I'd growl at you too if you took away my snacks!
Seriously, and I don't know what Caesar would say, but why is it such a big deal? If she isn't growling at you in a threatening way, and you are the Alpha dog, then don't worry about it. If you have to, put on a potholder and continue to take them away when you need to. Many moons ago when I gave ny dog the now forbidden pig ears, I had similar problems. Ok, I still have a dog who does that with everything yummy like Kongs, but if I have to I'll do what I want since I'm the one in charge.
She always tests my postion-in nearly everything- but I remain firm.

I forgot to add that your whole post just seems like "why is my dog behaving like a dog?" That's what dogs do, particularly with food. Even gentle breeds will act possessive of their food.

Your dog is resource guarding. You simply need to teach her that all good things come from YOU, and that if you take something away, she will get something even better in return. You can do this by starting with a low value toy, and teaching her 'Exchange.' Say the command, offer her something she likes better than what she has, and trade. Do this everyday for 5 minutes, gradually increasing the value of what you give her and what you take away. You can also teach leave it or drop it. Has pup been to obedience school yet? If not, please enroll. Training is for you, the owner, and it will give you the support you need to work with her. Please ditch the negative techniques, look for a trainer who uses postive techniques ONLY.

If someone took you by the scruff of the neck and laid you on your side you'd probably soil yourself too. "The submissive position?" Are we talking about an Alpha roll here - (roll folks, not ROLE). I've said it before on this forum, the Monks of Skeet apologized for ever suggesting that move. It's not ethologically valid, and will cause problems for you and your dog. There were some really BAD ideas on dog training out there in the 50s, but this is 2007.

Our Rottie is the most gentle creature but he started getting possessive of his food bowl- it is NOT acceptable. He would snap if he saw anything move near the food bowl. If one of our children happened to grab the bowl instead of me-he could seriously harm them.
I nipped the bad behavior quickly- I would feed him alone but put his food dish at my feet and let him start eating- then I would reach down-if he growled I told him no very firmly (he would then put himself in submission position) I took the food bowl off the floor and put it in my lap- hand fed him a few pieces and then put the bowl back down- while he was eating I would pet his face and rub and pull his ears, reach under his chin and tried multiple times to pick it up and have not had a problem since then.
It may be the way dogs behave, but I don't feel it should be tolerated. I had a mixed breed snap me in the face as a child because I sat next to him and his bone was on the other side- no serious injury resulted- but regardless of breed- it is an unacceptable behavior.

Bumblebeez, resource guarding is a very big deal because it can escalate into much more serious forms of aggression. If the dog is growling at you for any reason then it is not truly seeing you as it's alpha.

Lisa

I agree that the behavior is one that needs to be handled, but I think a submission roll everytime it happens has turned into a routine and something the dog is expecting every time you approach her when she has food.
The way you're scruffing her is probably painful and when this technique is done the owner shouldn't be talking to the dog.......such as saying 'no'. I think the dog soiling itself and trembling afterward is a sign it's not working........and may be causing more harm than good.

Anyway, I suggest trying another training method, such as cynthia or groomingal mentioned. A small dog as small as a Havanese shouldn't need such a strong correction..........

Oh, I think she knows you're the alpha:

Trembling & soiling herself is fear.

She's terrified.

Be careful you don't create a fear biter.

Another way to separate the dog and treat without much trauma is to simply step on the treat---or step between the dog/treat. Couple that with offering the treat and holding it while the dog licks/chews and removing it momentarily---alternating that action.

I rescued a Rott/Shepherd mix who was so protective of food he started growling at the other dog when I opened the food storage bin. That is not a good idea when the other dog is a Lab/pit mix who out weighs him. Plus the kids/snapping problem---or me having to move the food or simply during training.

He would lunge at the bowl as I set it down---snapping at me if I did not move fast enough.

