Every dog needs some training. That holds true for the oldest and the youngest and for every breed from tiny to gigantic. The Pug is no exception to the rule and may require some extra training from you as they do seem to have a tendency to exhibit some guarding behavior toward food and toys. This will bemostly against other animals, but at times even with children. This is not a problem if you address it early on and let them know that it’s not acceptable behavior.
I had actually not gotten a pug because I’d seen the behavior a number of times prior to owning them and began to associate it with the breed, when in reality, its usually because they aren’t well socialized during feeding times when they are puppies. As with all dogs, you need to begin early to address any kind of behavior. Many owners or hobby breeder think its cute when the puppies tussle over the food bowl, not considering that its not cute when it still happens at a year old. IN fact, one pug owner called my attention to the furiously growling puppy and chuckled commenting “Isn’t that hilarious, he thinks he’s a lion and all the other puppies are afraid to eat until he’s done” Needless to say that’s not where we got our puppy.
One great way to preclude this kind of behavior is by teaching your dog that a hand coming near their mouth or their food bowl is a wonderful thing and may be the harbinger of a super nice treat. We hand feed our dogs from birth, so that they know where they stand in the pecking order. While this sounds harsh, pack behavior is ingrained into dogs.
Watch the pack leader of any pack animal. They don’t gently say no to their pack, they simply butt heads and let them know where they stand. While you certainly won’t be using teeth to get your point across, you do need to get it across so that the new dog knows that they are subordinate to EVERY family member, not just to you.
While you’re supervising, let the youngest to the oldest feed them by hand, offering them treats. Take turns taking the dogs bowl and adding something wonderful such as cheese or a piece of meat to it, so the dog associates the removal of their bowl with its return as well as an additional treat food.
Call your dog to you and feed him food by hand to keep him accustomed to hands being near his face while he’s eating, and have him associate that hand with something tasty. Keep a close watch and make sure that the dog takes the treat nicely, without teeth, but with a soft-mouth fashion to prevent injury to your family members or friends.
