Is food aggression in a dog acceptable?

Food aggression is not acceptable and should be corrected immediately. Most trainers recommend following training:

1. Do not put the dogs food in his bowl, sprinkle it on the floor. This forces the food away as the dog eats, making sure the dog does not eat too much too fast. It also takes the dog longer to eat. The longer it takes him to eat without someone disturbing him, the more likely he is to learn that his food isn’t going to be taken from him.

2. Make doggie meatballs. Mix hard food with canned food. The canned food should be the pate stuff that looks like paste, not cutlets or chunks. Form the food into soft-ball sized balls, wrap in plastic and place in the freezer for 24 hours. Then, feed him 2 each day in addition to his regular feeding. When you feed these to him, sit near him and make him eat it from your hand. The frozen balls should be offered to him when he is hungry so he is interested in them. They take a while to chew, sit with him until it is gone. This teaches him that you are not going to take his food.

3. When you feed him from his bowl again, make sure he see’s you putting the food into his bowl. Sit near him as she eats so he know’s you aren’t going to take his food.