You’re feeding your dog just like you do every other day when you walk by to feed your other dog. The dog that you’ve always considered to be laid back up until this point emits a low growl of warning as he wolfs down his food. Your other dog — who is more excitable and energetic — is oblivious to everything except her food. Is this growling from your sweet boy some kind of newfound canine aggression? Should you be concerned that your furry friend is displaying such troubling behavior? Is there anything you can do to stop this type of reaction?
What Is Resource Guarding?
If your dog acts like this, understand that it comes from something trainers refer to as “resource guarding.” While food is a common “resource” that dogs often “guard,” it is only one of many things that might cause a reaction like this from your dog or puppy.
Resource guarding doesn’t even have to involve food. Some dogs practice resource guarding with a favorite toy, a particular pet bed, or even just the couch. Puppies often guard whatever they happen to be involved in at any given moment, whether that’s a clump of grass or a meaty bone. Dogs have even been known to resource guard a special human companion!
Resource Guarding Is Natural, Normal
It’s important to remember that as unhappy as resource guarding makes you, the behavior is perfectly normal in dogs. If you’re like many pet owners, when you look into the sweet and furry face of your pooch and his big brown eyes are looking back at you, it’s hard to remember that he is a close cousin to the wolf.
Underneath all that fur and soft doe eyes beats the heart of an animal. No matter how long dogs live alongside their human companions, the fact remains that they are wired for survival. As predators, dogs instinctively guard the resources they have to ensure their survival in the wild. That natural canine instinct might seem silly to you because you provide your canine best friend with everything he or she needs, but from your dog’s perspective, it makes sense.
Think of resource guarding as a behavior inherited from the wolf as a mechanism to ensure that they can survive. It’s just amplified more than it needs to be in the human world.
Dominance Is Not the Issue
With the growling, snapping and baring of teeth that occurs during resource guarding, it’s easy to label the behavior as one of dominance. Your pup certainly is acting dominant when he’s guarding food.
Unfortunately, this is a problematic thought process. It’s too simplistic and doesn’t really get to the root of the problem.
Just because your dog is behaving in a manner that you disapprove of doesn’t mean that he is trying to overpower you in some way. Instead of looking for ways in which you can demonstrate your dominance over your dog, concentrate on teaching him that he doesn’t need to guard his things. This involves rewarding your dog for doing other things besides guarding what he perceives to be his precious resources.
Can Resource Guarding Be Fixed?
In the majority of cases, you can correct resource guarding with time and effort. You may need to consider professional training to eliminate the problem. Behavior classes can address resource guarding and other issues you may see with your dog.
Turning the issue into a battle of wills will backfire. You and your dog can become frustrated if you treat resource guarding with punishment. You can lessen the bond you have with your pet, too, when you correct. Remember to use caution when your dog becomes aggressive, and embrace other methods proven to work instead of punishment or correction.
Puppy Resource Guarding
Puppies may also engage in resource guarding. Early training provides the best way to deal with the problem, so keep that in mind as you decide how to approach this issue. If you teach your dog early, you can deescalate the issue and prevent it from becoming worse as your dog gets older.
Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish resource guarding from other energetic puppy behavior. Does your puppy seem protective of its toys or food? If so, it may begin resource guarding. Set the tone early that this is your home and you own the things your puppy plays with. Reinforce that mindset during your training.
How to Stop Resource Guarding in Dogs
You can curb resource guarding and even eliminate it when you use a consistent approach. Professional training for your dog is the best approach, but you can also deal with the issue at home.
Use the following tricks to help stop resource guarding:
- Handle your dog’s toys, bed and food throughout the day. Get the animal used to seeing you take these actions.
- When your dog growls at you, don’t give up possession of the item. While you don’t want your dog to get upset and bite, you also can’t give in easily.
- Play games with your dog that encourage it to give you things it plays with. Praise your dog when it gives the object back.
Causes of Resource Guarding
Resource guarding is a common behavior issue with many possible causes. It can occur in any dog breed, and it can grow worse if it isn’t addressed.
What causes resource guarding? A combination of factors can impact the dog, leading to resource guarding. It is equal parts the nature of the dog, the environment it inhabits and its background. For example, if your dog is naturally inclined to aggression and grew up in an environment where other dogs took its food, it’s more likely to exhibit resource guarding.
Resource Guarding Prevention
Fortunately, with some training you can overcome your furry canine friend’s tendency to resource guard. If your dog hasn’t started displaying resource guarding or if you have a puppy, these preventative steps can head off many issues.
Start by teaching your dog some simple commands. One of them should be something along the lines of “sit” – which he’ll have to do before getting an object he wants, such as a bowl of food, toy or treat.
Though puppies can start to learn commands like sit when they’re about eight weeks old, you shouldn’t expect very much in the way of consistency until they’re at least six months old.
Manage your dog’s environment until you see an improvement in the guarding behaviors. This means taking measures such as removing toys and food bowls from the common areas. Bring them out only during those circumstances that you control. Feed your dog away from other animals and people.
Try to avoid situations that tend to bring the resource guarding behavior out in your dog. If it’s impossible to avoid, modify the situation as best you can for everyone’s safety.
Resource Guarding Modification
Instead of yelling at your dog or punishing her if she shows aggressive behavior because she’s guarding her resources, aim for a more positive tone. Yelling and punishments only serve to confuse your dog; they aren’t effective and they often inspire further aggression.
That can make her associate people with aggression, causing her to display more guarding or other types of undesirable behavior. Try these tips if you already have an issue.
When your pooch is eating, walk up to his bowl and drop a highly-desirable treat into it without bending down. Doing this on a regular basis will reinforcement to him that people approaching him while he is eating results in more yummy things to eat. Instead of being thought of as a threat, this tactic sets up a positive association with people.
Teach your dog the command for “drop it.” Start with a mildly enticing object or a treat he really enjoys. If your dog knows how to drop the object on your cue, reward her with the treat before giving her back the object after she finishes her treat. A dog that doesn’t know the “drop it” cue yet can be encouraged to do so anyway by offering her the food close to his mouth.
Once she does drop the object, immediately give her the treat and then the object back once more after she’s finished chewing. This teaches your dog that giving up the resource that she’s guarding to a person is good because it results in a treat and getting the resource back.
The “off” command is a useful one if your furry friend guards furniture like a couch or a bed. First, make sure your dog is on the couch, then say “off” and lure him to the floor with food. Make sure to only give him the food once he’s off the couch or bed.
If resource guarding continues to be a problem, it may be time to contact a trainer for one-on-one guidance. The best way to ensure success is to keep at it over several months. A few times a week, throw a handful of treats in his food bowl while he’s eating. Practice the “drop it” command regularly, too. It’s this consistency that will help reduce the guarding behavior your dog shows over the long term. Unfortunately, some dogs simply seem to struggle with this more than others, even with training; in which case, it’s recommended to seek the help of an experienced, qualified trainer.