What to do when dogs bare their teeth to guard food? When dogs are with people or other dogs, if you approach them while they're eating, they will bare their teeth and growl. Most people have tried to train their dogs not to guard food, but the effect is often not obvious. Today, the editor has compiled some solutions for dog food guarding for those in need to refer to.

What to do when dogs guard food? How to solve dog food guarding?

What to do when dogs bare their teeth to guard food? Food is very precious to dogs, so training a dog not to guard food requires some patience. Don’t snatch its things at the start, as this is quite dangerous. Dogs usually have food guarding habits, but the degree varies for each dog. Most dogs do not allow anyone to touch them while eating, forbid others from approaching their food within one meter, or take food to somewhere out of sight to eat. In severe cases, they might bite the owner’s finger. Food guarding in dogs is a bad behavior. If this behavior is not corrected during puppyhood, it may develop into guarding toys and territory, eventually leading to aggression towards humans.

What to do when dogs bare their teeth to guard food? Many people advocate using “hitting” to correct the bad habit of food guarding, but this is not feasible. Because guarding food is an instinct, innate from birth. Hitting a dog while it guards food will have the opposite effect, only increasing its desire to protect the food. It’s better to teach dogs dining etiquette from an early age to prevent this behavior. You can try the following methods.

What to do when dogs bare their teeth to guard food? Often feed the dog from your hand. This feeding method is very safe; the dog will lick the food and won’t bite your hand. After the dog gets used to it, you can try holding the bowl in your hand and feed your puppy directly.

What to do when dogs guard food? How to solve dog food guarding?

What to do when dogs bare their teeth to guard food? Let the dog get used to having people around during mealtime. When you feed it, first place your hand on its body, gently stroke it while pouring food into its bowl. Do not stop stroking while it eats; keep the motions slow and gentle, and talk to it, so it trusts you will not steal its food. Don’t rush the stroking; go according to the dog’s acceptance. You can start by stroking the dog’s hindquarters, and once it does not resist, gradually move toward the head (this process may take several days).

Once the dog adapts to having people nearby and being touched during meals, begin to try removing the food bowl.

What to do when dogs bare their teeth to guard food? If you notice threatening signs, such as wrinkling the nose, making a huffing sound, or glancing sideways at people, loudly scold it and take away the food. When it calms down, praise it, stroke it while saying “good,” then give the bowl again. Repeat this continuously until it no longer resists.

What to do when dogs bare their teeth to guard food? This is a dog’s instinct. Because wild ancestors of dogs found it very difficult to gather food, they had to quickly eat food to avoid losing it. However, eating too fast is not good for dogs and can easily cause vomiting. Vomiting may lead to acid reflux, and long-term it can cause chronic gastritis or esophagitis. Therefore, it is important to cultivate good eating habits in dogs from an early age.

What to do when dogs bare their teeth to guard food? Method: If a dog has developed the habit of eating too fast, divide the meal into multiple feedings. After eating one portion, let it rest briefly before giving a small portion again, allowing the owner to control the eating speed.