[Dailydrool] The egg plate

[Pamela McQuade]

Dale:
Our Belvedere came to us very insecure and with a real food aggression 
issue. He was my first foster and adoptee, and at first I was rather 
nervous about the situation. But I followed the directions on food 
aggression and fed him by hand. I also made sure he was separated from 
the other hound(s) when he ate.

Like you, after a while I found out that as he became more secure, he 
lost the aggression. He always knew he would get a treat, because I was 
rigorous about making sure the whole pack got a treat whenever they were 
handed out. At first, I always did it in pack order. Bel was second, and 
he got to know that after Jane got her treat, he got his. As long as I 
followed that order, he was fine. Eventually, I could give treats in any 
order I felt like giving them, and he still had no problem.

When I see Animal Planet programs in which shelters kill food aggressive 
dogs, it makes me crazy. I know they can be rehabilitated, but not in a 
shelter environment. They need security, which only a home can give 
them. I think a rescue needs to be very careful about screening a home 
for a dog with this issue, but an all-adult, dog-savvy home that does 
not have children visit can be the perfect solution.

By the end of his life, Bel almost never had aggression issues. When he 
did, it was with a dog who was lower in the pack order. I cannot 
remember his hurting another dog--it was mostly sound and fury.

I am so glad your Snoopy is doing well with this issue. I hope he 
continues to improve, but I would never completely trust him. You never 
know when a relapse can occur, so keep an eye on him when he's with the 
other dogs. Better safe that sorry.
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets