obsession with food

[jbarnhart]

I am looking for advice on how to get my lab mix to stop being obsessed with food and eating fast. I am concerned she will become agressive if I don't find a way to change her state of mind.

[Lee Charles Kelley]

Originally Posted by jbarnhart

I am looking for advice on how to get my lab mix to stop being obsessed with food and eating fast. I am concerned she will become agressive if I don't find a way to change her state of mind.

Believe it or not, the pushing exercise will help with this. The harder you can get her to push for her daily meals outdoors, the less obsessed she'll be about food. If you're unfamiliar with the exercise, here are some links:

How to Do the Pushing Exercise

How It Works

Why We Push

Let us know how it goes!

LCK

[jbarnhart]

Thank you for your response. I am looking forward to beginning the pushing exercise with her and my other 2 dogs tomorrow.

[neilsattin]

Here are some links to the hows/whys of pushing from my site as well:
How to push
Why we push

About your original concern. Pushing will teach your dog what to do with all that energy. But your dog might still be enthusiastic for food. I note that you said you are "concerned that she will become aggressive" - but just because your dog is energized around food and enthusiastic about eating does not mean that she will become aggressive about food. Perhaps you have a dog who can be energized and relaxed around food at the same time? No problem then.

Good to be thinking preventatively, of course, but at the same time use this as an opportunity to focus on your own calm, centered, present-moment awareness. Just don't want to be creating a problem where, perhaps, there wouldn't naturally be one. If you're communicating tension to your dog in those moments, that could, after all, contribute to the exact kind of response that you want to avoid.