Female boxer aggression with food

Question
QUESTION: Hi Jannie,
  I have a 6 1/2 month old female boxer puppy that my family adores.  I have four children ages 3-9.  On approximately 5-6 occasions, she has displayed aggression toward myself or my children, but only when we've tried to take "people" food away from her.  She is constantly trying to get into my garbage or steal food off of the table, and then if we try to take it away from her she will growl, nip, or even bite.  The most recent, and worst, experience we've had was when my 9-year-old son was trying to pull her collar to try to get her out of our garbage can, she bit him in the lip and my son required stitches.  She is also territorial of our yard, barking and growling as people walk by.  But if people actually come up to her, she more likely to want to greet and lick them.  In that instance, she's aggressive from a distance.  She is also very good with other dogs, just wanting to play.  We love her so much and she's very affectionate and loving, but we can't have her biting our kids over people food.  I should mention that she does not display this behavior when she's eating her own food, only when she gets our food.  We've had her since she was 9 weeks old, and I recently started formal obedience classes with her a couple of weeks ago.  Her instructor calls her an honor student because she's doing everything that's asked of her easily.  She is very smart, and has figured out how to open our garbage can, which looks like a cabinet and slides under our kitchen island.  Please help if you can, I just love her, but my kids safety comes first.

ANSWER: Hi Laura,

Well, you are guilty as most of us are-- feeding people food.

A lot of times, it causes the dog to not want or eat his or her own dog food, and/or causes aggression as it has her.

She loves her people food and will guard it to the end. This is the mentality of a pack. In a pack (and your family is her pack), all dogs will guard their food and be territorial of it as a method to keep it and not allow another dog in the pack to have it; take it away.

Sometimes it is a growl; which is a warning, and a bluff, but effective, and other times it is real aggression with fighting.

So, now that you know her reason for her "people" food behavior, it is time to change her habit of her natural pack instinct- and become the "alpha" which tells her what she can and cannot do.

To begin-- stop giving her people food. Completely. Instruct everyone in your household to NOT give her one single bite- NONE. That said........

This will stop the aggressive behavior concerning people food because there will be NO people food.

Now, about her getting on cabinets and into the garbage..............

Buy a loud, obnoxious sounding whistle.

Each and every time you catch her in the garbage and/or cabinets, tables, etc., blow the whistle loudly, but blow it a certain number of times each and every time you use it. Say, 4 times for instance. Not 3, not 5. Stay with one number that you've selected to use.

Then, leash her immediately, Verbally reprimand her in a stern, assertive, "alpha" voice, using easy-to-understand commands. Whatever the obedience classes are teaching you and her.........

Lead her by her leash, removing her from the crime scene; i.e. garbage, etc.

Wait a few minutes, commanding her to sit away from the garbage, even though it can be the kitchen still.

When she sits and looks at you for further instruction, verbally praise her for sitting and being good at that moment.

Then unleash her.

If she goes back to the garbage, blow the whistle again the designated number of times, leash her, guide her away from the garbage, verbally reprimand her as stated above, and make her sit again.

Continue this as often as needed.

What you are doing is establishing the alpha position; the stern and assertive voice using the commands she is learning in school, and establishing YOUR territory-- i.e. NO garbage can- but away from it in the kitchen; the boundary.

She will learn by association.

The sound of the whistle a set number of times signals to her, that what she is doing at that given moment, is wrong, and she should stop, because it will be followed by your disapproval in her with your stern and assertive verbal reprimand and leashing her- moving her to another spot and commanding her to sit.

This will be instilled in her- as time repeats itself with the routine, and she will stop getting into garbage. She will soon forget "people" food taste and smell once you STOP giving it to her.

Maybe buy the dog food gravy in a bottle that you pour onto her dog food. You can buy it in your grocery store, or if they do not carry one, go to a pet store and buy it. There are a lot of brands and different flavors; mostly beef though. It has extra vitamins and minerals added so it is beneficial as well.

Maybe use that on her food as a supplement while weening her from "people" food and giving her an added treat by sprucing up her own food. Her attention will soon be on her own fancy food and not the people food- as long as every stops giving people food to her. This is a must.

Let me know how it goes in a follow-up to this question, and how long it takes. You said she is a model student and smart, so I am estimating it will take her a couple of days of this reprimanding routine modifying her behavior.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jannie,
   Just to clarify,  we aren't giving her table food, she's actually stealing it from our pantry or garbage or right off the table.    If you have any suggestions for that as well that would be good, because right now we have to crate her when we eat.  Also,  does it have to be a whistle or will a squirt with a water bottle work?  
Thanks!

Answer
Hello again Laura,

No, do not use a squirt bottle. That only causes dogs to dislike water, i.e. baths, and playing in water in the summer, etc.

That is never a good idea.

The whistle serves two purposes. It catches their attention and they will associate the sound with a correction. It is a "no-no" sign and signals the "alpha" (you) are interceding.

So please, buy a cheap whistle. You can find one in the toy section of your local discount store.

It is well worth the couple of dollars it cost, and works wonders.

Since she is helping herself to the garbage- I suggest you get started on her as soon as possible.

I am glad to hear you don't feed her table scraps- that is smart.

Crating her while you eat can cause problems in itself, although I do understand why you are.

I would make her sit (remember, she is in obedience classes- so use that) and behave herself, or remain out of the kitchen or dining room while you are eating.

You can train her to not come into the area at meal times, just like you will be with the garbage.

Just blow the whistle, leash her, remove her, take her to the room and spot (does she have a dog bed in the living room?) and command her to sit, or lay down, and stay.

Once she gets the hang of that by association, like with the garbage- she will behave.

It is work, don't get me wrong- more patience than anything else- but worth it to have a well-behaved pet that obeys your commands.

Good luck and keep up the patience :)