Is Food Aggression common?

[Jax08]

I keep seeing posts about food aggression. It's really a common theme!

Are GSD's prone to guarding food?

I have owned Collies, Boxers, Shepherds and mutts. I have never had a problem with food aggression or any aggression. DH will let Banshee get away with growling at him over getting her nails trimmed or getting her up to go outside and back off because "oh she'll bite you". I don't have that problem with her but I don't let her get away with that.

Is it the owner?!

[Germanshepherdlova]

Neither of my dogs are food aggressive, and that is saying a lot because my GSD has some aggression issues but food isn't one of them.

[Emoore]

In my experience, no. I've owned 3, fostered over twenty, and my in-laws currently have two and have had 4 more in the time I've known them. None of those over thirty dogs were food aggressive.

The thing you don't see on a message forum is posts from the thousands of people whose dogs aren't food aggressive. You see the few that are, concentrated all in one place.

[LaRen616]

My GSDs are not food aggressive, I can pet them while they eat, I can stick my hand in their bowl. I can hold their paws, they are fine with getting their nails trimmed.

I did have a food aggressive, toy aggressive, dog aggressive 1.5 year old GSD/Husky mix, I did not raise him though and I only had him for 4 months.

[onyx'girl]

I've never had a food aggressive dog. I don't play the take away game as some do to 'train', but have taken food away if they steal it from another dog.

Before my dogs eat, they have to do something to earn it....once they've earned it, it is theirs to enjoy.

[Courtney]

Never had the issue either. We are a 1 dog home, kids are older, he's fed on a routine, we don't mess with him when he eats, but he will eat with all of us walking around him, dinner being made, whatever...

[Twyla]

With the aggression issues I have with Woolf, thankfully resource guarding isn't one of them.

He was feral when we got him and using food by hand feeding was one of the methods I took advantage of till he accepted me. After that, using a method I know many here seriously dislike, I'd remove his bowl, add bits of meat or veggies left from dinner and give it back.

I'm guessing that transferred over to toys, I can do the same thing. When it's time to be put up, he doesn't give me any flak about it

[Jax08]

Originally Posted by Twyla

After that, using a method I know many here seriously dislike, I'd remove his bowl, add bits of meat or veggies left from dinner and give it back.

But by doing that, you were giving him back something better so in essence...trading up!

[kiya]

I deal with food agression/resource guarding between animals not between animal & human.
Apache will bare teeth & growl at the other dogs even if they aren't too close, when I see him looking for a victim I yell at him and he looks at me and lowers his lips as if to say "I wasn't doing anything."

[Twyla]

Originally Posted by Jax08

But by doing that, you were giving him back something better so in essence...trading up!

You know, you are right, hadn't looked at it like that I just know I didn't want food and toy (sticks, socks etc etc ) aggression to deal with along with the HA/DA I am working on.