[Foxthain]

I have a female fixed - 3 year old GSD rescue, I've had her for 2 years. I don't know what happened to her in her first year but she is a very nervous dog. She has NEVER been aggressive to my husband or I with food. You name it we can do it to her/with her/etc with food no issue. She often would "hide food" around the house. However she rarely gets excited by her normal dry food.

We got a puppy last night (male - 13 week GSD rescue)introduction went well. No issues aside from our female dog humping the puppy (she's never done that before). Dinner comes around we feed our dog. Puppy sticks his head in the bowl and the dog snaps at him. (This has happened a few times now. If he gets close to her bowl while eating - even if it's not her bowl) The dog even snapped at the puppy when he was near her treat bag (we didn't touch the bag she didn't like him near it).

I don't know what to do to fix this issues. Everything I've found is for dog to human aggression. I want to fix this fast so it doesn't get worse or lead to other behaviors.

 

[storyist]

First of all, physically separate them when you feed them before the puppy gets hurt. Second put things like treats and maybe even toys away to where there can be no fighting over them. Put things like that in a confined place with one or the other. I've never tried feeding dogs with both loose in a single room, so can't tell you any way to "fix" it, but before others here chime in with advice, and you start to act on it, "fix" things so the puppy doesn't get hurt. Dog to human aggression is a different things from dog to dog aggression. The older dog humping the younger is her asserting dominance over him. She's worried about the puppy. Don't give her a chance to do anything injurious about it.

 

[Foxthain]

First of all, physically separate them when you feed them before the puppy gets hurt. Second put things like treats and maybe even toys away to where there can be no fighting over them. Put things like that in a confined place with one or the other. I've never tried feeding dogs with both loose in a single room, so can't tell you any way to "fix" it, but before others here chime in with advice, and you start to act on it, "fix" things so the puppy doesn't get hurt. Dog to human aggression is a different things from dog to dog aggression. The older dog humping the younger is her asserting dominance over him. She's worried about the puppy. Don't give her a chance to do anything injurious about it.

The food bowl - we corrected quickly. (Separate the dogs) the treat bag was a total surprise. They are kept in the pantry, I opened the door and the puppy sniffed around, the dog immediately snapped. Wasn't expecting that to be a trigger. Because I wasn't touching the treats or making movement for them. But now we know.

 

[LeoRose]

Resource guarding can be a very serious issue. Definitely separate them for feeding, and don't leave treats, chew, or toys out. This workshop Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - WP535: My Ball, My Food, My Space! Handling Resource Guarding can give you a better idea of how to handle it, but for anything more than a relatively mild case, working with a professional trainer who uses positive methods (not an e-collar) would be a good idea.

It might be something that you will need to manage long-term, and not "fix". My late mutt girl had reached the point where she flat out couldn't be trusted to not go after another dog (or cat) if they came over to her while she was eating, or if she had any kind of treat or toy. Everyone was separated for meals, and there was absolutely nothing left laying around for her to guard. It was a pain, because it meant that the other dogs were also deprived of toys, but it had to be done. She never, ever guarded anything from a human family member.