I used dominant behavior---simply by posturing---to move him back away from the dish. I never even had to touch him. Move him back, then allow him access---once every feeding. Then I started petting his head as I allowed reaccess. Now, he waits patiently---sitting calmly several feet away---- as I set down his dish---and waits for the verbal OK---the signal to eat.

I have yet to feed the morning meal when the dogs are in the same area----have had several confrontations, since the Rott mix eats dry kibbles much more slowly than the Lab mix---and the Lab mix will eat as long as food is available. They both eat the evening canned/dry mix at the same speed.

Guarding food is instinct, but it is an instinct that can and should be modified as long as kids/visitors are around.

I have 2 commands in my "arsenal" that have proven invaluable time and again. They are: "LEAVE IT!" and, "Wait!".

"Leave it!" means stop what you're doing now and look to me for further instruction. It "buys you time" and gets the dog to refocus on you for a bit and that gives you the opportunity to give another command OR intervene.

"Wait" means "cool it" and look to me for guidance. I use this one a lot; esp. at the front door when we're waiting to "greet" someone, or we're very excited about exiting a parked car before our leash is snapped on. Or when we approach the end of the driveway on our busy road.

We practice obedience work every single day and his entire day is structured around it. He's a pretty happy dog and I'm reasonably confident he's easily controlled. Nothing in life carries any guarantees, afterall, and there are transgressions.

Our dog is very "protective" of marrow bones or other succulent treats (can you blame him?), and has curled his lip and growled at me when I've approached him enjoying one. I've gleaned 2 lessons from that:

1.) always give the "Leave it!" command from what I call a "respectful" distance, one that lets the dog know you're approaching and in CONFIDENT control, but not close enough to elicit the protective behavior that's natural and sets up a "confrontation" of wills. Any growl/lip curling is met with a stern, "NO!" and a very sternly repeated, "leave it!". No praise is given until the intervention has been successful and he is relaxed under my control and refocused on me... "the mistress".

2.) I don't normally give him such treats when there's a liklihood I'll have to interrupt his feast. I'm not "into" forcing issues, unless absolutely necessary. I'd rather train routinely and put my faith in regular training than by continually setting up situations to "test" its effectiveness.

"We practice obedience work every single day and his entire day is structured around it. He's a pretty happy dog and I'm reasonably confident he's easily controlled. Nothing in life carries any guarantees, afterall, and there are transgressions."

He's a happy dog because happy dogs have pack leaders who clearly define their boundaries. :) Good job.

or... instead of giving her a large treat or bone or whatever, just give her small pieces. Then she will simply eat them or chew them up quickly, and not have anything in her possession long enough to get testy over (and you won't have to check to see how much she's got left :o) We use a pair of heavy-duty kitchen shears that can cut through anything - including dog treats - easily.

Susan

Thank you for all of your wonderful ideas, yes my Havanese went to doggie training with a professional and she's the one that believes in the scruff and submission with the dogs. I've scheduled my little one to see a animal behaviorists who uses the TTouch method and got her name from the APDT list. I'll keep you posted and in the meantime, I'm no longer using the scruff nor doing the submission with her. But, we also haven't had any more incidences neither. Thanks again.

I'm so glad to see that you're open to all the suggestions and are seeking help for you little gal!

The first trainer I took one of my dogs to also had strong handed (abusive) techniques that they applied to every dog. I didn't know any better at the time and thought that was how dogs were trained! Anyway, thank goodness I discovered there are other, better methods when it comes to working with these wonderful creatures.

There are some great postings here, I think some training tehniques work best with some dogs, and other techniques with others, I would never use the technique you are applying to a dog which has showed me that in most all cases the dog is friendly, and listens and does what is told. If your dog is focused, there are other ways of training which might be more effective for you and your dog. If your dog responds to vocal commands, I suggest teaching it to leave it, you can achieve this with positive reinforcement behavior training. You are in fact asserting your dominance over your dog to the point where your dog is exhibiting a fear response. In this case, you mightwant to reconsider your approach. Call your dog off its chew bone with a tidbit. This way you can see how much your dog has eaten without creating a traumatic situation. Please remember some dogs are more sensitive than others, and I suggest imagining yourself in your dogs suit, and ask yourself how would you experience the way your owner is traeating you as the dog. Having the upper hand over your dog is essential and I commend you for at least getting that aspect of training and understanding the social system of dogs, but I dont think your dog needs to go through so much for a peek at the treat. You asked about some jealousy issues going on between your two dogs, can you give more information? In what circumstances is your dog being jealous and which dog is exhibiting the bahvior??

Our dog is "tough".

He was adopted at 1 1/2 yrs. and was effectively untrained and big, basically a "bully". But no hint of "mean", just a paper tiger. But big and scarey.

What makes him "tough" is that while he is good cooperator he is constantly on alert for lapses on our part! He will never be "satisfied" with his lot in life, lol. With him, it's vitally important that the command be obeyed IMMEDIATELY. I never repeat a command, I go straight to enforcement; the helpmeet is more lax... guess who is more readily obeyed?

It's my opinion that you catch more flies with honey that with vinegar; and while my immediate reaction to infractions is to, "thrash him but good" I'm rational enough to understand that it's pointless to waste my energy on such foolishness. Correct the misbehavior and MOVE ON. Move on to something he knows "cold"... do something he's really good at doing! Dogs are all about fun... make it fun and they'll fall all over themselves to keep the fun going. :)

My whole focus has been on building trust and confidence through OBEDIENCE. Obedience is part of the fibre that runs through our lives and our dog's life. Obedience is not a "class" that is taken/passed/failed; it's how we live, day to day. When obedience work becomes part of your life and your routine your dog settles into it and becomes part of it.

That's not to say I haven't "nailed" our dog when he's gotten too big for his britches. I got right on his case when he did the "growl and lip curl thing" shortly after we adopted him. Scared the hellouttame, but my experience with horses taught me that you never show fear, you take control. Coolly and authoritatively, without emotion.

You have to be cool, calm, collected, and understand exactly what you expect from the dog. And you must expect it every single time you give the command. Only then can you deal swiftly and effectively with infractions.

"Punishment" is a waste of time and energy. Mostly YOUR time and energy. And it's more fun to put those two things to more enjoyable use, huh?

Chelone: When your dog growled and did the lip curl thing, what did you do exactly? You said you took control, what did you mean by that?

He already knew the "Leave it!" command. And he knew, "NO!", too. We'd been working really hard on obedience for a few months by that point.

I stopped short when he curled his lip and growled (surprised me! because he's really cool about his food bowl and taking treats form our hands). I sternly said, "NO!" and he stopped to look at me, then I said, "Rex, LEAVE IT!". I gave him the command to sit and stay and retrieved the bone.

It unnerved me because I wasn't expecting it, but I knew I had to gain control of the situation. Failure, on my part, to do so would have sent the message to his doggy brain that he could pull that crap and GET AWAY WITH IT. Not part of my plan. I've since gained a greater respect for his base instincts. Inside with his food in a dish and the usual household noises around him is very different than being outdoors with a meaty bone in complete peace and quiet. It's perfectly natural and normal for him to be protective of such a treasure in a natural setting.

Now, I only give large marrow bones when I KNOW he can savor every bit of it undisturbed. If not, he gets a round portion of the marrow bone. And we practice "Leave it!" and "Wait", and all our other obedience commands every single day.

It's just easier that way.

Well, the animal behaviorist came over on Monday evening and spent 3 1/2 hrs. with us and our two Havanese doggies. She had nothing but wonderful things to say about both of them, and suggested that either I share her bully sticks and beef chews with her (letting her chew from my hand) or just leave her along and let her chew the whole thing without bothering her. She's not an aggressive dog by any means, and as the alpha dog she has a lot on her plate. She's the guard dog, worries about her sister, and wants to make sure that all is well in the household. I actually could see that myself, but the behaviorist pointed this out.

