How to Prevent Resource Guarding in Dogs

Have you ever taken something from your dog? Perhaps you’ve opened their mouth and pulled out a tissue or a sock they’ve stolen? Maybe they’ve grabbed something potentially dangerous, and you’ve dived in to remove it?

It’s something many of us do without a second thought - your dog has something they shouldn’t, so you open their mouth, take it out, and off they go. But what if your dog growled or even bit you when you tried to open their mouth?

Often we become so used to simply taking things off our dogs, we can be surprised when they react negatively. Sometimes this can escalate fast and your dog might start to growl or snap if you even walk near them when they have something in their mouth.

Dogs are continually communicating with us, we probably don’t notice it most the time, so if they feel they need to make something unmissably clear, they will use their most obvious signals, such as growling, snapping or biting.

What is Resource Guarding?

Resource guarding is where a dog displays warning signals around any valuable resource, whether that’s food, toys, a bed, or a sniffing spot… it can be anything your dog values in that moment. They will use signals to warn others to keep their distance, such as freezing, fixed stares, growling, lunging, snapping, or biting.

Resource guarding is a very common behaviour but it’s one which is easily missed until the signs are staring us in the face (quite literally). It’s a behaviour which is often rooted in fear… fear of losing a valuable resource, fear of how a human will react, or a combination. We might like to blame resource guarding on ‘dominance’ or a dog trying to exert control, but in reality they are scared.

If you have opened your dog’s mouth and removed an item, this can feel threatening and scary for your dog, it also means they lose the item they were valuing at that moment. Our dogs can frustrate or upset us at times too, whether it’s a stolen shoe chewed to shreds or a battle over a sock they won’t let go of, we can be guilty of reacting to our dog’s behaviour in ways which may unintentionally frighten them.

In the moment, they may bounce back and it seems as though no harm is done. However, repeated experiences, or in some cases just a one-off, can lead to resource guarding developing. There may also be genetic links, with some breeds (e.g. gundog and gundog mixes) being particularly prone to guarding behaviours, but it can develop in any dog. It’s possible the behaviour can be influenced by very early experiences while with their mother and siblings, and in the critical weeks of socialisation before 14 weeks old.

How to Prevent Resource Guarding

Prevention is always better than cure, so being aware of early signs of guarding and possible causes is an important way to avoid the behaviour developing or escalating.

• Know the genes – if you’re buying a puppy, get to know the parents and ask about any resource guarding traits. Choosing a puppy from parents who show resource guarding behaviours will predispose your puppy to develop similar behaviours. Being aware means you can act accordingly with your puppy to avoid it developing, or decide to choose a puppy from other parents.

• Watch for signs – understanding the basics of dog communication and body language goes a long way to avoiding the behaviour developing. If your dog or puppy goes tense or freezes when you approach while they have something valuable, then this can be an early warning sign to take note of.

• Avoid reacting – if your dog does pick up something they shouldn’t have, don’t make a big deal or chase them around, grab it from them, or tell them off. Stay calm and swap it for something better.

• Respect their food – gone are the days where we’re advised to take our dog’s bowls away to show them who’s boss. Never remove anything from your dog when they’re eating - leave them alone! Watch that children or other pets aren’t disturbing your dog while they’re eating or chewing too.

• Respect their space – our dogs live in our homes but they still deserve some respect. If your dog is sleeping where you want to sit, don’t force them off or shout at them, this could make them feel the need to defend their space and communicate they’re scared of you. Instead, calmly call them to a different place and reward them for lying elsewhere.

• Hands off – we are often guilty of making our dogs do what we want them to do … get off the sofa, let go of the stolen sock, stop chewing the shoe. If your dog is doing something you don’t like, don’t go and grab them or approach them, just call them away and reward them for an alternative behaviour. Keep your hands off them and this will avoid conflicts occurring.

  
  

Management Over Treatment

Resource guarding can develop when we have poor management systems with our dogs. If you have tempting shoes and socks lying around for your dog to steal, food left out on worktops, or your dog struggles to sleep and eat without being disturbed, they are much more likely to develop guarding behaviours.

The best way to prevent or improve guarding issues is simply to manage their environment in a way that removes any trigger points.

• Set up a safe space – whether it’s a quiet room or a crate, give your dog a space where they can eat and sleep without being disturbed. Make sure no one approaches or bothers them in the safe space.

• Keep items out of reach – don’t leave items around for your dog to steal, keep them away and only leave out suitable toys for your dog to pick up if they want to. If you can’t keep things out of reach, pop your dog into their safe space until you can.

• Prevent access to difficult areas – if bedrooms are a haven for stealable items or beds to lie on, keep the doors shut so your dog can’t access these areas. Acknowledge or reward good choices, such as lying on their own bed or carrying their own toys around.

Alongside these strategies, it can help to teach your dog a reliable ‘drop’ cue. If your dog shows no guarding behaviours, then this is a great one to work on and build a solid response. If your dog is already showing signs of guarding, it’s important ‘drop’ training is done in situations where no guarding is present, before progressing to potential guarding scenarios.

Resource guarding can be a complex behaviour and in some cases it can be very difficult to manage and live with, for others it’s a case of good management strategies and understanding your dog’s communication signals. Whatever your situation, at The Hound Spot we have worked with countless dogs who display all levels of resource guarding so get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you!