[Dailydrool] Food aggression--just my opinion

[Drew McQuade]

<<I can't help being a little gun shy right now whenever I have an owner 
call
wanting to give up a dog and they use the word "aggressive" to describe the
dog.>>

Melissa:
I'm sure you've seen more aggressive dogs than I ever will, and I thoroughly 
understand your attitude, because any kind of aggression is serious. I 
appreciate the work you do with hounds, and I'm not trying to criticise, but 
I'd like to speak up a bit here for hounds with food aggression. I'd just 
like to say that not all of them are hopeless causes.

Our Belvedere came to us food aggressive. He'd been, as far as I could 
guess, in about four homes before he came here. We figured out the problem 
quickly and at first I was quite nervous about it. But, with time and 
security, he's almost lost his aggression. Today, when I am doubtful about 
his reaction (as when he has something in his mouth that I need to get out), 
I simply make a trade for a really good treat. I feed him separately from 
Jane and Abner, because he would easily attack Abner, and I'm not taking 
chances. You can't be naive about the risks of having a food aggressive dog. 
But, apart from my having to make sure Bel never gets the idea that Abner 
got a treat and he didn't, it hasn't been a disaster. Bel's had "sound and 
fury" events with Abner, but he's never bitten anyone, dog or human.

I'm sure many other dogs have much worse aggression than Bel. Our only food 
aggressive foster introduced me to this fact when he went counter cruising. 
I tried to stop him and got bitten twice--once after I had let him go. 
Eventually he found a home with an extraordinarily dog-savvy person who 
feeds him in his crate. It's not everyone who should own a food-aggressive 
dog, especially in such serious cases. I also wish that when people give up 
dogs with aggression that they would be completely honest about what they've 
seen and any methods they've used to address the problem.

I'm not saying every food aggressive dog can be easily rehabilitated. Some 
won't do trades and will exhibit other guarding behaviors. But it seemed 
from the description on the Drool that this dog's people had done well on 
it. Maybe their dog wasn't perfect, but I wonder if he would become the 
problem you feared.

I get so angry when I see the "Animal Cops" program, and they kill a dog 
because it shows some food aggression. Mild cases can be worked with, I 
think. Such a dog should not go to a home where small children will be 
around. But thankfully, there are some of us who do not have children or 
grandchildren to endanger. And we are willing to be watchful at all times 
when children are near and have food. In all his years, Bel has never so 
much as threatened a small child. In fact, he likes them and even once 
protected a child he thought was endangered.

Drew and I were not all that basset experienced when we started working with 
Bel. I think the thing that worked best for us was supplying the security of 
a good home. I hope the folks who wanted to turn in this dog do keep it. 
Certainly getting passed around more will not help him. I'm so glad you are 
trying to work with the family to make that happen. But if they do give him 
up, perhaps someone can get more details and see if aggression is likely to 
be an issue in another home. The ironic thing is that sometimes 
food-aggressive dogs are very loving, apart from the food issue. Bel surely 
is.
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets