When Your Dog Growls Over Bones/ Food/ Toys / Space / people

Resource guarding is what we call it when a dog worries about people or other animals getting close to him or his stuff, reaching toward him or his stuff, or trying to take stuff out of his mouth. (Don't ever do that unless it's a dire emergency! Trade food instead.) His stuff might be food, a bone, a toy, or just something found on the ground. I have even seen a dog who guarded furniture when he wasn't even sitting on it. He might even guard access to a favorite person, or seem jealous of things like touching, hugging, or kissing. Even if you think your sweet dog would never bite, people commonly provoke dogs into biting in these situations due to repeated ignoring of the dog's early warning signals.

Although guarding your valuable items is normal, for both dogs and humans, it's becomes a problem when the dog is ready to bite people or other dogs. It's almost always a problem if young kids or other vulnerable people are in the house, too, as they may reach for an item without understanding.

We often make this worse by:

·        taking things away from puppies and dogs

·        scolding and punishing dogs for taking things

·        pulling or pushing dogs off of furniture or out of resting spots

·        leaning over dogs on people’s laps to hug

·        we aren't teaching the dog not to take things; we are teaching the dog that people take his stuff and that people are threatening and scary when he has stuff in his mouth.

We need to change the emotion driving the behavior, not punish the behavior, or we risk making the situation worse, then losing the warning signals and creating a dog who goes straight to biting.

Manage, Change Feelings, and Train Other Behaviors

For each scenario, I am going to list options to manage, to change feelings, and to train alternate behaviors. Management, or prevention of doing things to cause the dog to guard, may be enough in some households for some situations. Games in quotes are visible in the Video Refresher Library. in the blog.

If your dog guards bones or toys:

·        Stop giving your dog bones/toys unless confined in a room where no one will approach

·        Play "toss & go" to improve feelings about being approached by humans, if needed

·        Teach "drop" to ask him to let go

·        Teach "here" or "hand target" to ask him to move away

·        Practice asking him to "drop," then "here" or "hand target" to the yard or another room, closing the door behind your dog, so you can retrieve the item and replace it with a few treats.

If your dog guards stolen items:

·        Keep the house tidy, including counters

·        Close doors or gate off areas that can’t be kept tidy

·        Play toss & go to improve feelings about being approached by humans, if needed

·        Teach "drop" to ask him to let go

·        Teach "here" or "hand target" to ask him to move away

·       Practice asking him to "drop," then "here" or "hand target" to the yard or another room, closing the door behind your dog, so you can retrieve the item and replace it with a few treats.

If your dog guards spaces, especially when resting:

·        Don’t approach your dog when the dog is resting, or on furniture

·        Avoid walking through doorways at the same time

·        Play toss & go to improve feelings about being approached by humans, if needed

·        Teach "here" or "hand target" to ask him to move away from resting spots

·        Teach "go to mat" or "go to crate," but know that this may make the dog’s resting space more valuable, so it must be in a safe haven area, out of food traffic

·        Practice calling "here," then asking for your pup to "go to mat."

If your dog guards food or water:

·        Provide food and water in a confined space where no one will approach, and provide multiple water bowls if your dog guards from other dogs

·        Do not use food puzzles that can be moved to other rooms by your dog

·   when he finishes eating, wait until he is away from the dish and pick it up until the next meal

·   If he tends to move food out of his bowl, add something wet to prevent that behavior

·        Play "toss & go" to improve feelings about being approached by humans, if needed

If your dog guards you/your lap:

·        Immediately move away from your dog when this starts

·        Play "toss & go" to improve feelings about being approached by humans, if needed

·        Teach "go to mat," but know that this may make the dog’s resting space more valuable, so it must be in a safe haven area, out of foot traffic

·  Be sure your dog responds to your "go to mat" cue, whether you are standing, seated, or prone

Emergency options

·        Try offering a trade, tossing food about 10’ away to give you time to retrieve the item

·        If that doesn’t work, try making a trail of treats into a room with a door, closing the door behind him after he follows the treats.

·        If he won’t follow the trail, try ringing your doorbell or picking up a leash.

How do we teach each of these skills? You can find resources in the Video Refresher Library.

I do not recommend you do this without professional assistance if your dog is biting.

#biting #fear #aggression #resourceguarding