Problems with feeding time.

[Gigi M Knier]

Calvin and Hobbes are full bred brothers. They have slept together and ate together their whole life. Now all of sudden Hobbes is getting very food aggressive. We have tried feeding them in different areas like Hobbes in the mud room kennel and Calvin outside of it. The aggression will continue threw the fence. If I sit between them it is not as much as a problem. I can grab Hobbes food even when he is posturing Calvin over the food dish so it is not that he is food agressive with us. Only his brother. In matter of fact while Hobbes was protecting his food dish and groweling and barking at Calvin our 12.5 yr old German Shorthair Callie, walked UNDERNEATH Hobbes and ate his food. He never did a thing to her. Help!!!

 

[NewfieMama]

Feed them where they cannot see one another? Zu eats faster than Coop so I separate them, otherwise she steals his food and I could see the potential for him to get angry. They are now in the same room but out of sight of one another and Zu doesn't look for his food anymore.

 

[Pam G]

Are they neutered? It may be more of a dominant hormone thing.. Good luck. Hope you can get it resolved.

 

[Gigi M Knier]

Yes, they are neutered.

 

[Jeannie]

I never feed my dogs, not even bones unless they are in their kennels or separated. Adam use to have food aggression toward other dogs, I don't think he would anymore but I don't want to take the chance. One time he went after Chase and got my knee. I couldn't walk for 2 days, swollen and puncture wounds.

 

[2ndchance]

How old are the brothers? That may have something to do with it. They go through changes about 24 months and up or if there is a change in the home.
I might think of putting the aggressor on the NILIF diet and do some daily obedience so he is put back on the same level as the other dogs. I might even think of teaching the aggressor a trigger word. If you use it at the right time is should change the aggressors mind before he goes too far into attack mode. Also doing it through a gate/fence where they can see each other would make it worse. To keep peace for now I would feed in separate rooms.