# Is this a dominance or something else?



## Leo's Mom (Feb 27, 2006)

Cheena my 8 year old Chocolate Lab has recently started barking at her food and then at both of my other dogs. I line up 3 bowls in a row (one for each dog) and she acts so obnoxious she stops the other dogs from eating. Once Maddy and Leo are an acceptable distance away Cheena lays down in front of the bowls. She has no problem with me or my husband taking the food or moving the bowls. 

The only way to stop her behavior is to completly seperate the bowls. This whole business started around 3 weeks ago. 

Cheena is the "queen dog" of the dog pack and she defers first to me and my husband. When she plays with Maddy or Leo she always looks over to me to make sure that I am okay with what is going on. I tell her go ahead and the playing continues. 

Bottom line, I do not know what to do.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Sounds like a food agression thing to me.....doesn't want Maddy and Leo getting near her food.


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## Leo's Mom (Feb 27, 2006)

Is there anything I can do to work this out of her?


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

We have the food agression going on here..... I have the one who started this eat on her leash when they eat because she goes around to the other dogs bowls and growls and snaps at them and then the dog fight begans....


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

I would recommend consulting a certified animal behaviorist (by certified I mean Animal Behavior Society or American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, not some mail-order certificate). Until then, feed them separately and feed Cheena last.


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## Leo's Mom (Feb 27, 2006)

I think that I will bring this up to our dog trainer on Thursday. She worked with Cheena when she was a pup and for that matter is my dog sitter. I am glad that Leo and Maddy are passive and they have been great dealing with her. It seems to be weird that this started all of a sudden.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Maggie is 7months .. we got her at 8 weeks and this just started about 3 weeks ago.... Maggie doesnt even go by the other dogs while there eating....


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## Leo's Mom (Feb 27, 2006)

Cheena is 8 years old. Leo at 9 months just looks at her like she is going crazy, Maddy at 11 just lays down and waits for the commotion to stop.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Bianca is 14 years old and the one that circles Maggie while shes eating .. . maybe its something to do with old age....


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## mblondetoo (Jan 9, 2006)

Leo's Mom said:


> Cheena my 8 year old Chocolate Lab has recently started barking at her food and then at both of my other dogs. I line up 3 bowls in a row (one for each dog) and she acts so obnoxious she stops the other dogs from eating. Once Maddy and Leo are an acceptable distance away Cheena lays down in front of the bowls. She has no problem with me or my husband taking the food or moving the bowls.
> The only way to stop her behavior is to completly seperate the bowls. This whole business started around 3 weeks ago.
> Cheena is the "queen dog" of the dog pack and she defers first to me and my husband. When she plays with Maddy or Leo she always looks over to me to make sure that I am okay with what is going on. I tell her go ahead and the playing continues.
> Bottom line, I do not know what to do.


We had a similar problem years ago when we adopted a stray. Putter was very nasty with her food and we just fed the three in different rooms. Putter was fed first, then the other two. It worked real well. It can't hurt to try.


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## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

*Possible thyroid problem?*

Sometimes when there is a sudden change in behavior it could be a medical problem. Low thyroid can cause crankiness--it's a simple blood test to find out. I would mention this new behavior to your vet and see what he/she says.
Cathy


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## Leo's Mom (Feb 27, 2006)

I think we are ok with the blood work. 2 months ago Cheena had to have some minor surgery on her tear ducts and she had to have a tooth removed. The vets did a complete physical and blood work because she had to be sedated. Everything was in the normal range. I gues something could have changed since then. I watched the children today and I am wondering if there is a pack leader situation. I changed the order of feeding and seperated the bowls. I fed Cheena first then Maddy and finally Leo. No barking or growling. Everyone ate at their own pace. I will continue the experiment tomorrow.


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## shaneamber (Apr 20, 2005)

We feed all 4 at the same time,but I put down the food in order of seniority.
Any aggression is dealt with by me or Lee right away. We are alpha,no buts about it.Then comes Amber,Sam,Jesse and then Katie. I can take their food or goodies away anytime with no problem.
Feeding them in the pecking order YOU pick is an excellent way to keep control. We allow bowl swapping,but only after everyone is finished and walked away to rub their faces on the carpet.
They all leave a small amount of food and come back a few hours later for a nosh.
Shane


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

I feed 11 year old Buck outside, weather permitting in the garage if cold or wet, as he is a total slob when it comes to eathing. he takes great mouths full of food and drops it on the floor and eats it off the floor, and would sometimes take it to the carpet in livingrooom'

I have to feed the girls on opposite ends of the kitchen because they will both eat out of the same pan at the same time. Since both are on diet dog food and measured amounts, i have to make sure each is getting what she is suppose to. KayCee eats faster than honey and would get more than her share with them sharing their bowls. Also, KayCee gets joint sups on her food and Honey doesn't. KayCee will be be 7 in Aug and we have had since a pup (she and her brother also would share their food pans with each other until he died at age 4). We have had honey 3 years, was about a year old when we adopted her. So far, knock on wood, there has never been any food problems between the girls. Neither has ever minded sharing her pan with the other.


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