Snuggles and Gidget learn Some Table Manners

 

    When my friend Marsha asked me to care for Snuggles her Toy Poodle, while she traveled out of town, I readily agreed. I anticipated no problems having her as a weekend houseguest.

    As she dashed for the airport taxi, Maggie called over her shoulder that Snuggles didn't like anyone near her when she ate. This gave me pause, but I hoped that with proper planning there would be no problem. Unfortunately, my brother-in-law passed near Snuggles at dinnertime. The Poodle lashed out, and  sunk her teeth into his foot.

    Clearly, Snuggles thought that she was in charge when he bit my brother-in-law! Hey, that's my food!

    Why did Snuggles act this way? In her mind, she was guarding a valuable resource and showing who was boss. A dog's natural inclination is to protect anything that he considers valuable. In addition to food, dogs may guard resting places, toys, mates, territory, and owners.

    In the wild, dogs work very hard to secure the things they need to survive. The dogs that are best at getting and holding on to important resources like food and dry, warm resting places become strong and healthy. The largest, strongest, and smartest dog becomes leader of the pack. He has an automatic right to eat first and eat the most. The leader disciplines anyone who interferes. Clearly, Snuggles thought that she was in charge when she bit my brother-in-law!

    Today's Pet dogs have no need to perpetuate this part of their family heritage. They are supplied with all the food they need, without having to hunt or scavenge for it. Your dog should accept you as head of his pack. This means he should love and respect you enough to relinquish his food to you at any time. Additionally, he needs to know that he must give up his food at the request of any family member, even a child.

 

Teaching etiquette to puppies:

The good news is that there are exercises you can do to prevent a puppy from becoming protective of his food bowl in the first place. These can also be adapted for training an older dog like Snuggles who has established bad habits. Ideally, you should start the following exercises with your young puppy. Then repeat them periodically to refresh his "table manners."

While your puppy is eating, place small tidbits of some very special food in his bowl. This will teach him that a hand approaching his bowl is followed by the appearance of a super-yummy treat. This should be something that the puppy really likes and that he gets only during training. Raw hamburger, chicken hot dogs, or bits of cheese are favorites with most dogs. Be sure to make the pieces small. You don't want to overload him with goodies and cause an upset stomach.

When Puppy is used to having your hand near his bowl, move his dish from its usual position while he is eating. Reward him with praise and a treat.

After some time of moving his dish without incident, remove the food bowl completely while he is eating. Pick it up, place something super-yummy on top of the regular food, and then return the bowl.

If your puppy growls at you, give him a vigorous scruff shake or a squirt of water from a squirt bottle, accompanied by a sharp "No!"

 

Children should also practice these exercises—but always under the supervision of an adult. Teach kids to be quiet and calm when your dog is eating. Teasing and jostling a dog can push him into guarding his bowl.

 

When she returned from her trip, Marsha set to work adjusting Snuggles attitude about her food and her position in relation to humans. Now she readily relinquishes her food dish to anyone. She is a safe and loving companion in all situations.

   Teach table manners to an adult dog:

You will need to team up with another person when retraining an adult dog who has failed his food-bowl etiquette test. Here's what to do:

 

Place a leash on your dog at dinnertime. While he is eating, have your teammate take the end of the leash and call him away (or lead him away if he won't come willingly) from the food bowl. Once he is safely out of the way, have your dog watch as you pick up his bowl and place a super-special goody on top of his regular food. Use small tidbits of foods that he is really crazy about and that he gets only during training sessions. Repeat this exercise until Fido realizes, "Ah ha, leaving my food bowl gets me even better things to eat!"

    When Fido leaves his bowl reliably while he's leashed, you should begin working on the steps outlined above for puppies. However, proceed with caution. If your dog ever growls or snaps at you, discontinue these exercises and consult a professional trainer. Continuing without professional assistance could be dangerous.