Why do some dogs snap at people while they are eating? It is natural for dogs to want to guard their food from potential competitors, especially if they are hungry, are highly food motivated, or both. It is not an abnormal behavior. When dogs play with a toy, you'll see them play Keep Away... they'll do it with a ball, stick, your slipper, or a bone. When a leopard kills an antelope, he will drag it up into a tree to keep it away from other predators. All of that is normal.
If you look around the internet, you will find a lot of advice out there about correcting this kind of thing. The worst advice is someone telling you that you aren't dominating your dog enough, so to lay on the assertiveness and punishment. All that is going to do is make the dog even more aggressive. Don't believe me? Try it. It is a great way to end up in the emergency room with a broken hand or deep laceration.
A good dog trainer and behaviorist can show you how to get a dog to release an object, or to manage a dog's possessiveness, without conflict and without increasing the danger of an attack.
You now have a choice. Make your dog even more aggressive, or solve the problem. It's up to you.
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