Collect Questions

my 6 year old bitch timber, is normally great with the pups (not hers), but she is getting terrible for standing guard over food, bones, dog chews etc, she doesnt actually want them herself, she just doesnt want anyone else to have them, and she's taken to snapping at the boys if they go near her. she's actually caught them a couple of times and always nips them usually on the ear, which, N.i.s being total wusses causes them to scream loudly. apart from taking the food up asap and not leaving bones or chews with them unattended, can anyone suggest anything else.




You CAN work on food guading towards people..but it can be a long process.
However towards dogs is another matter..just avoid the situation




Is Timber your alpha bitch? (or does she think she is?) My alpha does that and its a show of "I'm the boss and it's mine - and you are not having it". The way I deal with it is to either feed separately, or if she still has a bone when everyone else has finished then I take it away and prevent a situation arising.

Its quite natural for a dog or bitch to guard its food - so long as YOU can go in and take it away there isn't a problem - the other dogs will have to learn (the hard way if necessary) not to mess with her when she's got a bone!




she's fine with people, just the pups, think im gonna have to feed them seperately as she's taken to shoving them out of the way and then just standing over the food. iwonder if it dates back to the days she was starved as she was a rescue dog and was so thin when i got her.




timber also has this wierd habit of collecting bits of meat and bones and sits on them, she will stay that way for hours, or she will push them under the dog bed and then sit on it, she's a crazy old coot lol. but yes she does tend to think she's the alpha.




Thats alpha behaviour - my Sky does it - she stashes food in the airing cupboard! She will also do the same with pups (NOT stashing them in the airing cupboard! but guarding the food and not letting them have it) - they are teaching the pups manners. Wolves do it - they have their pecking order and the order in which members of the pack are allowed to eat.




Thats alpha behaviour - my Sky does it - she stashes food in the airing cupboard! She will also do the same with pups (NOT stashing them in the airing cupboard! but guarding the food and not letting them have it) - they are teaching the pups manners. Wolves do it - they have their pecking order and the order in which members of the pack are allowed to eat.
Wolves in packs are now known to not always eat in this order - alpha doesnt always eat first, esp. if there is hardship, when the pups will eat first

It was the research done on captive wolves (ie "pretend" packs" ) which led to the very strong "alpha animal gets everything first all the time" idea

Sorry not trying to be clever




I agree - the pack will feed the pups (and my "pack" do the same and will care for the pups) but the alpha also teaches the babies manners. She will deliberately place a bone in front of the pups and growl at them every time they try to get it - she will keep this up for ages until she's satisfied that they are 'sitting nicely' and showing respect - then she will let them have it.

Because feed times can be a bit volatile I always keep small pups safely out of the way when the adults have got new bones - only when they have had their fill do the pups join them.

Incidentally, I recently got a pup that was 2 weeks younger than my own litter. All were weaned but 'mum' still let them suckle for a minute or two once a day. The new pup was in the puppy pen with my youngsters and mum jumped in with them, immediately they all dived on her for a quick suckle - I was worried how mum would react to the newcomer and was amazed that the little one was in the thick of it suckling like mad. Mum didn't seemed bothered and I was just thinking "isn't she good" when she looked round lovingly at her babies - then did a "double take", not believing her eyes. She leapt to one side looking totally surprised - as if to say "where the heck did you come from - you're not one of mine". The little one chased her round and round the pen, determined to finish her meal - in the end mum gave in and laid down with all the babies feeding with a look of "I give up" on her face.