So rather than interupt her while she's chewing on her bones, etc. just leave her alone. Like she said, "she wouldn't like someone bothering her while she was eating"!

Otherwise, she said I had two very well behaved girls. I was very happy when she left.

I think it's great that she thinks your dogs are very well behaved. It's always nice to hear that.

However though, I've never agreed with ignoring the problem more or less. I would try sharing the treats before just leaving her alone. YOU would know to leave her alone, but would guests, or guests with kids, or someone emergency sitting or whatever??

My friend has a CKCCS who is extremely protective of his treats but otherwise a great, well behaved dog. She gave up and said "Well, he only growls, he's never bitten, so it's not that big of an issue" Well, he bit her 10 month old two weeks ago because he had a treat.

Just because at this point your girl only growls,doesn't mean she'll never do anything else. And whether your lifestyle doesn't have her in many situations where strangers or kids are around often when she gets a treat, wouldn't you feel better knowing in those (maybe rare) circumstances that theres a 90% (never 100 on anything with dogs) chance she won't do anything, than a 50/50, or less even??

And I would think a dog would be inclined to become even more agressive in a circumstance where they are being distracted while eating, if it never happens because of the agression.

You know, right now she just growls, but deals with it because its a common occurence. If you leave her alone with it, and don't bother her for 2 months and then someone all of a sudden goes to see her treat or pick it up, maybe she'll bite. Because clearly this person didn't learn, like everyone else (see, she's training you!) that you are to leave her be when she eats, OR ELSE!

Your trainer is right, people also would not like to be bothered while eating, or have their food taken away. But most normal, level headed people who fit into society would not attack someone for taking away their food, or getting too close. If you're going to compare a pets needs and wants to a humans, you should hold them to the same standards and have the same expectations, too.

Now I'm not saying your behaviourist is wrong, I'm just saying I personally think there are better options than allowing a dog to think it's okay to behave that way. And I would try more interactive options first, whether it be sharing treats, or teaching commands, or practicing taking treats away and giving them back, with a muzzle on, whatever it takes.

If someone yelled and screamed and terrified, or worse, hit your dog because it tried sniff or looked at the persons food (kid, or adult) and said "Of course I hit it! He bothered me while eating!!" Would you be okay with that?? Would you allow that?? Most likely no, right?

So why is it okay for your dog to do it?

Please know I'm not attacking you, or your choices, I'm just trying to maybe point out some possible flaws with the advice to just leave the dog alone rather than deal with the behaviour.

Big guy used to be food posessive and agressive, more to the other dog than us, but also us at times. We corrected it simply by ignoring the growling and snarling, calmly telling him to back off and leave it, taking the treat and not giving it back.

The times he didn't growl,he got even MORE treats. He learned quickly that WE are in control and WE control how and when and what he eats, and that HE can control that, by being a good boy. We can now stick our hands in his food bowl, take it away, and he will sit patiently, wagging and waiting for its return. And he doesn't do a thing when little girl happens to look at him while he's eating now.

Had we ignored it and just accepted it, we might have a dead beagle, or someones hand bitten off.

I would be very proud if I were you, that youe dogs are otherwise extremely well behaved and well trained, because not only is that a sign of good dogs, but its a reflection of a good trainer. That said, don't feel bad if a dog does have an issue that needs to be corrected. It is in no way a reflection of bad training, some dogs just have things that need to be corrected and controlled. However, if someone gets bitten because of something you could've gotten under control and know is an issue, that IS a reflection of you.

Once again, please don't feel offended or attacked. That's not my intentions by any means. I'm just trying to make you think on some points that maybe were over-looked, or not thought of before. You obviously know best for you and your dogs, and whatever you decide is completely your decision, I'd just hate to see something happen to either of your furbabies over something that can be corrected. I'm just trying to help :)

I'm glad you got such a good report!

In your first post, you said "if my husband or myself want to take a look at how much she has left, shell look at us real strange, back up a little and then maybe whimper a little and growl." Backing up, whimpering and growling are not the same as snapping, aggressive actions and I think the tips the behaviorist gave regarding sharing are going to help alot.

I completely understand the points Munkos made........I had the same thoughts, but snicker also has the option of simply forbidding the dog her favorite chews when company is around. That way, no one has to worry about getting bitten.

I suppose you're right. I just keep thinking what I'd have to do if I were in that situation again. The company we keep and the kind of events we hold at our house, lead to situations that aren't always completely in our control.

Especially with kids, I watch a 16 month old and a lot of my friends have kids within the same age range, and they're all into the 'sharing' stage. They like to share their treats with the dogs, but they also like to take their treats back. So while trying to teach them they can't stick a cookie in the dogs mouth and expect her not to eat it, we're working on teaching the dog not to take food from the babies. Mostly because it enables them, more than anything.

So I guess if snicker doesn't have the kind of company that would be likely to sneak the dog a treat here and there, or kids trying to share their treats, then it's easier ot just not give her treats. I just know it would be impossible to have my dog and company in the same room, if she couldn't have treats around people. All my friends are dog people, their kids love dogs, my dog loves kids and I don't always catch it when someone pulls out a snack for their kids and sometimes the dog is right on it. I'm just thankful she's as gentle as she is and that you could take food out of her mouth without her even blinking at you.

And places like petsmart or anywhere where there are lots of people and excitement and they always offer to give treats. I'm just a worry wart, though =)

I fall more into line with Munkos, I'm afraid. For the very reasons (s)he brought up, actually!

Our dog had been surrendered twice and had been through 3 shelters. The last time he was surrendered the reason given was that he bit the child in the house! As follows:

Resident toddler had cookie. Dropped cookie. Dog went for cookie and "got" kid's hand in the process. Innocent. Dog doing what dogs do, kid got in the way. BUT! dog technically "bit" kid. NOT GOOD.

Rex was surrendered by parents who quickly realized he was TOO MUCH DOG for them in conjunction with a toddler. His owners were freaked out that he'd be euthanized. But by the time they surrendered him he'd already "learned" that he could "get away with murder".

So... no surprise that he pulled all sorts of crap with us. ;) But we were "wise" to how his pea brain worked. Hehehe... obedience, obedience, and MORE obedience. And lots of lavish praise for compliance.

EVERYTHING in Rex's world is OUR'S. EVERYTHING! "Leave it!" is a totally great command to ram into any dog's head. If he has it and I decide I want it or NEED TO TAKE IT, he'll give it up. Because EVERYTHING is MINE.

But I don't "test" him all the time. And he obeys me without question because he knows my word is law and because he trusts me. End of story.

Well, I tend to agree with the fact that what if someone would come over and approach her while she was chewing the beef chew not knowing that she doesn't want to be bothered? I'm not so sure that it's the right decision to just leave her alone while she's chewing! To me, she has won!! And in my mind, I should be the one who makes the rules, not her. So, some of the behaviorist's ideas I did agree on and some I didn't.

Trying to convince my husband is another thing, as we don't see eye to eye on a lot of things when it comes to the dogs. He thinks I'm way to hard on them and all I hear is they're only "dogs"! "What do you expect?"

Thanks for all of your feedback, its nice to listen to someone else for a change!

So where do things stand now?

I'm not sure as to how I will handle this, one way is to offer her another treat and take the beef chew that she's chewing on. I talked to another behaviorist and that's what she recommended to do. I tried having her chew it from my hand, and she had no interest in that. She just layed down beside me and looked at the beef chew.

My husband thinks that we should do what the behaviorist told us to do and leave her alone. So, as you can see we don't agree. I'm sure the dogs pick up on this also.

EVERYTHING should be YOUR'S.

No "ifs, ands, or buts". Substitution is not really addressing the issue. But that's my opinion.

You may want to go back and read the advice on teaching 'exchange' that I shared earlier. When you say you spoke with a 'behaviorist' who advised leaving her alone, ahem, is this a trainer (no credentials required) or truly a degreed behaviorist? The 2nd 'behaviorist' had closer to a good answer, and is suggesting you teach the Exchange command.

Chelone, Exchange is a place to start. It is not the end. After the dog understands exchange and is more comfortable with giving up valued objects, she can proceed to teach him to give it up without an exchange. Dogs don't obey us because they want to please us. They obey us because they learn that's the way to ultimately get what they want. Freedom, walks, food, affection, toys, treats. These are commodities that we offer to them in EXCHANGE for good behavior :)

Hey, how about a compromise. I agree with the fact that you should be able to approach your dog and take something out of its mouth if you must, but I think that is a different situation. HOWEVER, while in charge of friends dogs and walking in areas where people have previously picnicked I can tell you that having a choke collar and a leash on the dog is a wonderful way to assist in retrieving an object in the dogs mouth. I am still unclear as to why you would want to attempt to remove your dog from something you gave to enjoy, but whatever. I suggest if you feel you really need to determine how far your dog is in eating its treat, use the leash to asssist you in putting your dog into a sit stay and leave it position.

Do you mean have her on a lease all the time while she's chewing on her beef chews? And then walking up to her and taking the lease and telling her to sit, stay and leave it? That might be an idea!

Yes, the second behaviorist was talking about the exchange command. And from there the dog gives the object up without an exchange. What are your thoughts on this, it seems that every behaviorist that I've talked to has different ideas and who knows which is the right way to go.

Yep that is exactly what I am proposing, I have had dogs for over 40 years, have worked with a number of different trainers and different training techniques. There are a number of differing techniques and they can be all quite effective. The idea that any ONE WAY to train a dog is not opening yourself to options which may work for you. I have always believed that training a dog should be fun and rewarding for both of you. Dogs WANT to please us, the rest should not be so hard to come by. If you have a leash on your dog while it is the house chomping on the bone, you can take control from a distance, tell the dog to drop the item, and come to you. If you use a friendly high pitched voice and not one that is punitive and deep, you make training fun and non threatening for you and your dog. I hope you find what works for you, I think your dog loves you and just does not understand why you would want to take away its treat. Good luck

I'll try it and let you know. Thanks "Mazer", 40 years is a long time!

Now, I need help with our seven month old Havanese that doesn't want to let us know when she needs to go out "potty" outside.

She goes everytime we take her out, and the same behaviorist who we found on the APDT.com list told us to do the 30 day thing with her. She is to be kept in her crate, ex-pen, or on a lease at all times. When she's in the ex-pen or on a lease, she's to be watched very carefully for signs that she may need to go outside, otherwise take her out every hour.

She came from a breeder who kept her along with two other females in an ex-pen area with a crate in it that they shared and nothing was very clean. The ex-pen had pee pads that were soiled and the blankets in the crate were badly soiled. She is now going to be seven months on the 16th of Sept. and still can't be trusted. She's just not getting it! Do you have any other ideas as I'm here to listen? Thanking you in advance.

oh my. what "signs" did they give you to look for?? I am of the school that training should be as non traumatic for everyone involved. So while out walking my pup in the morning, when he stops to pee, I give him the command to pp outside or outside or go pp or park it or anything you want to say to associate eith going to the bathroom. I actually use a seperate command for #2. Praise your dog while it is in the act of going to the bathroom, repeating in a nice higher pitched voice your chosen command for going tinkle. Your dog should be taken out a couple of times a day at the very least, and when I say take your dog outside, I dont mean outside in your yard, I mean to take your dog for a good walkies, your baby should be old enough to walk for a good half an hour. Should be a stimulating walk (not the same route every day) We have trained our dogs this way for years and have had them potty trained in a matter of a couple of weeks at the most. In the future when you are ready to go walkies, have your dog come to you to leash it up and wait in a sitting position at the door. You go out, and have your babies do their duty the first 5 minutes of the walk, the rest of the walk is for WALKING, not sniffing every bush and rock and marking on things. You can also walk your dogs like this before you leave the home to reduce seperation anxiety. A tired dog is easier to train, is more mentally and emotionally balanced and is a happier dog. I will be more than happy to assist you with anything else you might need. I hope you find a more realistic and positive reinforcement trainer, seems the ones you have been working with are a bit harsh and have some unusual expectations. But every trainer is different and different techniques can be successful for different dogs and and different people. Good luck with your pups. My best.

