Mary Allen
Dogs instinctively feel the need to defend their resources. This natural behavior can lead to food envy if a four-legged friend fears that someone will contest their food or that they will not get enough. Food envy can be expressed in dogs both towards people and towards other dogs. But what can be done about it?
When dogs constantly defend their food, we are talking about food envy. Dogs have an innate instinct to protect vital food. But if the food envy degenerates into aggression towards other dogs or people, you should act.
Jealousy About Food: When Dogs Fight Over the Bowl
The term “feed envy” initially sounds like harmless bickering over the best piece of meat. However, it is a dog’s survival instinct that comes into play. Food is one of the essential resources that must be defended if someone tries to take it. This means that food envy develops in particular in dogs that have had to fight for their food, have often been neglected or, even as puppies, their siblings did not always let them touch their mother’s teats. They need to learn that they don’t have to defend their food against you or other canine friends in the household.
Food Envy Towards Conspecifics: What to Do?
It takes time and patience to break the habit of dog food envy. Dogs must understand that the food in their bowl is theirs and that no one can take it away from them. To do this, it must be ensured that neither another dog nor you disturb it while it is eating or even “steal” its food. Some dogs tend to be gluttonous and will take any food they can get their hands on, whether it’s their bowl or not. This can lead to or worsen food jealousy.
It is best if you serve the food to the food thief and the food jealous separately. In any case, it is advisable not to feed several dogs in the same household too close together, so that food envy does not become a problem in the first place. First, give your dogs food in separate rooms and make sure that both are left alone and feel safe and secure. Over time, the food-jealous dog realizes that he has his bowl to himself and doesn’t need to worry about someone “stealing” his food and not getting enough. Later you can try to feed the dogs in the same room but in different corners.
When Dogs are Aggressive Towards Humans When Feeding
If dogs have had too many bad experiences with food throughout their lives, this can develop into such strong food envy that not only the food itself is defended as a precaution. The aggressive behavior can extend to the bowl and the feeding area, making it difficult for the dog owner to approach the four-legged friend safely when he is in the room with his feeding area. Patience and calm help here too. Put the bowl of food in front of your dog and leave the room. Let him eat alone and only remove the bowl when it is empty and your dog has left the room on his own. Little by little he understands that his food is not in danger and that he does not need to defend it.
However, this can be difficult, especially with deep-seated food envy. If you can no longer cope on your own, you should contact an experienced dog trainer or, in extreme cases of aggression, consider problem dog therapy.