Hey Everyone,

My 6 month old female Kaia, has some issues with food guarding and agression with treats, toys, sticks, anything she deems as her etc. She does not get violent persay but she will frantically hide her toy, or treat and run away so it cannot be taken from her. Two recent examples:

1. There is a "cookie" place in my apartment complex where dog bone treats are left out in a dish for dogs to enjoy. Kaia visited the cookie area for the first time last week with two dogs who she regularly plays and walks with who are older (5 and 6). Upon arriving to the cookie dish, Kaia went first and grabbed a cookie. I held her back away from the dish to enjoy her treat and let the other two dogs get a bone too. She immediately after seeing each other them take a treat lunged at the rest of the dog bones in the bowl and took them all in her mouth. When the other two dogs went to see what was up she barked at them.

2. I had a small piece of raw hide in my jacket (Kaia has such an affinity for them and I give them to her on occassion-closely monitored of course). She was playing keep away with a random toy from one of the dogs as in the first story. I tempted Kaia to me with the raw hide piece and let her have it. Her and the other two dogs were now all in close proximity but they werent trying to get her raw hide. Never the less I could tell Kaia was being keen about it. Since I didnt want her to chew it since we were finshing a walk I reach into her mouth (which I always do to retrieve toys or anything she puts in there I dont want in there) and she chomps down hard and quickly My left index finger required stitiches from the bite. I am just super grateful it was me she bit not someone else or another dog.

The thingis, absolutely fine when no other dogs are around. I can without issue take things from her and put my hands in her mouth. Altho she wil play keep away with me when I want to get something from her, she is fairly good with the command "drop it" and I work every day with her for about the last week (b4 she bit me) on the "leave it"command.

However, the "drop it" command around other dogs clearly does not work. I definitely am aware I was foolish to try and retrieve the the raw hide piece from her given the situation and am 100% confident that her reaction to my wanting to take it was because of the other dogs around her.

I am going to continue to work on "drop it" and "leave it"

I am curious if anyone has some sound advice or opinions on how I can correct this agression and guarding behavior around other dogs. I was very fortunate I was the only one who was hurt but I dont want there even to be a "next time" incident moving forward.

Much appreciated

Scott and Kaia