Sherman – Food Aggression Case Study

I have had many cases before where clients come to me talking about how well-behaved their dog is – completely housebroken, shows excellent leash behavior, is super lovable and cuddly, responds well to commands, and overall, is a very good dog. After that is when the “but” comes in. All the dogs I have encountered with my training business here in Baltimore always show redeeming qualities and signs of hope and progress. Many times a dog will be fantastic example of how a dog should be…BUT, there’s one or two behaviors that are out of control and need to be fixed.

Take Sherman here, for example. This sweet guy is almost like a dream dog – well-behaved, loves to please his owners, doesn’t cause a fuss with dogs or people, doesn’t beg, so on and so forth. However, Sherman has a massive problem, and that problem is driving his owners, Jesse and Tara, up the wall.

Sherman, while he loves to please and is a good boy, has a severe case of food aggression. Food aggression or any type of resource guarding is caused by insecurity. Some owners hypothesize that their dog’s food aggression may stem back to a time before they even had the dog – “Maybe the dog was starved by the previous owner”, or “Maybe at the foster home the dog was competing with the other dogs there all the time, including with the food.” Whatever the actual cause was, we know that now the dog feels unsure and feels the need to protect what is his/hers. With my training, I want to not only get rid of the violent bites, aggressive growls, or disturbing lunges, but to eliminate that insecurity that is causing this inappropriate behavior.

For Sherman’s case, we had to set everything up where we can create a comfortable environment and where Sherman felt safe and relaxed. Before training, with his meals (which he gets 3x a day), Sherman would not allow anyone, including owners Jesse and Tara, to come near. Sherman would not even put up with anyone simply standing in the same room with him while he ate. If anyone dared, there would be low a rumbling growl. It then escalated to bared teeth and an intense, fixated stare. If it got further than that, Sherman would then snap and sometimes even lunge aggressively, with full intent to bite.

With a reward-based training regimen set up for Sherman and his family, Sherman can now see that his behavior was not only inappropriate, but unnecessary. We have guided Sherman to a place of newfound self-confidence and respect, and we also made sure that owners Jesse and Tara were consistent, unfaltering leaders for their dog. We have taken away opportunities for Sherman to get in trouble, and showed him other better options to choose, ones that end with praise, reward, less anxiety, and a full belly!

It is very important with any issues, but especially aggression cases, that we do not immediately or forcibly confront the problem until we have established a foundation of obedience, focus, and trust. Through gradual focus-building and value-monitoring exercises, Sherman has now reached the point where Jesse and Tara can even pet him while he munches down on dinner. There’s not a single peep from him, other than chewing, and now with the trust and obedience instilled, Sherman is showing a much more independent and calmer demeanor.

If your dog suffers from any sort of aggressive behavior, it is important that you address the situation immediately! Give me a call at 410.844.6611 for any questions or if you’re ready to get your dog’s behavioral problems under control!