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" You must always eat before your dog. This is another one of those ‘sounded good at the time (myths).’ ..... this has no basis in any behavior of wild canids, wolves or otherwise. In fact, there are at least two situations with wolves in which the alpha wolf would eat last, not first. " 

- Dog Trainer / Joan Weston
 

ear Puppywishes,  My name is Trevor Aldridge and I am a veterinarian in London, England. I have just finished reading your Eating Disorders puppy training manual and I wanted to express my appreciation.  Each year I am asked to euthanize dogs because they have become protective of their food. As you are well aware, when dogs become overly protective of their dinner, they present a real threat to the people who feed them.

Up until now I have been unable to provide my clients with quality training information on this subject. I was excited to learn that puppywishes addresses the subject of eating disorders. This is an area of basic, preventative, puppy training that all puppy owners should take seriously. You offer one of the most complete puppy training programs I have seen. I will be sure to refer my clients to your website. Best wishes." (Dr. T, Aldridge D.V.M)

Dr. Aldridge:

Thank you for your wonderful letter of support and appreciation. We based our puppy training program on the most common problems experienced by puppy owners. While many trainers focus on basic obedience training, commonly taught with food bribes, we have come to understand that basic obedience training does not prevent many common behavior problems. Our puppy training program is designed to help puppy owners raise problem free dogs, and this would not be possible without specifically addressing the common eating disorders that many puppies develop.

► A Common Problem

Protective/Resource aggression is one of the most common forms of canine violence experienced by dog owners, and is a leading reason why children are hurt by dogs. Protective aggression also contributes to the death of countless dogs each year.

Protective aggression begins when a puppy starts to feel pressured around its feeding bowl. What starts off as mild discomfort and strange sideways looks (see photo on the left), quickly escalates to growls and snaps. In advanced cases, dogs will actually charge at and bite their owners when they feel their food is being threatened.

What makes this problem so confusing to most pet owners is that they cannot understand why their dogs become so upset. After all, few of us ever want to take food away from our dogs. Contrarily, we give our dogs food every day. Common sense tells us that our dogs should be smart enough to know this. But you and I should be smart enough to know that it is often uncommon sense that solves serious problems.

● The Emotional Web

Humans have a terrible habit of causing our pets to share our dysfunction. Depression, anxiety, obesity, anorexia, and a host of other psychological disorders are all problems experience by modern dogs. And this should come as no surprise. We are a messed up species, and we drag our world and its inhabitants into our confusion. And no where is this more evident than on the subject of dog food.

Humans are often guilty of associating food with something other than it is. Food is food; we eat it to survive, pure and simple. It's meat. It's fruit. It's vegetables. It's grains. Well . . .

that may have been the way Adam and Eve perceived things, but after that whole Garden Of Eden apple episode, food and eating took on a whole new meaning in the human psyche.

For many people food is love. It's Power. Prestige, and Wealth.  Some people shape their whole lives around what they will and will not eat, and place incredible emotional significance on what foods they will put in their mouths. Biblical scripture, political pursuits, and great moral debates all influence what we eat. And so long as the most visible icons on every horizon are McDonald's Golden Arches, it seems that food will stand in the place of God for years to come.

● Our Problems Become Dog Problems

The great confusion that we have around our own food is passed onto our dogs when we start to use dog food for rituals other than feeding. We encourage our dogs to associate food with love, acceptance, and fun. By doing so we transform the simple act of eating into a love affair with the food bowl. Consider what you do when you want your dog to know that it is good. You give it a treat. Although there is a great deal of philological babble to justify why we should treat dogs with food, the simple truth is that we reward dogs with food because to us, food is a symbol of love.

Now, consider how most people try to establish friendship with dogs. They give treats. Here again, is another example of food being used for something other than nutrition. There is an interesting point to be made here. For years we have been teaching our children not to accept candy from strangers. Why? Because when children wrongfully associate candy with friendship, not only are they more susceptible to cavities and fat, but they also become more susceptible to abduction and death.

● A Very Special Puppy Training E-Book

Many books have been written on the subject of food aggression in dogs, but none examine the problem like "Eating Disorders". This educational e-book will help you strip away much of the emotional baggage that your dog has developed over food.

Don't continue to live with a dog you cannot trust when it is eating. Someone could get hurt.

Click Here To Download Your Copy Of "Eating Disorders". Only $6.95
This E-book Is Available For PC users only. Not for "Mac" users.

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