In this video, I'm working with Rudy and Bones on manners.

In the beginning, we start by letting Bones get a head start on eating. I ask Rudy to sit. Rudy in the past has had some food aggression so we have worked on it. Bones is eating and Rudy is working with me on his impulse control.

There is one point where I have to grab Rudy to get to Bone's food. He was "sub-threshold" and clearly engaged but trying to stay calm right until he dashed. At that point, I grabbed on to him because he will fight Bones for the bowl.

There is a difference between managing and training. There are points during the training when it's no longer possible for the pup to stay engaged with the activity. A good example is during leash training. We remember at the start that our pups just have to potty and we manage our walk until after they have relieved themselves. We don't begin training until the pup has pottied, sniffed and handled the stimulation of going outside. After which, we begin training. Once the pup has had enough training, then we are back to just managing the walk.

So after managing the situation of Rudy's dash, I fed him and it was his turn. He eats much faster than Bones so Bones is still eating even after Rudy finished. We go back to an impulse control and let Bones finish.

It's important to note, I keep myself between Rudy and Bones as a body block. I am physically blocking his view which normally stops pups, but Rudy is too engaged with the food and can't be bothered by simple dog communication.

To critique myself, I would say giving Rudy the slightly sooner so he never breaks. It messes with the communication when we allow breaks. It will make the next training harder since it's not clear to Rudy that he can't dash. So, in the moment and reading the situation, it's not as simple as it might sound in an article elsewhere. It is difficult to be working with two dogs and watching both. It's harder when the pup is so antsy and triggered to want the food. I like group feeding when possible. It helps with some food aggression cases. If I can I like to hand-feed. I want the pup to learn the food comes from me. It's not just a magical bowl the refills and must be protected. I like to hand-feed and help them understand that they get more food with impulse control, they have to eat with their family and they can take their cues from me.

Rudy learned skills and help with impulse control. Once we started adding group feeding back into his routine he slowly worked to eat slower (slow-feeder bowl) and not attack other pups when food is present.

Rudy is a very smart dog and learned so quickly. But when it came to food, it was a major trigger for him and he didn't always control himself. Any behavior change like this is a big undertaking and everyone has to be involved. Also, give it time. There is no rush in this stuff. Taking your time and focusing on the change you are trying to make is better than trying to rush something for a goal. Systems are always better than goals.