Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have to 4 month old puppies. the girl we got when she was 5 weeks old. her brother we got yesterday. this morning when i went to feed them he wouldnt let her eat. i had to stand between them to let her eat. how can i get him to stop that.

Do they each have there own bowl??

If not, I'd start by getting them each there own.

yes they have there own bowl. they are outside in a fenced in area. is this just him trying to be the dominate dog. in making her wait to eat. we had the girl first so i want her to know that she is first. if that makes any since. i have placed the food bowls father apart but he lays there and watches her and so she want eat. will i just have to give them time.

>>yes they have there own bowl. they are outside in a fenced in area. is this just him trying to be the dominate dog. in making her wait to eat. we had the girl first so i want her to know that she is first. if that makes any since. i have placed the food bowls father apart but he lays there and watches her and so she want eat. will i just have to give them time.

>>>>>>>>>>>

It's much safer and better for the dogs to separate them for meals. It's a primal instinct for dogs to fight over food, and such resources are usually the only things that will cause fights between a male and a female dog that result in injury. It is a risk that just plain is not worth taking. Do not give them edible chew items when they are together, either, or toys they value enough to fight over.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

You should def. separate them when they are eating, to avoid fighting. They will sort out their own dominance order but you have to make sure each is getting their share of food

My red male would sometimes not eat if my grey male decided to not let him. Niether are food possessive but they both respect eachother. If one demands something of the other they will give it up without a fight. To avoid this I always feed them so they can''t see eachother eating. They can still access eachother they just cant see. Sometimes I feed them in their own doghouse, or I''ll feed them with the kitchen counter in between them or I''ll feed them on their own mat with a couch in between them. Now my red boy will only not eat if he truly isn''t hungry.

Food aggression can be a pretty big problem, definetely separate them for feeding as suggested by the other posters. I have a light red and white female that is so over bearing when food is involved (with other dogs) that one of the other sibes won't eat unless Yepa (the red) is asleep. And that is with them in separate kennels.
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Randall L Turner Jr