Toddler's Cheek Ripped Off By Family Pet

[LizT]

this thread has given me a wake up and i have just had my son feed the dog and make sure he remembers the rule to step away from his food dish before giving him his release command.. he did really well and i think we might get him doing that more often so that the dog remember that my boy comes before him in the pack order..

Getting your child to give the dog food will not make the dog think or 'remember' anything about the pack order.

'Pack order' is fluid dependng on the value of the resource and the ease of which the dog can obtain it. This can change at any time, and can depend on the dog's mood on the day.

Exactly, in the dogs mind it would believe it had 'liberated' the food from the child in much the same way it would take food away from a lesser rated pack mate.

Although it is important to teach a child the correct way to feed a dog. make dog wait, give okay signal, step away and let dog eat in peace.