I have posted here a few times and love the info I find here and just
listening to you all and seeing all your lovely pets...I know I will
probably have some 'not so nice' responses here, but I have to ask all of
you about a situation that is starting to cause
conflict in the household...my large(about 60 lbs)terrier/hound mix Buddy is
almost 2 years old, and I
have a son that is almost 3 yrs old...my son hand feeds the dog his dog
biscuits and sometimes his regular dog food...Buddy is a dog I've had since
he was 5 weeks old...he grew up in the house with the baby...I also have 2
cats...Buddy is a very fast eater(inhales his food)...I've tried free
feeding to remedy this, but it doesn't seem to work for me/Buddy...twice in
the past he has snapped at the cats when they got too close while he was
eating...he never made contact...and he sometimes will make a noise
somewhere between a bark and a growl, but will never lift his head from the
dish(like a warning, or something)...well twice in the last month, he has
done this growl/bark thing to my son...again, never moves any part of his
body, just makes a noise...my bf is about to throw Buddy out, says his son
is more important then the dog, and I feel the same, but don't want anything
to happen to either of them...I feel it can be remedied by feeding the dog
in another room or while the baby is napping(which I have been doing for the
past week)or that some other arrangements can be made...I don't feel that it
is a 'put the dog out' situation...I just feel they need to be supervised at
all times(which they are), and that other feeding arrangements have to be
made...please any opinions or input/suggestions would be greatly
appreciated...thanks...Until next time, Becky...

In my opinion a dog should not be disturbed while eating. That is about the
only time I find it acceptable for the dog to growl at a human. You as his
mistress should naturally be able to take his bowl away from him, but he
doesn't have to accept other people disturbing him while he eats. Even if
pushed he might never even try to snap at your son, but it is best not to
try it.

So teach your son that a sleeping and eating dog is tabu - never to be
disturbed. Feed your dog so that you keep the child away from him, or in
another room.

For your husband, just because a dog growls it doesn't have to be very
serious. Some dogs are more vocal than others. A growl without the
aggressive bodylanguage isn't half as bad as bared teeth without a sound -
this is in my experience.
I dislike growling dogs, but I have lived with and been in a lot of contact
with a couple of growlers. Neither one ever tried to bite me, even tho I
confronted them when they growled. They would even go down and expose their
bellies and _still_ growl. So growling doesn't necessarily mean the dog is
going to go for your throat.

It is best to always expect the worse and take no chances - so avoid
situations where your dog might growl at your son. I would however not give
up on him because of a few growls - his food is important to him, and he
wants to enjoy it in peace. In my opinion he has the right to do so.

Rosa

In my opinion a dog should not be disturbed while eating. That is about the
only time I find it acceptable for the dog to growl at a human. You as his
mistress should naturally be able to take his bowl away from him, but he
doesn't have to accept other people disturbing him while he eats. Even if
pushed he might never even try to snap at your son, but it is best not to
try it.

So teach your son that a sleeping and eating dog is tabu - never to be
disturbed. Feed your dog so that you keep the child away from him, or in
another room.

For your husband, just because a dog growls it doesn't have to be very
serious. Some dogs are more vocal than others. A growl without the
aggressive bodylanguage isn't half as bad as bared teeth without a sound -
this is in my experience.
I dislike growling dogs, but I have lived with and been in a lot of contact
with a couple of growlers. Neither one ever tried to bite me, even tho I
confronted them when they growled. They would even go down and expose their
bellies and _still_ growl. So growling doesn't necessarily mean the dog is
going to go for your throat.

It is best to always expect the worse and take no chances - so avoid
situations where your dog might growl at your son. I would however not give
up on him because of a few growls - his food is important to him, and he
wants to enjoy it in peace. In my opinion he has the right to do so.

Rosa

In my opinion a dog should not be disturbed while eating. That is about the
only time I find it acceptable for the dog to growl at a human. You as his
mistress should naturally be able to take his bowl away from him, but he
doesn't have to accept other people disturbing him while he eats. Even if
pushed he might never even try to snap at your son, but it is best not to
try it.

So teach your son that a sleeping and eating dog is tabu - never to be
disturbed. Feed your dog so that you keep the child away from him, or in
another room.

For your husband, just because a dog growls it doesn't have to be very
serious. Some dogs are more vocal than others. A growl without the
aggressive bodylanguage isn't half as bad as bared teeth without a sound -
this is in my experience.
I dislike growling dogs, but I have lived with and been in a lot of contact
with a couple of growlers. Neither one ever tried to bite me, even tho I
confronted them when they growled. They would even go down and expose their
bellies and _still_ growl. So growling doesn't necessarily mean the dog is
going to go for your throat.

It is best to always expect the worse and take no chances - so avoid
situations where your dog might growl at your son. I would however not give
up on him because of a few growls - his food is important to him, and he
wants to enjoy it in peace. In my opinion he has the right to do so.

Rosa

In my opinion a dog should not be disturbed while eating. That is about the
only time I find it acceptable for the dog to growl at a human. You as his
mistress should naturally be able to take his bowl away from him, but he
doesn't have to accept other people disturbing him while he eats. Even if
pushed he might never even try to snap at your son, but it is best not to
try it.

