Food aggression is a form of resource guarding. This looks like a dog growling at the family cat during meal times or staring you down when munching on a bully stick. Resource guarding is normal behavior that our dogs inherited from their wolf cousins; it's a sort of pack behavior that communicates who gets to eat a kill first and who doesn’t. In our modern homes, resource guarding and other common behavior issues can lead to tense situations. The intensity of sudden food aggression in dogs depends on a number of factors, including your dog’s breed and their history. For example, if your pup came from a shelter or was rescued from a potentially dangerous environment, their food aggression may be fear-based. Nonetheless, it’s important to recognize food aggression when you see it so you can help your dog overcome it.