Does she not know to go out, or has she just not figured out how to tell you she needs to go out?

Is she doing her business all over, infront of you, whenever she pleases? Or is she doing it near the door she always goes out, or the room everyones most commonly in??

Do you have a command, or word you say when you take her out in the yard to do her business like "Okay, lets go out" or "Do you need out?" "Want to go outside" or do you just take her out??

If she just doesn't get the concept, follow mazers advice, but if you think she's just maybe not sure how to get you to notice she needs out, theres a few things to try.

Some people have suggested ringing a bell before you go out, everytime, and eventually the dog will learn to ring the bell when it wants to go outside.

We kind of inadvertantly taught our beagle to come to us and then go to the door. So now she runs back and forth between us and the door. We've also taught her "Do you need out?" and she'll hop around like a bunny all frantic, if she does. This is handy for places where she might not be quite sure where the door IS, or if we're in a room in the house where she can't get to her normal door and run back and forth.

It took me a while to realise that coda had indeed mastered only going outside, what she hadn't mastered was letting anyone else know she needed out. She always went potty by the door, or in the room we were JUST in, if she needed out.

So I think she was just going to the door, and if it wasn't open she'd do her thing.

Or she'd come into the room, and if we didnt go "Oh look, codas here, she must have to pee!" she'd do her thing.

Cause once she got the "Outside" and running back and forth thing, she hasn't done her business in the house since.

It made me think of this because you mentioned she ALWAYS goes when she's outside. In my experience with hard-to break dogs, the ones who really just don't get it, don't often go outside unless they've been out there for a while. She obviously understands she's supposed to do it outside. It's just whether or not she knows how to tell you, or just hasn't figured out that it's supposed to be ONLY outside.

Do NOT let him get away with this. Do not allow it. My dog, when I was younger did this and we got bit a lot. He even did it with tennis balls.

When we got another dog, the other died, I was older and every time she would eat, my hand would be in her bowl and I would move it away occasionally. I would also pick it up and then give it back to her after a minute. I was determined not to go through food aggression again!

My dog wouldn't bite if you smacked her in the face with a chicken leg but prevention is the key.

When you put the food down. Tell him to sit or lie down. Hold it above the floor, keeping eye contact, hold it there for a minute. When YOU'RE ready, put it down. Maybe pick it up a few times before he can get to it. Make sure you stand between him and the food. Block him for a while. Only let him eat when you decide it's okay.

If he starts growling, step between him and the food. Tell him to drop it. Don't sound excited, just be very firm. You may need tough shoes or a garbage can lid. No stick or anything!

Keep at it and it should stop.

The dominant dogs in the pack eat first. AFTER they're done, then they move away. Even if a lower dog made the kill, the dominant dog will move in and take the kill. The insubordinates will move aside.

Your dog isn't respectful of your dominance if he's challenging you. If this is his nature, then you just have to be persistent. The problem may stem from other situations. Does he get down from the couch when you say to? Does he beg even if you say no? Is he pulling on the leash?

People may disagree on the importance of this but just think, what if your dog gets into some chocolate? How would you be able to yoink it out of his mouth?

Teaching him to "drop it" is very important for this kind of purpose. If I don't know where my dog got something and don't know what it is, I tell her to drop it and some times she doesn't but I have no objections from her when I reach into her mouth to pull it out.

Take the food away from him some times and give it back. Display your dominance. If he senses that you're a strong leader, than he'll realize he doesn't have a chance of pushing you aside. Animals pick on the weak.

All these things need to be a constant practice so that he doesn't forget and it's not stressful for him.