Dog has bitten two times now...what can we do?

[onestepat]

We rescued a dog from the kennels a year ago and he has bitten twice now and tried a few times.
All food related.
The first time I had put some chicken on a plate for him,I noticed some had fallen on the floor so I went to put it back on the plate and he bit me.
The second time yesterday my dad went to give him some chicken,he put it down(where he was lying ) his other hand was close and he bit the other hand.
The other time he tried to bite me was when I went too close to my dad and nudged his arm (I think the dog thought I was going to hit my dad)
What can we do ?

[PennyInMyPocket]

The op is looking for advice other dog owners have gone through similar not everybody is equipped to access a behaviourist immediately and looking for tips so I think people can ask strangers on the internet

There you go. You know best 🙄

OP ignore all advice about not hand feeding. Bring in a recommended, qualified behaviourist. Joe Bloggs on the internet will not be able to give you sound advice. You need someone who you can speak to, and who can get to know your dog in order to effectively work with him.

Nobody else can advise - especially Mrs Jay who thinks what worked for her dog will work for yours. No two dogs have experienced exactly the same abuse.

Honestly, you need to bring in an expert to help your dog. Anyone can place food in a dogs bowl, close the door and let him eat. That is not the way forward for your dogs social learning.

I have rehomed many dogs - Most with resource guarding issues. I have learnt many strategies for dealing with their, unique, issues, from behaviourists. I will not advise you because what works for one will not work for another.

Your dog deserves the best result for him, and your family, without going around the mulberry bush and potentially making the problem worse. Good Luck!

[rhowton]

Our rescue dog was like this. I just sat next to him every time he ate, because he always thought someone was going to steal it from him. I just sat next to him, facing away but talked to him.

[Whoknowswhocares]

Even up with the appropriate level of knowledge, internet advice on aggression issues is a huge no no.
I AM a behaviourist but even I wouldn’t consider offering advice over the internet. It’s risky to oversimplify and there is no substitute for a full history, especially for aggression issues.

OP, I hope your dad is ok. Most behaviourists will offer over the phone advice to tide you over until they can see you. Ask your vet for a referral.

[Wolfiefan]

Haha Mrs me too.

[MasakaBuzz]

My rescue dog can be aggressive around food. 8 years on she is so much better. I have always had a rule, no mouthing not even in play.

She growled at me over a bone in the early days. Rightly or wrongly I scruffed her and gave her an almighty bollocking before giving the bone straight back. She has learnt that there is no point in getting her up about it. It invariably comes straight back. On rare occasions if it doesn’t, it’s swapped for something else (if she has found chocolate for example).

I have also taught her that treats and food only come the way of dogs with their bottom on the floor. Asking nicely for something scores most of the time. Pushing and jumping up gets nothing.

Lots of praise for good attitude, and no response for bad. If I ever have other dogs here, they are fed separately.

I also try very hard, not to set her up to fail. I do make her leave the bowl first. Now she is fine with me interfering with her bowl, because I only do so to add something to it. And very, very occasionally that something might just be ice cream.............!!!

[Mrsjayy]

Oh yes sorry I was replying to you wolfiefan but too lazy to quote

[Wolfiefan]

Sorry Mrsjayy that was to a PP.

[Mrsjayy]

And that too.

[Wolfiefan]

And the advice most have given is consult a behaviourist.

[Mrsjayy]

The op is looking for advice other dog owners have gone through similar not everybody is equipped to access a behaviourist immediately and looking for tips so I think people can ask strangers on the internet,

[PennyInMyPocket]

You won’t get appropriate advice from strangers on the internet OP. Your dogs behaviour is typical of a dog that has been abused all his life. Thank you for helping him. You need a behaviourist who can work with you and your dog to help him overcome his anxiety around food. There is no one size fits all. It’s a case of knowing your dog and exploring different strategies that work best for him. Someone can only do that when they know your dog.

Your vet should be able to recommend a good qualified behaviourist.

[Wolfiefan]

Of course you love your dad! And the dog. It’s just very challenging behaviour and it’s very easy to make it worse with the wrong advice. Good luck finding a good behaviourist.

[onestepat]

Dads at a&e now
Just waiting for him now
We love the dog to bits as well

[Wolfiefan]

Mine have high value stuff in the garden! I put it out there then come in and let them out! They don’t hide it though or mess about. They eat it and come in when they’re done.
Puppy is crate trained. She has her food in a pen. It’s her safe space. So I put the food in and then get out the way and let her in to eat. She comes out then I remove the bowl once she’s out the room. (Wouldn’t work if you’re dog isn’t happy with a crate!)
If someone gave me my favourite meal and tried to take it back then I can’t guarantee I would just sit there and let them. And if the dog has maybe gone without food in the past due to prior abuse? You can see why it would guard it.
Your vet may also be able to suggest a behaviourist.

