your foot near me, and i warned you off, i would bite ya - take note of warnings, this works as well with dogs as it does with road signs i.e. if it says the road is flooded - slow down

Brian Capture wrote: »

What's his problem?

you

furtzy

We had a JRT that did this years ago although she also did this if you walked past her too quickly or sat in her seat etc etc

Very cool dog though and lived to the ripe old age of 15

Brian Capture

not fenced off - just a small wall of about two feet high. I am there with the neighbour's permission.

Irishcrx

Ok, first off leave the dog alone while he is eating , he is not your dog and not your problem but why pester him so much when he is trying to eat if someone annoyed me like that when I was eating it wouldn't be just a growl they would be getting.

Second , He is just protecting his food as alot of dogs do, some more agressive than others. I have two dogs in my house a colly cross and a Husky, the colly is very defensive of her food she barks and growls and warns people off when she is eating she can become very hostile so we just don't annoy her (Not my dog BTW or she would be trained), my Husky is also a killer for food, he is always looking for it, pawing for treats, going through anywhere he smells it BUT he is not aggresive with me when he is eating because he is trained not to be and knows I'm the boss, when he was a pup I made him wait for food, sit etc and sometimes would take the food back halfway through just to reiterate the point and he doesn't bark at me or get aggresive just sits back down and paws.

Whispered

As others have said, you should leave the dog alone when it's eating. Agression in any form shouldn't be accepted but he's not your dog to train and it sounds like you're trying to get a reaction from the poor thing.