I really don't mind it just being between you me and @artic_wind though. I figure others just feel tired of this particular subject that they just glance and whatever they feel like sayjg has been said already so it's alright!

I'm gonna jump in and y'all can bite my head off. I've just read the description of the "bite" and the socks and I have a completely different interpretation.

My very first morning with Ami, I had a tennis ball and was throwing it for him to chase in the shop. He brought it back and I reached for it in his mouth. He appeared to let got of it, I started to retrieve it and he "snapped" it back. Really what he was doing was getting a better grip and I was in the way. First Blood with Ami. Learned - any tugs, playing is done with padded leather gloves. There is NO aggression in this - just misjudgement on my part.

There have been a few repeats - I will bet Mylo was in a playing tug mode and not a possession, this is mine I'll defend it to the death.

As for the food thing - Archer was the same at 7 months. We have hand fed him quite a bit, they get treats, but only with a sit, the 2 dogs "share" dinner with Wayne (he gets his plate and utensils, the dogs get theirs and its one for Daddy, one for Ami, one for Archer.) Initially, I had to feed the dogs tethered and separately because Archer would snarf his down then budge Ami out of the way and eat Ami's food. Then, I got them so I could feed them both in the kitchen but only if I put Archer's bowl down first then Ami's and playing "food police." Now, no food police, Ami's bowl gets placed first then Archer's. I see it primarily a maturation process - as long as you are consistent in showing Mylo what it is that you want.

@Al, since I've not had to deal with food aggression myself, all I can offer is my opinion, and when I don't explain myself well, what I say can take the conversation in another direction, that's all I meant, I wasn't taking it as I was disagreeing with anything you said or anything and...thank you on the garden compliment

@Amy, when I first read the bite and the sock thing, that's what I thought as well...I've had that happen MANY times, LOL, but that's why I wanted as an exact description as possible about what happened (and I don't think it's Descriptive enough to get an accurate picture of what happened) because I've had the alternative happen as well, like in Kohdi's bone for example, where there was a look in his eye, the covering the bone with his head , the low grade snarling/warning and that kind of thing where I felt I'd probly be bit or atleast snapped at if I got anywhere near it, that's the kind of description I was looking for when I asked "exactly" what happened.

@davecerv...since you didn't actually see it, can your girl type out exactly what transpired, how she interpreted certain body language for example, of Mylo, when the bite took place? As descriptive as possible, because like Amy said, there was a bite, the bite drew blood, but the difference in the how and why's are the difference of night and day.

@amymeme See, that's why I like others to put their two cents worth in (okay $25,00 with inflation). Since Sasha and I have had more than one discussion around the food bowl, when someone says food aggression and bite in the same sentence *that* is where my mind goes.

Even though Avalanche has bitten me (yeh, right) it's always, obviously a mistake on either his part or mine. We'll be playing, he'll go to grab my hand / arm as I'm pulling back and with my aged thin skin, there's blood spattering. It's definitely not a bite, it's an "oops!"
When I went to move the food bowl with the broom and Sasha climbed the broom and it took four stitches to put back together, that was not an 'oops' that was outright aggression ... maybe I should let others in first so we can decide whether it was a mistake on someones part or a real problem.

Honestly from what I see, David does have a problem but not a severe one ... one that can be handled by him and GF with a lot of care and consistency.

@amymeme hmm I never thought about it in that way..he probably was just getting a better grip on the sock in tug mode and he just went to far in to her hand. Yeah we are being consistent with what we want with the food situation now. He's learning to wait for food to be handed, I'm enjoying it actually I feel we are bonding more in the process.

@artic_wind my girl wouldn't like to type the story herself...I can just hear her saying "I already told you what happened why should I type if you told them already" lol

@aljones yes care and consistency will continue being shown  

Hand fed-Breakfast, mid day portion and dinner went well today although for dinner he kept staring back at my girl while she was working on her computer. I got him waiting a little longer to take the food and he just lays now while waiting and wags his tail haha

Here's our hand fed dinner session from tonight two hours ago!
Watch as much as you all want, it's the same things again and again lol

David, you know when your doctor gives you antibiotics for something and says "take this for two weeks" but after5 days you start to feel great so you put the antibiotics on the shelf .... I think that's human nature.  In so many things, not just dogs or medicine, I see people start to feel better / think better / do better and they forget that it takes time to reenforce what's been learned.

As a "sage piece of advise" Mylo's getting the idea of what you want so once you think he's got it, keep up the teaching for a while longer - reenforce the learning.  Whether the food problem is related to the episode with the sock or not, you've got a good thing going there - keep his, your, her mind active.

Okay, so you were uploading while I was typing. I couldn't watch all of it since Avalanche was getting upset by Mylo's whine - he's a quiet dog until he hears someone singing on the internet.

A couple of hopefully constructive comments:
Don't draw your hand back when he looks like he's nosing for it. "Eh-eh!" (or whatever you use) as a correction.
You shouldn't (feel the need to) repeat "Stay" once you've told him and he responds, then correct him when he (see one above).

I like the interaction, I also really like the fact that you GF moving in the background can distract him - that tells me that whi;e it is time to eat, he's not completely focused on the food.

@aljones Hmmm that's a great way to look at it. I should've enforced this early on but I let it go but Mylo is still at a good age right?
And cool you saw some of the video, so no more moving the food back when he gets close..got it. Yeah she's been there for hours doing college assignments... Sometimes it almost seemed like it bothered him when she moved but I guess that's the point for him to get used to that.

@davecerv

LOL, I can actually hear her saying that too

In the 5 years Malukhai was alive, I can honestly say I don't think there was one week where I didn't have cuts on my hand from Malukhai (or me) misjudging where his teeth were. Even in the week after he died, I still had healing cuts on my hand. In play mode, dogs (and us) can't be precisely accurate. I honestly think, and hope, that this was the case with Mylo.

