YIKES...Food Aggression!!

[shine]

Okay, I am getting worried.....

In the past several months Bodhi has had two fights with Ribbit, our cocker mix.  Both were over treats.  I was very concerned because Bodhi is so large and both times he was seriously pi$$ed...I had to hold him back...but I honestly believed that the problem was only with Ribbit.  Since he is part cocker, he can be snippy (in 15+ years of working with dogs I've only been bitten twice...by cockers). 

Then last night, he barfed (had eaten some deer poop in the yard, I try to clean it up but we have deer by the dozen every day).  Rio, our Black Lab/Beagle mix, came over to check it out (ACK, dogs can be so gross)....and I guess Bodhi thought she was going to try and steal his barf and he wanted to eat it himself (GAWD, trying to tell this story almost makes me gag!!)......and he growled and lunged at her.  I managed to grab him and Rio ran off immediately, so there was no fight....but I was very upset.  There is no denying that Bodhi has some real food aggression. 

I'm sure there are other people here who have dealt with this.....any advice??  I have always fed Bodhi away from the other dogs, so we have no problems at meal time.  Just with treats...and now barf, lol.  He is so big and strong I am afraid he could really hurt our other dogs.  Any tips/tricks are welcome....

[Leaf]

I would definantly have to agree with the resource guarding link. That sounds like the issue moreso that food agression, IMO

[GoldenPyrs]

LMAO here!  Sorry, no advice, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm laughing my head off and I tried to read it aloud to my DH but he's looking pretty green and he's asked me to stop reading it to him.           I thought that it was hysterical though.  Must be all my years of cleaning up the messes that our 3 boys and dogs make....I have a cast iron stomach.    

Modified to add:  It sounds like resource guarding to me, too but what a heckuva "resource" though!

[shine]

LOL...it is disgusting, isn't it??  We unfortunately have some real "poop connoisseurs" here.  My DH had to build a shelf under the basement stairs to hide the litter box....but Rio still climbs over boxes to get to it!  ACK!

I have a cast iron stomach as well.  There is always a cat hacking something up, or Bodhi slobbering all over everything, or a pig that needs it temperature taken (we have two potbellies, Ginger and Marianne).  I also had to give our seizure dog rectal Valium for years.  And someone has to get the enevitable eye goobers and boogars and cling-ons! LOL! 

Okay...while I'm being gross, here's a funny story: Bodhi is a Champion Belcher.  After every meal, he will walk up to you and burp LOUDLY...seems like his way of saying "Thanks for the food!", lol.  One Sunday we took him to my aunt's house (my family gets together for brunch)...and while he was out in the yard he apparently ate what their dog left behind.  He came into the house, walked right up to my aunt, and burped in her face.  She started to giggle, and then suddenly wrinkled up her face and screeched, "AAGGGHHHH!!! It smells like POOP!!!!".  I almost fell on the floor laughing....an d Bodhi stood there looking incredibly pleased with himself.  Now my family gets even more grossed out when he slobbers on them....