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My dog is territorial with food and toys around other dogs. What to do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | French Bulldog | Male | neutered | 1 year and 3 months old

Hi doc my French bulldog started to get territorial with food and toys when another dog gets close to him what can I do to make him stop theagression

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on November 3rd, 2016

It's normal for dogs to be somewhat possessive over food and toys with other dogs, so without more information it's hard to say whether this is an issue or not. In many cases, it's easier to simply manage this issue by feeding the dogs separately and not giving high-value chew toys or other items that are likely to cause fights when the dogs are together. If you feel that the aggression is excessive (i.e., there have been injuries to the dogs, or he behaves this way over everything, rather than just food and high-value items), it is possible to work on the problem but this takes a lot of time and effort. The basic approach involves teaching him that having another dog nearby when he is eating means good things for him - often this is done by walking another dog nearby, feeding a treat, and moving the other dog away. It usually takes hands-on guidance from a professional to do this correctly, so if this is something you want to work on, I would strongly recommend getting in touch with a good reward-based trainer in your area.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    You will have to do some training with him and the other dogs. Here is a link with directions on clicker training for food guarding. It is going to take some time but with patience and persistence it can be accomplished. http://www.clickertraining.com/node/3339

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on June 18th, 2017

    This is a very common (and even normal) behavior for many dogs. Usually, the simplest way to handle this is to avoid feeding treats to Ralph or other dogs when they are together, and feed meals in crates or separate rooms. For many dogs, these simple management strategies are all that is needed. It is possible to work on this issue through training, but this can be very difficult to do correctly on your own, so I would strongly recommend working with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can help you in person if you want to try this. I would also highly recommend the book "Mine!" by Jean Donaldson - it has lots of great information on this behavior issue in dogs, including detailed instructions for how to work on the problem if you wish.

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