@eeeefarm:
I personally have a HUGE problem with the idea of removing a dog's meal after you have given it to him. This amounts to teasing, IMHO. I realize some people like to "train" the dog to give things up this way…
In my household, a dog who latches on to something that is off limits gets an immediate verbal response, "Is that yours??", followed by a removal of said object from his mouth. Period. I don't have time to p***yfoot around in the event the dog gets hold of something dangerous to himself, and if it costs me a nip in the process, so be it. (so far no dog of mine has had the temerity to attempt biting me in circumstances where he knows he is in the wrong, but I am not timid, or intimidated, and they have all clearly understood it is something I am not prepared to tolerate.)
edited to add: I will use the "trade" concept to retrieve something that I have given the dog. In that case, it is "his", (as opposed to something he has stolen) and if I want it back it is only fair to replace it with something…..hopefully in his eyes of equal value. (I would do this with a bone that was getting dangerously small, for example)
I agree. I don't take a dog's food. I teach them early by picking it up, putting something REALLY yummy in it. They learn early and fast that my taking the food is GOOD.
Will man the fire hoses for you. There are times when getting something from a dog FAST is the only option if it is an item the dog can be hurt with, or every very expensive. Which is why teaching a dog very young to drop it is so critical. That this incident was over a tea bag concerns me. It may be that an experienced owner could fix this, but I have to agree with everyone, this pup needs a professional veterinary behaviorist for evaluation if you can afford it.
