Pit bull dog glows and snaps at her puppies

Food aggression is a territorial reaction a dog experiences when eating meals or treats, in which they use hostile behavior to guard their food.

Food aggression is quite common in dogs. One study reported that nearly 20 percent of all dogs show signs of food aggression.

This aggression is a form of resource guarding - a behavior passed down through evolution, when dogs needed to protect every meal or resource they had. Resource guarding differs slightly though - it describes a behavior that is defensive of any object they consider to be of high value, not just their food.

Typically, dogs only guard what they consider valuable. Because of this, the resources they guard can vary - though a very common one is food. This could be food in their bowls, food that has been dropped on the floor during mealtimes, scraps in the garbage bin or even food being prepped on the counter.

This defensive behavior can be an issue if a food-aggressive dog lives in a home with children. Children, especially younger ones, have a harder time recognizing the signals of guarding and may disregard them completely. This could potentially lead to a child being growled at or bitten.

It’s not just children that need be wary of this protective behavior; adults can be caught in the crossfire as well. It boils down to the dog’s confidence in being able to eat at ease, and being comfortable in their environment and around those that share their home.