I just don't know why she is so aggressive with her food still. I've had to go back to free-feeding her because I'm working long hours at work, so feeding times are pretty inconsistent. Well she hadn't touched her food in several days...(Nature's Recipe/terrier specific) so I threw it out.

Yesterday I forgot to go by Petsmart to get her some more food, so I had to pick up cheapo food at the grocery store. I got her Purina One.

Last night I put the food down and she suddenly attacked the food like she was starving. Everytime I walked by her she would growl and "lunge" at me. I kept telling her "NO!". Finally I said "that's it" and tried to take the food away from her. That's when she bit me...hard. My hand is swollen this morning...it looks like Dracula Fangs got it.

What am I doing wrong????

Does she do that to your son too Nat?  That really needs top be stopped if she bit you that hard  What about a trainer?  I would just really be worried if she was eating and your son walked by and it made her upset

Nat..... NEVER and I mean NEVER try to take food away from her!! You are asking for trouble when you do that ! From Cookie's perspective, she's doing nothing wrong... she's merely guarding/protecting her food, and it's a dog's nature to do that. And... she warned you with her growls and lunges. Most dog bites ARE followed by some type of warning by the dog.

Nat, it's up to YOU to teach her the proper behavior... but please don't try to take her food away from her again else you may end up with a more serious bite than you have already.

Do not free feed her.... or you are allowing her to "win". Also... do not punish her or you might make it worse.

Try this...

Do away with her food bowl ENTIRELY for a week or two. Cookie will be dining out of your hand, just a few kibbles at a time.

After two weeks, return of the food bowl, but it should remain empty until you pass by and drop a few kibbles in it. After those are eaten up, drop small handfuls into her bowl at intervals of one to three minutes until the whole meal has been consumed. By now Cookie should be practically begging you to approach her bowl.

Put a semi-filled bowl on the floor and, as you pass by, drop in a few better-than-kibbles tidbits. On your next pass by the bowl, add the remaining kibbles. Do this for about a week.

After that week, put a full food bowl on the floor as your Cookie holds a sit and stay (she does sit and stay, right?). Release her with a cheery "okay." Then, once or twice a week, call her away from her bowl during mealtime and reward her with a tasty tidbit for coming to you. Using your sit-and-stay, wait, and take-it commands with Cookie and this will make it absolutely clear to her who owns the kitchen and the tasty morsels in it.

Each of these steps should be undertaken for 10 to 14 days at each meal before going to the next step. While you are grappling with a food guarding problem, Cookie should WEAR A LEASH AT MEALTIMES as a safety measure, but don't use it to control her uness you are in jeopardy of being hurt.

Nat, I highly recommend to you a basic obedience course to establish your handler leadership to Cookie. Finally, if you experience any backsliding, return to feeding her from your hand... a few kibbles at a time.