will feeding your dog a raw diet plan make him aggressive?
Well, it’s not that simple.
Dogs that have an existing issue with resource guarding before changing to a raw diet plan may show an boost in resource guarding when provided raw meat.
This is since the dog sees the raw meat as more valuable than dry food. He may be more likely to show aggression in order to prevent a person or animal from taking this extremely valued food.
The raw food itself is not the problem. The issue is food aggression or resource guarding in general. The raw food just may make the issue more obvious, similar to a dog that growls when you try to take away a rawhide or bone.
It’s relatively common, however not something we want to encourage.
But will feeding your dog raw meat make him “bloodthirsty” or more aggressive in general? No, of program not. This is a just one more myth on the Internets.
A dog’s diet plan is not going to make him “bloodthirsty” or more aggressive to other animals or humans.
Raw dog food as well as resource guarding
A raw dog food diet plan will not turn a typical dog into an aggressive dog. Duh!
However, dogs that have an existing issue with resource guarding before changing to a raw diet plan may show an boost in resource guarding when provided raw meat.
This is since the dog sees the raw meat as more valuable than dry food. He may be more likely to show aggression in order to prevent a person or animal from taking this extremely valued food.
The raw food itself is not the problem. The issue is food aggression or resource guarding in general. The raw food just may make the issue more obvious.
I’ll utilize my feline to show you what I mean. Yes, my feline shows food aggression.
My feline Beamer is consumed with all food, as well as that’s an understatement. (2019 update: Beamer has passed away.)
He’s a feline who will sprint across the kitchen area if I drop, say, a frozen eco-friendly bean. Beamer is consumed with all food – raw potatoes, bananas, crumbs, paper towels that touched food – you name it.
This feline is nuts, as well as we can’t leave any type of food out. We really have to confine him when we’re not home.
Now, if I provide Beamer some dry feline food as well as try to take it back, he’ll frantically gulp it down.
But if I provide my cat raw food such as a turkey neck as well as then try to take it away, he spits, growls, hisses as well as tries to bite. He becomes like a wild animal as well as will fight anyone off to protect his food.
My feline Beamer is an extreme example, however this type of food aggression is relatively typical with dogs. You provide a dog some dry food as well as he may growl a bit if you take it away.
But provide him a bone or some raw meat as well as try to take it as well as he becomes extremely aggressive. I’m not stating this habits is acceptable. I’m stating it’s relatively common.
What should I do if my dog is aggressive around raw food?
If your dog is aggressive around raw food, I’m guessing he’s likewise relatively aggressive around other things such as dry dog food, rawhides, treats as well as perhaps even toys. It’s not the raw food diet plan for dogs that’s triggering the problem. however the raw food may be making the issue more obvious.
Here are some tips for exactly how to offer with a dog that is showing food aggression:
1. hire a trainer.
If you’re not sure exactly how to handle your dog’s aggression, don’t hesitate to hire a fitness instructor who can come observe your dog as well as offer suggestions. I don’t want you or anyone else to get hurt. even little dogs (or cats!) are frightening when they show aggression.
2. teach your dog solid obedience skills.
This is not about dominance. It is about being a respected “team captain” to your dog. A dog that responds to sit, come as well as stay 99 percent of the time is a dog that has discovered self-control.
This is a dog that aspects his owner, as well as this is a dog that is less likely to show aggression. If your dog is showing possessive aggression of anything – toys, beds, people, food – one of the very first things you should do is work on the dog’s general obedience skills.
3. Make your dog make everything.
This applies to most dogs, however particularly dominant or aggressive dogs. You want to make the dog make whatever of value – treats, attention, walks, food. For example, before providing your dog his food, make him lie down as well as stay quietly for five minutes.
Before heading out for a walk, make sure your dog sits on command as well as waits quietly.
4. teach your dog a decrease command.
All dogs should understand the commands for “drop” as well as “leave it.” Ideally, you should be able to tell your dog to decrease a raw bone as well as he should obey.
You most likely won’t be able to get to this point overnight, however it should be your goal. To teach a dog to drop, you’ll requirement to begin with lesser-valued products in exchange for higher-valued items.
For example, tell your dog to decrease a tennis sphere in exchange for some jerky treats. then development to more difficult objects. right here is my publish on exactly how to teach a dog the decrease command.
Even when your dog “knows” the command quite well, you should still practice. My dog responds extremely well to the decrease command, as well as he’s never shown aggression to humans over food.
However, every couple of days I still ask him to “drop” his raw meat while he’s eating. then I instantaneously reward him with either some raw liver or I provide him the original food right back.
5. repair the food-aggression issue before changing to a raw diet.
If your dog shows aggression around dry food, he’s definitely going to show aggression around raw food. try lessening this issue before you switch your possessive dog to a raw diet. Or, at the extremely least, feed your dog his raw food in his crate for now.
6. If you have several dogs, feed them in their crates.
If your dogs show any type of type of food aggression to every other, it’s finest to feed them in their crates. Yes, I understand this isn’t precisely solving the problem, however it’s an simple method to keep everybody safe.
My feline Beamer has an problem with food aggression. He will try to take the food from my other pets, so he has to eat in his feline carrier.
7. Hold the raw food while your dog eats it.
This will not work for all dogs. Some will be as well aggressive, so don’t try this technique if you are unsure.
Simply hold the meat while your dog eats. If he tries to gulp it down or take it, you calmly state “no” as well as pull the food away. If he eats it nicely, he gets to keep eating while you hold it.
You can likewise work on the “drop” as well as “leave it” commands in this way, making sure to reward with something even much better like pieces of poultry liver. As long as you are holding the meat, your dog won’t be able to take it as well as begin guarding it. Make sure to reward generously for great behavior.
Raw dog food as well as prey drive
A final problem I want to mention is a dog’s existing prey drive.
If your dog already has a strong prey drive as well as tries to chase or kill cats, then feeding him raw food (especially the whole prey model) may highlight this problem.
Again, it’s not the raw food diet plan for dogs that’s triggering the problem. It’s a failure to handle an existing problem. Some dogs do try to chase as well as kill little animals, however this is not triggered by the dog’s diet.
What tips do you have for dealing with a dog’s food aggression?
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