It’s normal for dogs to protect their toys from other dogs. In most cases, your older dog growling at your puppy over a bone is nothing to stress about. If your dog is guarding their food bowl from people, however, it’s a real problem. In households with only adults, you can prevent your dog from guarding by simply placing the food bowl in a low-traffic area or a crate and leaving them alone while they eat.
However, this can still become a dangerous situation with kids around. Be extra cautious, and if the guarding escalates to outright aggression, it’s time to call in a professional trainer for advice. In the worst cases, rehoming may be necessary. To stop the problem before it starts, hand-feed new puppies and adopted dogs their first few meals in your home to teach them you’re there to give them food, not take it away.
