Resource guarding can be described as the propensity of some dogs to maintain possession of or guard particular things. These may include, but are not limited to, food bowls, toys, territory, and people. Dogs that show vigilance problems often freeze, growl, or snap when approached, when you try to take an object from them, or when touched. In the worst case, a dog can go beyond these warning signs and bite.
Guarding the things that they consider valuable is a very normal, natural and necessary part of the behavior of dogs. After all, survival is often based on being able to successfully obtain and hold on to things like food. People also protect resources, including homes, cars, and jewelry. However, for a dog to live safely and happily in a home, he must clearly understand that protecting himself from people is not only unnecessary but also inappropriate.
Some dogs appear to have a stronger genetic propensity toward resource protection than others. But, as with most behavior problems, it’s usually a bit of nature and nurture that plays a part. Some dog surveillance problems also seem to stem from the simple fact that your people have allowed them (albeit inadvertently) to guard things. For example, a young pup who is allowed to constantly grab things and run to the corner to chew them well may come to think that doing so is his right and if someone tries to retrieve something a battle of teeth is on the hands. can result.
We all love our dogs so much that we usually give them almost everything they want in life for free. They can jump on us or on the sofa to attract attention, they have a basket of toys at their disposal, we serve them food and water even if they jump like crazy barking at us. In some of these cases, a dog that is temperamentally inclined and allowed to be aggressive may be a dog that basically takes control of what he wants in the home.
Therefore, it is important to be careful not to ‘kill with kindness’. That is, don’t let your dog point where you allow a potentially serious behavior problem to develop. Any dog will be even more lovable when he has a clear understanding not to protect people’s resources.
As with any behavior problem, it’s always easier and safer to focus on prevention than cure. If your dog is already showing signs of having a resource guarding problem, it is advisable to seek the help of an experienced reward-based trainer to assist you in person.
To avoid resource protection issues, we need to condition our dogs to not just tolerate but like something that doesn’t necessarily come naturally to a dog. In this case, to respond promptly when we request the delivery of objects.
Management: Management is a way to prevent problems from being practiced, but also a way to help your dog understand that you control a valuable resource, namely his access to you and your home. Handling is something we practice every day in many ways with our dogs, including walking them on a leash to keep them safe. When working on the prevention of behavior problems, handling should be used intensively at first and then can be gradually decreased as your dog progresses. For example, once you feel confident that your dog is happily releasing things on request, you can choose to no longer use leash supervision (assuming your dog is house-trained and has no other behavioral issues that also is trying to prevent or resolve).
1. Leash supervision: When you are home and can supervise your dog, keep him on a leash close by or while holding or stepping on him. This way, you have a smooth and effective means of staying in control. For example, if your dog is off leash and grabs something inappropriate to chew on, you’ll have to chase after it to retrieve it. This scenario is likely to reinforce many inappropriate behaviors, such as playing keep away from you and protecting yourself.
2. Short-Term Containment – When you can’t let your dog rest peacefully in a crate, exercise pen, or pet-safe room.
3. Controlling Resources – Perhaps the most important part of any training protocol, controlling the things your dog wants in life is the first step in helping him or her understand why it’s important to pay attention to it and figure out what it wants. A dog who gets everything she wants in life for free is likely to have a hard time understanding why you (and listening to you) are valuable. The resources for dogs are:
-Food
-Toys
-Attention
-Life Rewards (anything else you can think of that your dog wants, like walking out the front door, being able to play with other dogs, sitting on the couch, etc.).
Gain control of all of these things by not allowing your dog free and unlimited access to them and using training skills like sit, lie, come, etc. as a way to show your dog how to earn what he wants. That is, ask him to sit before you rub his tummy, to shake your hand before dinner, to shake himself before you go for a walk, etc.
Training – Once you have focused on developing good management skills as described above, you are ready to work on specific resource protection exercises as a preventative measure.
1. Bone Sharing Chew Toy: With your dog on a leash, present a chew toy. Offer the chew toy to your dog to investigate and chew on for a moment while holding one end. After a few moments, remove it and offer your dog a small, tasty treat from your other hand. As you progress with this game, you can drop the chew toy and let your dog gradually chew on it for a longer time before you take it off and give him a treat. This is a simple but wonderful interactive game for you and your dog. By continually removing objects and replacing them with an object/toy/treat of equal or greater value, your dog will surely expect you to do so.
2. Food Bowl Bonuses: When you have time, hand-feed your dog at least part of his meals. In this way, you can put a bowl on the ground with a few pieces in it, reach out to remove it, and offer a piece or two from the other hand. You can also reach for the bowl after placing it and throw some food. You also need to work with bonuses, high-value treats that you can occasionally offer when you get close to the bowl.
3. Practice in lots of places, with lots of things: Playing these trading games as many times as you can in as many different settings and with as many different things as possible is a great way to help your dog learn to want to share everything.
