IF you have ever seen a litter of puppies nursing off their mother or eating their first meal of solid food, it is a calamity to say the least.
It resembles more of a wrestling match than a sit-down dinner with the siblings. It doesn't matter if there is more than enough food to go around, the puppies are always behaving as if the other pup has the better nipple or spot at the food bowl.
This wrestling match is necessary - at the time. It's instinctual, the survival of the fittest and it can't be changed. The more assertive and dominant the puppy, the best chance he or she will have to make it to adulthood. The puppies don't know or understand that there is a plenty of food; instinct says "this could be your last meal so make the best of it."
Where it becomes unnecessary is when the puppy leaves its litter and displays the behaviour in its human home. This resource guarding, also called possessive aggression, can be expressed when the young dog is being fed, when it has its favourite toy on its bed or may have stolen a human item of high value and does not want to give it back.
Some new dog owners will allow the aggression, not understanding it themselves, in the hopes the puppy will grow out of it. They may even make excuses: that dogs must be left alone during their dinner time, or the toy belongs to the dog so the growling is OK. I have even heard some dog owners tell me that the reason their dog is guarding the particular item is because the dog thinks it's a baby.
Right! (I say that with eyes rolling and a head shake.)
I understand why people make excuses for their dog's possessive behaviour, but regardless, resource guarding behaviour should never be tolerated in any circumstance, ever, because it will escalate and someone will get hurt!
It is better to be proactive and prevent a behaviour from developing further. There should always be a clear set of rules around items a dog could potentially guard.
When I have puppies they're taught there is a five-foot radius around me and the food bowl. They are taught to lie down and be calm when I am mixing their food. If they are agitated, rowdy or demanding I wait until they are calm and in neutral. I prefer not to use a command to release the dog from the position as this tends to generate more anxiety while the dog is waiting for the food. Instead, when the dog is calm I place the food in front of them instead of releasing them and having them rush to the food bowl. The calm energy generated around the food bowl from the get-go allows me to take the bowl away during feeding as well as put my hand in the bowl while the dogs are eating.
As the pack alpha I am able to claim any item my dogs may have, be it a toy, bone or my favourite sock. This training is done separately from their feeding time and part of their everyday life routine.
I do not allow the young dog to approach me - ever - without my invitation. No matter how much I want to cuddle with a puppy they get no affection if they are jumping on me or demanding attention in any way. This teaches them to respect my personal space everywhere we go. So when I approach the puppy they automatically know to back off from the item, bed or food bowl. Puppies know how to do this naturally, from their mother. I'm not teaching them anything new and it is far from being cruel.
If your puppy is showing any degree of aggression towards anything seek the help of a professional dog trainer now. Don't let a small problem escalate into a big problem because the bigger the problem, the harder it is to fix.
