Vent: Food Driven Visitor Dog

[MrsPete]

The dog we recently lost was a wonderful, sweet little fellow, but he was FOOD AGGRESSIVE. Poor thing had a bad start in life. After we rescued him, he never missed a meal, but it was clear he never forgot being hungry and was never quite sure he wouldn't be hungry again.

When I babysit my mom's dog or my niece's dog, I'd feed them at the same time ... but in separate rooms behind closed doors /made them stay in those rooms about 30 minutes. My mom's dog is a free-feeder, but she had to adjust when she stayed at my house.

We go to the dog park fairly often, and every now and again someone brings treats -- I'm sure those people think they're being kind, but that causes all kinds of trouble. Food aggressiveness isn't uncommon.

 

[design_mom]

You are a great friend for taking in your friend's dog.

We also have a gobbler and one who'd rather be a free feeder. Our previous dogs had been free feeders. When we we brought The Gobbler home from the humane society, we poured a nice big bowl of food for her. She literally ate until she barfed, then went back to eating more.

Our Free Feeder has pretty much learned to change his ways (and occasionally the Gobbler gets an extra breakfast if the Free Feeder walks away from his bowl before I notice.) Fortunately, our Free Feeder is the bigger of the two dogs so we can put his bowl up on a stool where the Gobbler has a harder time reaching it -- but she has knocked it off before then scrambled to get everything that spilled. If it was a long-term arrangement, I feel confident that your Free Feeder will learn, but since it's short term, I think the options you've come up with are good ones.

 

[StephMK]

You are such a great friend and that is certainly a cute face!!! Thankful your friend had the camera so she could check up on her. That is awful of that sitter!