Food bowl manners

Food bowl manners

A 9 to 12 month old puppy is growing up and as he develops it is important to teach him to allow humans to approach his food bowl – even when he is eating. Having a puppy with good food bowl habits is something every family wants but few people know how to go about teaching. Training your pup to enjoy human approach takes some time but it is not a difficult process. (It is best to do this training away from children so they don't imitate you.)

Step one: Put a small amount of food in your pup's bowl. When he finishes it, go over and put some more in his bowl. Continue this until his whole meal is eaten.

Goal: For your pup to eagerly anticipate your approach.

Step two: Once his tail is wagging as you approach his empty bowl, you can start approaching while he is still eating.

Goal: For your pup to be as happy about your approach as in step one.

Step three: Put down his whole meal. As he eats, add a special treat to his bowl. Do this a few times each meal. Be sure to speak to him kindly as you approach and stroke him as you drop the goodie into his bowl.

Goal: For him to stay relaxed throughout his meal.

Step four: Go to your pup as he eats, pick up the bowl mid-meal, add some treats to his bowl and then put it immediately back down. Stay and stroke him for a moment. Most pups don't mind this once they realize you're adding in some extra treats. Only do this once every few meals because you don't want this to become an annoyance.

Goal: To prevent your puppy from becoming possessive of his food bowl.

Going the extra mile

Is your puppy still relaxed? Try stepping quickly toward his bowl, then drop in a treat. Gently bump into him while he eats, then drop a treat into his bowl. Roll toys near him while he's eating and lunge to retrieve them – imitate a child playing. Even if your child is well mannered, your child's friends may not be, so prepare your pup for all eventualities.

Goal: For your puppy to learn that people may be a bit annoying and bumbling but they mean well and bear good things.

Again, do this every so often – not every meal. If your pup glares at you, freezes mid-chew, growls during any of this training, or if you feel nervous for any reason, get help from acompetent trainer or behaviorist.

Multiple dogs

If you have two puppies or a puppy and an older dog, feed them separately. You can crate them. You can tether them (always supervised and on non-tightening collars). You can feed them in separate rooms. Do not allow one dog to intrude on the other's food bowl. While some dogs don't seem to mind intrusions, it is wise to take precautions to prevent possible problems.

Puppies and cats

Feed cats beyond your puppy's reach because cat food is irresistible to many pups. Using a baby gate to keep him out of the room that houses the cat food, or feeding the cat on top of something tall are simple ways to achieve this goal.

With a bit of effort meals can be a peaceful, tail wagging time at your house.