Why does my puppy growl and snap when I take food away? Is it normal?

Question

My puppy growled and snapped at me when I stopped him from eating the grown-up dog food. I was trying to get the food out of his mouth. Is that normal aggressive behavior. It was a mean like growl. Pet's info: Dog | Golden Retriever | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 15 days old | 21 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Resource guarding (growling, snapping, or even biting when food or toys are taken away) is a common problem. To some extent, yes - this is normal behavior for dogs, in that they are hard-wired to defend food and other high value items from other animals. However, it's definitely something that we want to try and work on, since this behavior can be a problem in human households. I would recommend teaching Huxley to come when you call him, so that you can call him away from things when needed instead of physically intervening to take them away - make sure to always reward with a treat when he listens. You can also teach him to "drop it!" when asked, which gives you an easy way to get items away from him when needed. This article gives more detailed information on how to teach both of these skills: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-obedience-commands-every-dog-should-know/ If this behavior worsens as he gets older, then I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Huxley in person and help you put together a more detailed plan for working with him. You can search for one in your area here, if needed: www.dacvb.org

Why does my puppy growl and snap when I take food away? Is it normal?

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