[Glitterb]

You have done a lovely thing giving him a home, OP.

I would be inclined to speak to a behaviour specialist, just because of his past etc. Food can be such a trigger for dogs like this and personally I would hate to make it worse!

[vanillandhoney]

He's resource guarding and the only way to solve it is to get the help of an accredited behaviourist - please don't try anything you read online. Dogs are complex and someone could inadvertently cause more harm than good.

[Mrsjayy]

That's the thing isn't it they need to feel secure feeding nice food seems a lovely kind gesture but it can cause anxiety in dogs they are complex creatures.

[Wolfiefan]

I hope your dad is ok. I saw that thread.
Definitely a really good behaviourist. I agree with the food issue sounding like resource guarding.
Dog training advice and support on FB could point you to a behaviourist in your area. You need a good one and it’s not a properly regulated business.
High value food and fear of violence are clearly triggers. Can you put the food down somewhere safe (when the dog is elsewhere), then let the dog approach the food and leave. Shut the door or pen or whatever. Make sure the dog feels secure?
Good luck.

[userxx]

We've had a food reactive rescue dog in the past. Food was always placed in her bowl and she was left along when eating,

[JoeExoticsPrinceAlbert]

I saw your other thread, did your dad go to A&E this morning? And I agree that the best thing to do would be get a behaviourist in. Hope you and your dad are OK too 💐

[Mrsjayy]

We had a veterinarian behaviourist she was amazing and we had supportive aftercare too.

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

Poor dog. I dont know if he is beyond fixing. Id be careful leaving him around children.

It's incredibly rare for any dog to be beyond fixing, and the OP's dog certainly doesn't sound like he falls into that category. He may never be temperamentally bombproof (most dogs aren't anyway, regardless of background), but I'm sure he will be a perfectly nice dog for the OP and her dad.

Regardless of behaviour issues, NO dog should be left unsupervised with children.

[PlanDeRaccordement]

It’s a reflex that a dog which has been starved will develop. They can’t help it. I agree, do not hand feed and when you’ve put food down, leave it to the dog. Don’t be reaching for food or near the dogs head when he’s eating. After a year, you might be able to pat him on the back when he’s eating in reassurance. But you have to wait until the dog knows your home is his forever home and he’s relaxed and secure. You’ll know this by his day to day behaviour. So I agree talk to a behaviourist they will come and watch the dog and educate you on how a relaxed and secure dogs body language looks like.
Also, if you have any preteen children do not ever leave them alone with the dog. You didn’t mention children, but I thought I should mention that.

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

The two chicken-related incidents sound a lot like resource guarding. It's a perfectly rational behaviour in many ways - if someone tried to take something from you that you regarded as valuable - be it a nice slice of cake or your mobile phone, you'd be doing something about it too. This is likely to be heightened in a dog that has been previously left seriously hungry, and so will attach more value to food. Obviously, however, it's an undesirable behaviour.

To manage the behaviour, I'd be putting the dog's food in the bowl and then leaving well alone until the dog has finished eating and has gone off to do something else. If chicken falls on the floor, leave it, the dog will find it anyway!

The standard advice for preventing resource guarding from becoming an issue would be to add more food to the dog's bowl whenever you approach it, so that the dog sees your approach as being a good thing. However, that may be bit high risk for a dog that already has issues around food.

The other time he tried to bite me was when I went too close to my dad and nudged his arm (I think the dog thought I was going to hit my dad)
He immediately realised he had done wrong.
Went over to my dad and started trying to lick him and sat next to him.

So it sounds as if the dog thought there was going to be aggression (perhaps he's witnessed domestic violence in the past?) and got a bit confused. He did, however, stop himself from actually biting (no real pressure applied?) and then realised his error.

It's harder to know what to do about this one, but I would take comfort from the fact that the dog didn't properly bite, realised his error and then displayed some bonding type behaviours. It may just be part of the healing process your dog is going through, finally realising he's safe now.

I agree with others that you'd benefit from a session with a behaviourist - look for someone CCAB or APBC accredited. You'll need a referral via your vet, which is normal, as they have to rule out physical causes first (e.g. pain is a common cause of grumpy, snappy dogs).

[Crocky]

There is a training thing that I’ve seen for the food guarding. Unhelpfully I can’t remember where I’ve seen it but a trainer should be able to help. I’m not going to be able to describe it well but you use a few bowls in a room. Drop food in a bowl, move away quickly, drop food in the next bowl. Over time you work to not having to move away. It’s to do with the dog learning that they can trust you not to take the food.