barking and growling over food

Question
I have a six year old male cavalier king Charles spaniel who hasn't had the snip. He is a wonderful and loving dog until it comes to meal times. We have tried everything to solve this problem. He barks at you as soon as you put his food down. He becomes very aggressive towards us and protective of it. His food is always put down in the kitchen, where he spends the day when we are at work. So we have tried moving it to another room as we thought he was being protective over his area. This still hasn't worked. We tell him to sit and wait which he does. Some days he will follow you around the house barking at you even when we taken the food away. We have also tried putting the food down for 15 minutes, and if he hasn't eaten it take it away till next meal time, saying no in a stern voice and putting the palm of my hand to his face (as seen on TV). This sometimes works!! We have run out of ideas and we feel he is getting more aggressive, please help.

Answer
In most cases of canine possession aggression, the dog no longer views you as the provider of good things, but rather as the scoundrel who relieves him of hard-earned treasures such as meals, treats, chew toys or in some instances, forbidden objects such as shoes and gloves. To take away these items as punishment when he growls will only serve to convince him that his suspicions about you were right.

Step One is to do away with his food bowl for a week or two. Shep will be dining out of your hand, a few kibbles at a time.

Step Two is to bring back the food bowl. It should remain empty until you pass by and drop a few pieces of kibble in it. After those are eaten up, you should drop small handfuls of kibble in at two-minute intervals until the entire meal has been eaten. By now your dog should be practically begging you to approach his bowl.

Step Three is to put a semi-filled bowl on the floor and as you pass by, drop in a few better-than-kibble tidbits. Then add the remaining kibble in your next pass.

Step Four is to put a full food bowl on the floor as your dog holds a sit-stay. Release him with a cheery "okay." Then once or twice a week, call your dog away from his bowl and reward him for coming over to you with a tasty tidbit. Please use your "sit-stay," "wait," and "take it" commands with the dog so it is absolutely clear to Shep who owns the kitchen and the tasty morsels in it.

Each of these steps should be undertaken for 10 to 14 days for both breakfast and dinner. While you are grappling with a food-guarding problem, your dog should wear a leash at mealtimes as a safety measure. Don't use it to correct him unless you are in jeopardy of being hurt. Since food guarding seldom happens in a vacuum and often signals other problems in the dog/owner relationship, a basic obedience course is highly recommended for canines who exhibit this behavior. Finally, if you experience any backsliding, return to Step One. Slow and steady wins this contest of wills.

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