How to deal with a German Shepherd's food guarding behavior

As the dog gets older, its territorial consciousness begins to awaken. Food guarding in dogs is mainly a manifestation of mistrust towards their owners, who think that when they approach, they will steal their food. To improve this behavior requires a certain amount of time, the most important thing is to gain the dog's trust and enhance the bond. You can hold the dog food in your hand and feed it, allowing it to get used to eating from your hand. This way, when the owner often touches the dog's bowl, the dog will not become hostile.

How to deal with a German Shepherd's food guarding behavior

Food guarding behavior in dogs is not good and needs long-term training to correct. When starting the training, you can put the dog food in your hand and let the dog lick it while continuously petting it, so that it feels that the owner will not steal its food. Later, you can first pet the dog and then slowly pour the dog food into the food bowl while continuing to pet it. With repeated training, if the dog still has food guarding behavior, the owner should loudly scold it and take away the food bowl. Wait for the dog to realize its mistake before feeding it again.

Should dogs be beaten for food guarding?

It is not recommended to beat dogs for food guarding, as using excessive force to deal with this habit may lead to more serious consequences, such as the dog's food guarding becoming even worse and exhibiting aggressive behavior towards its owner. The main goal of correcting food guarding is to make the dog understand that you are not trying to steal its food. You can feed the dog with your hand every day to let it understand that your hand brings it food.

What to note when improving a dog's food guarding behavior

During mealtime, you can try to pet the dog's body, neck, and head, or hold the food in your hand to feed it and increase the bond. If the dog stops guarding its food and doesn't make any noise, it means the training is complete. If it still guards its food and barks, don't let it eat and take away the food bowl. Only feed it when it stops guarding its food. Be firm in front of the dog, and if you think it's too troublesome, consider sending it to a pet training school for direct results.