Ask A Dog Trainer: How do I stop food possession?

Q: How do I stop food possession?

A: Food is a ritualistic experience for dogs, they're driven by their stomachs, and food is a very strong influence over their psychology. Therefore, it's very important that we control the process of how and when they eat.

If you want to prevent your dog from future food possession, or if you're working with a dog who is already food possessive, you need to be 100% regimented with your routine daily. Exercise your dog first, allow them at least an hour to cool off afterwords, and then prepare their food. They need to earn the right to eat and know that you are the one who owns the food.

Before feeding them, make sure they're in a patient position waiting with a leash on, and that they're more focused on you than on the food. You should be able to leave the food on the floor, stand up tall and your dog making eye contact with you, watching you, waiting for you before they're allowed to eat.

Once you've called them forward, you should be able to at any given time while they're eating, take their food back and be in control of it and them to willingly give up their space and let you have "your food" back. If you're too afraid to do this because your dog is already aggressive around food, consult a professional immediately and have them work with the dog first.