When, where, and how to feed your dog to eliminate begging, fighting, and guarding.

If you just dump food in his bowl and deposit it on the floor, you miss a golden training opportunity – and you might actually reinforce undesirable behaviors.

A wise dog owner understands the importance of mealtime and uses it to their advantage. Your dog’s feeding ritual can be used to reinforce good manners, practice deference exercises, and encourage a positive association with food, food bowls, feeding, and the presence of humans in the vicinity of his hallowed feeding vessel.

YOU decide When…YOU decide what.
When you feed your dog specific amounts of food at specific times, there are advantages:

You can monitor intake.
If you feed meals, you’ll know the instant Buster goes off his feed – sometimes the first sign that he’s not feeling well. If you just keep the bowl topped off, it may be a day or two before you realize he’s not eating.

You minimize your dog’s opportunities to guard his food.
If there’s always food in the bowl, your dog might just decide he needs to protect his valuable resource and the territory around it.

You can utilize feeding time as training time.
Teach him good manners and impulse control by reinforcing a “Sit/Wait” behavior while you place the bowl on the floor, then give him the cue to eat.

You can use his meals as training treats.
This is particularly useful for building a relationship with a dog who’s not convinced he needs you. If all good things, including meals, come directly from your hand, he’s more likely to decide you’re important in his life.

You can control your dog’s weight.
Is he looking a tad too prosperous? Cut back a few calories from his portions. Looking a little ribby? Add an extra half-cup to his bowl.

You may spark his appetite.
Offering food, leaving it down for 10-15 minutes, then picking it up, can teach a picky eater to take advantage when he can, or wait for the next meal.

Food fight!
If your multi-dog household erupts into all-out war during meals, it’s time for a serious management plan. Depending on the intensity of the conflict, you can… feed in opposite corners of the room and play referee – making sure one dog doesn’t approach or threaten another, and picking up bowls when dinner’s over to remove the high-value, guardable object. Feed in opposite corners of the room and put all dogs on tethers to ensure they don’t threaten each other. Feed in different rooms with closed doors or baby gates in between to prevent conflict. Feed in crates, far enough apart that guarding isn’t an issue.

Guarding from humans
Dogs who guard their food from humans are a significant threat. If the only thing the dog guards is his food bowl, manage the behavior by feeding him in a separate room, with the door closed, and inviting him out before you go in to pick up the empty bowl.

If you have a puppy, start early by associating your presence near his bowl with good stuff; drop yummy tidbits into his bowl as he’s eating so he doesn’t feel threatened by your presence. Don’t allow family members to tease or torment him at the food bowl, and if he does exhibit signs of guarding, don’t punish! Punishment will only convince him that you’re a threat to his food – you have to work harder to convince him you’re not.