So teach your son that a sleeping and eating dog is tabu - never to be
disturbed. Feed your dog so that you keep the child away from him, or in
another room.

For your husband, just because a dog growls it doesn't have to be very
serious. Some dogs are more vocal than others. A growl without the
aggressive bodylanguage isn't half as bad as bared teeth without a sound -
this is in my experience.
I dislike growling dogs, but I have lived with and been in a lot of contact
with a couple of growlers. Neither one ever tried to bite me, even tho I
confronted them when they growled. They would even go down and expose their
bellies and _still_ growl. So growling doesn't necessarily mean the dog is
going to go for your throat.

It is best to always expect the worse and take no chances - so avoid
situations where your dog might growl at your son. I would however not give
up on him because of a few growls - his food is important to him, and he
wants to enjoy it in peace. In my opinion he has the right to do so.

Rosa

On Wed, 4 Feb 2004 03:56:15 -0500, "Becky"
wrote:

I feel it can be remedied by feeding the dog
in another room or while the baby is napping(which I have been doing for the
past week)or that some other arrangements can be made...I don't feel that it
is a 'put the dog out' situation...I just feel they need to be supervised at
all times(which they are), and that other feeding arrangements have to be
made...please any opinions or input/suggestions would be greatly
appreciated...thanks...Until next time, Becky...


I agree with you. If Buddy starts snapping at the kid in other
situations, then it's a different story. Otherwise, feed him away
from the kid and everyone should be ok.

Charlie

On Wed, 4 Feb 2004 03:56:15 -0500, "Becky"
wrote:

I feel it can be remedied by feeding the dog
in another room or while the baby is napping(which I have been doing for the
past week)or that some other arrangements can be made...I don't feel that it
is a 'put the dog out' situation...I just feel they need to be supervised at
all times(which they are), and that other feeding arrangements have to be
made...please any opinions or input/suggestions would be greatly
appreciated...thanks...Until next time, Becky...


I agree with you. If Buddy starts snapping at the kid in other
situations, then it's a different story. Otherwise, feed him away
from the kid and everyone should be ok.

Charlie

On Wed, 4 Feb 2004 03:56:15 -0500, "Becky"
wrote:

I feel it can be remedied by feeding the dog
in another room or while the baby is napping(which I have been doing for the
past week)or that some other arrangements can be made...I don't feel that it
is a 'put the dog out' situation...I just feel they need to be supervised at
all times(which they are), and that other feeding arrangements have to be
made...please any opinions or input/suggestions would be greatly
appreciated...thanks...Until next time, Becky...


I agree with you. If Buddy starts snapping at the kid in other
situations, then it's a different story. Otherwise, feed him away
from the kid and everyone should be ok.

Charlie

On Wed, 4 Feb 2004 03:56:15 -0500, "Becky"
wrote:

I feel it can be remedied by feeding the dog
in another room or while the baby is napping(which I have been doing for the
past week)or that some other arrangements can be made...I don't feel that it
is a 'put the dog out' situation...I just feel they need to be supervised at
all times(which they are), and that other feeding arrangements have to be
made...please any opinions or input/suggestions would be greatly
appreciated...thanks...Until next time, Becky...


I agree with you. If Buddy starts snapping at the kid in other
situations, then it's a different story. Otherwise, feed him away
from the kid and everyone should be ok.

Charlie

From: "Rosa Palmén"

In my opinion a dog should not be disturbed while eating. That is about the
only time I find it acceptable for the dog to growl at a human.

You've got to be kidding.

You as his
mistress should naturally be able to take his bowl away from him, but he
doesn't have to accept other people disturbing him while he eats.

No petsitters getting near his food, no kennel workers at the boarding kennel?
No child who chases his truck and trips and falls near the dog?

Even if
pushed he might never even try to snap at your son, but it is best not to
try it.

The dog needs to learn food manners. That doesn't mean that you just send a 3
year old (baby? no - toddler!) to do that.

So teach your son that a sleeping and eating dog is tabu - never to be
disturbed. Feed your dog so that you keep the child away from him, or in
another room.

While that is a short term solution, the dog is going to be chewing/eating
something, sanctioned or not, in the kid's presence, at SOME point. He needs
to learn to stop food guarding, not just have this situation avoided
altoghether.

For your husband, just because a dog growls it doesn't have to be very
serious.

She's not married to the guy. Maybe he has a problem with commitment to dogs
and people. Growls, taken in context, are serious.

Some dogs are more vocal than others. A growl without the
aggressive bodylanguage isn't half as bad as bared teeth without a sound -
this is in my experience.

A growl while eating is NOT appropriate for a pet dog, especialy in a household
with a child and other pets.

I do agree that dogs deserve not to be bugged while eating, but that's a far
cry from saying it's ok for them to growl. They don't get to make that
decision.
Janet Boss
Best Friends Dog Obedience
"Nice Manners for the Family Pet"
Voted "Best of Baltimore 2001" - Baltimore Magazine
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com