Preventing Resource Guarding
Written By Lauren Schreiber (Arctic Tails Spitz)
Resource Guarding is a natural behavior for our dogs. It was a vital instinct for their feral ancestors, and now that we have brought them into our lives, we suddenly expect them to ignore those instincts. The good news is that we can override those instincts with a little training and trust building.
The problem that many people face is that we wait until our pup gets a hold of something they shouldn’t have, we tear it away from them, and they never see it again. What does this teach our dogs? To defend it more fiercely next time!
Instead, we want to teach our dogs that a) it’s okay to give things up because they may get something even better, and b) just because something disappears, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s gone forever.
Resource Guarding their Food Dish:
STEP 1 - While your pup is eating from their bowl, walk up to them and drop something extra yummy (boiled chicken, cheese, etc.) into the bowl, and then WALK AWAY! You can do this multiple times during a single meal for lots of practice.
Repeat Step 1 until your pup pauses when you approach and looks at you as if to say “Oooh, what yummy thing are you bringing me?”
STEP 2 - While your pup is eating, walk over and pick up the bowl. Drop something extra yummy into it, then set it down and walk away.
STEP 3 - While your pup is eating, walk over and pick up the bowl. Take the bowl to a counter or table where you will add the yummy treat before returning it to your pup to continue eating.
*NOTE: If your pup begins to eat faster or growl as you approach, these are signs of resource guarding. Continue practicing only Step 1.
Resource Guarding Toys/Bones:
STEP 1 - With a treat hidden behind your back, offer your dog a toy. Let them play for a moment, and then show the dog the treat. They should drop the toy in order to get the treat. You may need to experiment with multiple toys and/or treats. You want your dog to be interested in the toy, but not so much that they won’t drop it when they see the treat. When they do drop the toy, mark “Yes!” and reward.
STEP 2 - Pick up the toy while your dog is eating their treat, but be sure to return it to them as soon as they have finished.
Repeat steps 1 & 2 until you are confident that the dog will drop the toy upon seeing the treat.
STEP 3 - Once your dog is reliably dropping the toy when they see the treat, add your verbal cue by saying “Drop It” before showing the treat. Repeat.
STEP 4 - After several repetitions, your dog may begin to drop the toy upon hearing “Drop It” rather than seeing the treat. Mark “Yes!” and reward heavily.
NOTE: Do not worry that you will always have to have a treat that is better than what they are holding; this is not the case! If we start with items that they are willing to let go of (toys) and do many repetitions, we can make “Drop It” a default behavior— this means they will automatically drop the thing in their mouth when they hear the cue, even if it’s a yummy bone or turkey poop!
Resource Guarding between Multiple Dogs:
Resource Guarding between dogs is a bit more difficult to address practically, but the idea is the same:
Other Dogs Approaching = Good Things for our Dog!
Ideally, you need two people— one to stand near the resource guarder with treats, and another to walk past with the other dog on leash, about 5-10 feet away.
STEP 1 - Whenever the other dog moves into view, the first person should begin offering treats regularly (~one treat every second) to the resource guarder; as soon as the other dog is out of view, the treats STOP!
STEP 2 - Gradually decrease the distance between the two dogs until they are both able to be near the resource.
STEP 3 - In between formal practice sessions, be sure to MANAGE THE ENVIRONMENT so that the dogs can not be practicing negative behaviors (remove any toys/food bowls/etc. that would cause resource guarding), as well as praise any tiny instances where the resource guarder remains calm while other dogs are in the vicinity of some of their lower-value possessions.