The food thing, you are working on it and already seeing improvement...just keep it up!!!

And on a totally random note...I LOVE Mylo's mask!!!

@artic_wind

Yeah she's been doing lots of typing for her college assignments so I'm sure she don't need more typing action haha

Aww man Jim...Malukhai

And you think so? I'm enjoying these interactions with him!

Comparing the first video to the last video, YEAH!!! There's improvement there's no denying a difference. But like we have all already drilled into your head, lol, you just gotta keep consistent and keep going. Also, you mentioned how Mylo kept looking back and eyeing your gf...I saw it a little differently...it was more casual than that...when Kohdi got defensive over a bone, if he would look back, at me or anyone else, at the same time he looked back he'd also drop his head down closer to the bone (even though he was turned away from it) in a protective sort of way, and the look was a very cold glare.

It is enjoyable isn't it!!! I can't even describe how I feel now when Kohdi has a bone and I walk in or whatever and he's just about to go into that mode but I see that little light bulb go off in his head and he instantly changes.

Whew, I just got caught up. David I think everyone gave great advice. Video looked great, compared to the first. Distractions are great for huskies, keeping his attention to you and not other things(think out in public for instance), is very important and also great way to bond. I want to point out to you and your GF, Mylo is still a pup, he actually is starting in on his teenage phase. That age is one of the toughest for new husky/dog owners, just like human teenagers, huskies will try to test their boundaries, this is probably the best time to train him to be gentle and to listen to you/gf. Also, with the sock, I think tuggie games and things like that are great, yes it can get pretty ferocious, lol, but I really feel it builds a different level of bonding. You/gf have to go in without worrying if you get knocked in the face with a paw, or nipped on your fingers if you both grab on tugs at the same time. Again, he is still on the young side, and he may still be learning how much pressure he is applying when playing. The great thing, y'all are learning with each other. He is not too old to train, and I think, imho, training is always on going especially with a husky. Just my Keep the good work going!!

@miyasmomma yeah that's what I've been telling my girl, he's testing us and giving us obsticle courses and we will survive through all of them! Haha

look like you have got lost of good advice and have made progress, which is awesome.  
i to had to deal with food but on a far smaller scale (my chihuahua) he had very bad food aggression he would growl at you if you got to close to the food bowl with full on teeth, it looked like he was out for blood   . it took months to get to be able to just sit next to him.

i would get close to him and if there was no growl i would throw treats and some days i would and feed him. some times i would just leave him to eat undisturbed. till i could sit next to him and toss treats into his bowl wail he was eating. some times offering treats from my hand as well . Joey my chihuahua eventually let me stick my hand in his bowl wail eating he would get a good amount of treats. but this was months of work and at that time  thank god we had no small kids at home .

just keep up the good work its going to pay off in the end. its a long road ahead, but well worth the journey.  


after all that work and some 15 years later this is the result of all the hard work. I'm so proud of him when i see them do this. peace of mind; knowing that if my nice or nephew go near him stick his/her hand in the bowl and nothing will happen.

@RedFlashFire

Ohhh interesting it was the chihuahua haha
Thanks for the encouragement!
My girl grew up with dogs (lab and chihuahua) they were normal/calm with their food. That's why she has a hard time understanding Mylo's attitude with food.

Just a note, Dave. Ami was voracious with his food at a year, now, he is deliberate and thoughtful. Archer at 7 months was a monster...jumping on it, inhaling it, growling, stealing, possessive. Yesterday, Josh wanted to take him home, I had just given Archer a raw beef bone. Josh put the leash on, took the bone, wrapped it up and they left. No drama. He still eats fairly rapidly, but not inhale and gone.

Keep up the good work and I'm fairly certain that Mylo will grow out of this...

@davecerv - for your GF - keep up *your* good work and the grades will repay you many times over. I never have been a "school taught" person, I just don't have the patience.

As far as Labs go, I've had a couple. Lady and Kalah - there is, to me, something very relaxing about a Lab. They seldom get too worked up over much of anything, they make excellent camping companions and they're about the most laid back dog I've ever seen. I used to go camping at the Alabama-Coushatta reservation in Texas. Always had one fellow who must have lived close to the campgrounds who'd come by for morning coffee. Lady, and later Kalah, really liked him - I'd know he was on his way over when the dog disappeared toward where he came from. He always teased me about gathering wood, I'd come back with an armful and the dog would be behind me dragging the biggest log she could handle.

@amymeme

It would be great if Mylo does outgrow this and more with our consistency. I like these encouraging changes you guys!

@aljones
I would love to have a lab in the future (when we have our own home), it would also be special for my girl to have one again. I got to know her lab in his last years and he was a extremely relaxed dog. My girl said he wasn't the walking type because he would get tired after a minute or two lol

Anyway, Mylo did good again at breakfast today. I'm gonna start making him wait longer for the final bit of kibble. I'll probably post another video closer to the end of the week!

Hey all, now that the whole sock situation has cleared up..I can continue on this thread now.
So he's been doing better with waiting for his food by hand (up to two minutes).
For his dinner tonight I served him on the bowl and I think he did great!
Check him out

Mylo has come a long way, in a relatively short amount of time! I'm impressed !!!

very awesome progress in a short amount of time, keep it up    .

Much better!

Thanks guys! He's getting it, I got him waiting a little longer today and I pet him a little. Same results with my girlfriend too, she just doesn't want to be recorded haha
I still haven't tried moving the bowl while he's eating but eventually I'll try it but I'm taking it slow, he's doing great so far.