golden retriever puppy can't be touched when eating

[erinkaste]

Hi,

I have a 4 month old female golden retriever that is a wonderful puppy, but my husband and I are having difficulty around her food bowl. She will allow us to approach her bowl and even pick her bowl up (we can even have our fingers in her bowl), but she doesn't like to be touched while she is eating. If we are petting or massaging her back or legs, or ears she tenses up, stops or slows her eating. She may look up at us or just growl right there. We used to pull her back from her bowl as well and that was one of the times she bit at me.

I've talked to a vet and they told me that when she growls, to flip her on her back (by grabbing the back of her neck)into a submissive position and yell at her "no". When we do this, she will flare her lips up and bite at us. We have been dealing with this for about a month with little results. The last couple of times she has actually pee'd while she is on her back and I am yelling at her (which I understand to be a good thing), but is still biting at me. DO YOU HAVE A BETTER OR OTHER IDEAS OF WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING?

Please advise!!

Thanks
_________________
Erin- a Golden Retriever owner

[adunphy]

Do you like to be touched while eating? My advise would be to leave her alone. If you want to do anything, drop hotdogs or chicken or cheese into the bowl to help her learn to like you approaching.

Flipping her is only going to cause more aggression as you are seeing. Try to prevent the growl, dont punish it though.

Try looking at our page on books and order Jean Donaldsons Mine!

Good luck
amy