Puppy started growling help!

[mrsmarzipan]

Hi am after some advice from you lovely experienced dog owners! Our gorgeous lab puppy who is four months old had suddenly started growling if approached when she is eating. She is calm and good natured usually but out of the blue last week growled at my little boy who is three when he stood next to her food bowl. At first I thought it was just the bowl scraping along the floor so decided to do nothing and keep an eye on it. She then growled at me when I tried to retrieve a corn on the cob which baby had dropped from his high chair as she could have choked. I said no firmly and put her outside after removing the corn. This morning she growled again when my little boy stood next to her after he put her food bowl down for her. What if anything can I do about it and am I right to be concerned? I do get the kids to leave her alone and give her space but am worried this behaviour will escalate to toys etc... Thanks!

Interrupt the dog while eating, and if it growls, put it into a sit, and give it something incredibly tasty. A bit of sausage usually does the trick.
If it doesn't growl, just give the sausage and praise. Do often enough, (but not every mealtime) and you should be able to take away dog's food without it complaining.

Add tasty stuff to the bowl while she's eating, as above or just drop it in from a safe distance if you're liable to be attacked and gradually you will be able to get closer.

Give her a favourite toy, show tasty treat, when she drops the toy give the command drop, feed treat, give toy back.

Always to try to swap for something better that she is allowed, until she is happy to drop on command. I used to keep little tubs of cheese in every room when I was having issues with my dog, or a treat bag on your belt would work too.

Great advice thank you will give it a go at breakfast time and see what she does!

Also my DM found removing the food when she's finished instead of leaving it so she is in control (you may already do this)

And when you give her the food, make her sit and wait until you want her to have it.

Oh oh and always feed her after the rest of the family. Never before.

LST Labrador? Food left over?

(you're spot on though, left over food should be removed)

This needs dealing with straightaway. Your dog is trying to move up the pecking order in the household. Our labrador did this when she was younger and I acted promptly to put her back in her place. She was trained to sit for her food and will regularly offer her paw. In return, her privacy is respected when she eats.

She has to wait for her meal until everyone else is finished, she never received rewards for not growling.

At first she would whine loudly whilst we ate our meal, but I resolved that by putting her outside thus making her wait longer. She learnt very quickly.

Our children understand that the dog should be left alone whilst eating, but by the same token children come first and it is intolerable for any dog to threaten their safety.

Labradors are very greedy, food focussed dogs but they are also loving, sweet natured, easy going dogs but they do need a firm hand and training.

The interrupt method worked for little dog.
I moved the food away and if he growled, put him in to sit and gave him a fish finger (he loves them, they are a "special" treat.
After a few days he did growl, he would just sit and wait.

Now I can stand next to him whilst he eats, move his bowl etc.

I do make sure the DCs don't go and bother him whilst he is eating though, the same way he knows not to bother us when we eat.

My dog is trying to move up the pack also. He's gone'd 'n got himself a job He tells me now he is buying his own food and paying his own way he is equal to us

He also feeds himself, walks himself, washes himself and oh wait, no... that's not right

He cannot do any of things, he has no opposable thumbs. I am the one with the job and the thumbs to open the food and the doors. I am leader by default without the need for useless rules and anecdotes about who eats first.

FWIW my dogs all eat before me. None of them are food aggressive. They on the sofa with the 'ooman people too

d0oin, mine eat before us, sit on the sofa and sleep in my bed!
In fact DH had to sleep in the spare room on Saturday because both our dogs and the foster dog wanted to sleep in the bed.

We don't have any of this alpha dog/person, leader of the pack malarkey here either.

They even come in the door before me....and go upstairs before me.

Mine goes through doors after me, but only because I despise bastard tripping over bastard dogs.

Thanks for all the advice! I have been occasionally interrupting her when eating to offer her a tasty treat such as a bit of cheese and now she will stop eating and sit quite happily now if asked. She already has to lie in her bed whilst we eat and not snatch any food falling on the floor and always eats after us. Am happy now that she won't growl at me so will start getting kids to drop the occasional treat in her bowl too. Am trying to get kids to understand that she needs her own space and how would they feel if she annoyed them when eating (and also how much they'd love her if she said stop eating your pasta, here is some ice cream instead!)