Bullit is 10 weeks old. He is very food aggressive already. I know that when pups first come from the litter, they have been competing for food from the other pups, and will scrabble about the food bowl to jockey for a space. I was ok with it, attributing it to his young age (we got him at 7 weeks, young I know.) I let him do this the first week we had him, but figured by the second week, he should have been settling down some at the food bowl. He will stomp his feet, spilling the bowl, and when I try to push him away, he will arch his body, and turn his head and snap at my hand, he does make contact.
I feed the pups out of seperate bowls in the morning, one in the patio, one outside in the grass, but hand feed them the second meal of the day. Bella is beautiful about waiting till I put the food bowl down, and begin to walk away before heading to it, but Bullit will try to get in the bowl even as I set it down. I make him wait before getting access to the bowl, to let him know that it is MINE first, and only by my wish does he get to eat. I have ALWAYS done this with my dogs, and have never had a dog not respond at all to food handling conditioning. Even with dogs that were food aggressive with other dogs, I have NEVER had an issue with a pup at any age being able to take a bowl of food away. It is not only with the food, but his water bowl as well. He does bite, he does growl.
When I hand feed them in the afternoon, he will become so frusterated waiting, he will growl, and charge the bowl, and fight me for it. I am amazed at his stubborness, and agressivness when it comes to the food. He is becoming aggressive with the toys with Bella, and I worry that he will soon become possive of our attention as well. He does not 'submit' like pups do, he does not respond to discipline, (loud NO, a poke on the neck, or a puppy alpha roll) and he will lower his head, and make direct eye contact. I am not 100% confident that I can get his agression under control, and the rest of my family will always be second to him, in his mind.
The breeder will replace him, she agrees that this is not typical puppy behavior.
Am I just crazy? I KNOW he is young, and I KNOW that he still has puppy food drive... but there is quite a bit more that has me worried, and I certainly don't want him to grow into a 55 lb monster protecting what's HIS. Especially having a toddler in the house.
I feed the pups out of seperate bowls in the morning, one in the patio, one outside in the grass, but hand feed them the second meal of the day. Bella is beautiful about waiting till I put the food bowl down, and begin to walk away before heading to it, but Bullit will try to get in the bowl even as I set it down. I make him wait before getting access to the bowl, to let him know that it is MINE first, and only by my wish does he get to eat. I have ALWAYS done this with my dogs, and have never had a dog not respond at all to food handling conditioning. Even with dogs that were food aggressive with other dogs, I have NEVER had an issue with a pup at any age being able to take a bowl of food away. It is not only with the food, but his water bowl as well. He does bite, he does growl.
When I hand feed them in the afternoon, he will become so frusterated waiting, he will growl, and charge the bowl, and fight me for it. I am amazed at his stubborness, and agressivness when it comes to the food. He is becoming aggressive with the toys with Bella, and I worry that he will soon become possive of our attention as well. He does not 'submit' like pups do, he does not respond to discipline, (loud NO, a poke on the neck, or a puppy alpha roll) and he will lower his head, and make direct eye contact. I am not 100% confident that I can get his agression under control, and the rest of my family will always be second to him, in his mind.
The breeder will replace him, she agrees that this is not typical puppy behavior.
Am I just crazy? I KNOW he is young, and I KNOW that he still has puppy food drive... but there is quite a bit more that has me worried, and I certainly don't want him to grow into a 55 lb monster protecting what's HIS. Especially having a toddler in the house.
