Managing Dogs That Guard Resources

Resource Guarding is one of the most dangerous and difficult issues to deal with in pet dogs. Sometimes it only escalates to a growl or a snap. However, Some dogs will inflict very serious damage to protect something they deem worth it. I HIGHLY recommended that you find a professional who is well-versed in this issue to walk through a formal training process safely and effectively.

What is resource guarding?

If you are lucky, the resources your dog will escalate over are easily defined. However, the more varied the resources are the more difficult the issue is to manage.

The first step in resource guarding is stopping the behavior. Easier said than done, I know, but the better we understand the issue and the dog's perspective the easier we can do that.

Your Dog's Perspective

Resource guarding is much simpler to understand once you simply look at it from the dog's point of view….

If a dog gets something of high value, it's often because they want it. If you take it away, some dogs, who have a high desire to keep the item or a poor relationship with the individual may try to work against you to keep their thing.

Dogs can resource guard:

In the beginning, this may seem like a small issue of the dog gobbling a piece of meat dropped on the floor super fast or running under the bed with it. These are strategies the dog is using to help them keep the items.

The problem comes when those strategies fail. If the dog runs under the bed with your shoe and you take it away, it doesn't stop the dog from wanting what you took away. Realizing that the current strategy is ineffective, a resource guarding dog will often escalate their behavior in search of what will make you allow them to keep the item.

To clarify THE ACT OF TAKING AWAY HIGH VALUE ITEMS when your dog is motivated to keep them (plus genetics, poor relationship and poor socialization) is the catalyst for resource guarding.

The 4-Steps to Change Behavior

1. Stop the Behavior - Resource Guarding is a Self reinforcing behavior. Meaning when it happens it makes the behavior stronger, so we have to stop it from occurring first in order to make it better.
2. Play With Your Dog - Build relationships, confidence and a history of fun and reward
3. Train the Dog - Build a basic skill set in the dog to use when addressing problem behaviors
4. Life Together - utilize the skills to enjoy and conquer challenges of life long term

Stopping The Behavior

Simple, right? Just stop that behavior, maybe for a dog trainer, but let's break this down more….

This is all about management. The first thing is you must be involved and pay attention to the management of the dog. If you cannot do that, the dog should be safely contained: tether, leash or kennel

Your dog has proven that they cannot be trusted to have freedom in all environments. If your dog only resource guards food, then this step is as simple as feeding them in the crate, or picking up all the toys and chews if that is their thing. If you are still assessing what the items your dog will guard, or know that it is a variety of items, then close management is going to be STEP ONE.

This Includes:

• When you are asleep, the dog is in the crate or in a doggy-proofed room of the house.
• When you are hanging out with the dog in the house, they are on leash - tethered to you in the beginning
• When you cannot be hands on with the dog they are on a tether, in the crate or muzzled
• All food outside of training are given in the crate
• All toys are put away unless it is playtime
• SHORT TERM CHEWS ONLY, meaning they can consume it in one session that does not exceed 30 minutes. This means no Kongs or other similar toys.
• Do not give your dog a chew or toy that they cannot consume. You give the chew to the dog, they chew it until it is gone, this way you do not need to take it away or bother them while they are chewing on it.
• Bully sticks are great for this
• If the dog is biting people, use the leash to keep all unintentional interactions limited/unavailable
• If dogs are fighting with other dogs over resources they should be rotated, one in the crate the other free
• Dogs are NEVER allowed to approach another dog when they have a high value item
• Dog are NEVER allowed to approach while another dog is receiving affection

The Danger is in the Transitions

IMPORTANT!

If the "picture" of what is happening is stable, everything should be fine. It is when things change, that you have to make sure you are paying attention.

Imagine two dogs, each lying on their own bed and chewing on a bone. One dog gets up to go to another room for a drink. While the first dog is away, the second dog might start to view the first dog's bone as something desirable. When the second dog returns, it might feel threatened that the first dog could try to take its newly valued bone. To protect what it now sees as its own, the second dog might react aggressively to defend the bone.

If a person is in a room with a dog and that dog has decided they are a resource of value, another person entering the room could be a threat to their time with that person and thus the dog feels the need to guard.

In most dogs, having treats available to redirect your dog into when they get upset is a fantastic and even critical strategy to managing these changes.

HOW DO WE STOP THIS Behavior LONG Term?

We Start at the Beginning…

Resource guarding is a relationship issue

In whatever form it shows up, we must fix the relationship to address resource guarding. Every time you take something away from the dog, you move in the wrong direction. Every time you punish the dog, you move in the wrong direction.

Many people tell me, I can just yell, stare, or pop them on the butt and they will drop the item. That may work, but you also may be adding more fuel next time, and more conflict to your relationship.

HOW do you fix the relationship?

This is the fun part! You do it with play, rewards, and proper guidance that avoids the conflict and their feeling like you are always punishing them.

Soften your tone of voice, give more treats and food from hand, and allow the dog to get away with the small things for a while. Relationship over perfection right now.

I'm sure this all sounds like a daunting task, and it is A LOT. The good news is that the faster we stop the negative behaviors the faster we can begin to build up new behavior patterns. Hopefully, moving into a situation that will need less and less management over time.

What to do if we get into a resource guarding situation

If the dog grabs something that he shouldn't have, there are a few things we can try. If they work out, great, these are short term strategies. Eventually, the dog will figure you out and may ignore these to keep their item. Which is why it is IMPERATIVE that you pair these management techniques with a professional training program designed to address the complete dog and problem.

As often as we can, we would like to trade the dog for something else of high value.

• If the dog has a good recall, call them to you and reward, remove the dog from the room before you pick up their item
• IF the dog is on leash you can call them, then use the leash to lightly pull him towards you for the reward. SHOW THEM THE REWARD BEFORE YOU CALL OR PULL
• Roll/toss the reward near/past the dog so he chases it away from his item
• You can toss a handful of food near the dog and wait to see if he leaves to item for the food
• If the dog has the item and the leash is underneath them, this can be a tough spot. I would try grabbing high value food and leaving, opening a door to go outside, or maybe even the car if the dog loves rides.

The truth is that this situation sucks, and if you absolutely must get the item away from the dog, be very careful and be as kind to the dog as possible.