Resource guarding in dogs, also called “possessive aggression,” can be quite intimidating and complex to deal with. The behavior can escalate in no time and can have serious repercussions if not tackled in time. Your reaction to the behavior can either help resolve your dog’s resource guarding or make it worse.
WHAT IS RESOURCE GUARDING?
Resource guarding in dogs is a behavior in which he feels the need to guard the object/ subject he’s interacting with or engaged with. It’s instinctive nature for a dog to guard his possessions. Different dogs guard with different intensities. Some dogs would just display minor protective signs like hovering over the object or moving away preferring isolation. Some dogs communicate clear signs of displeasure like growling or snapping. Dogs who are at an advanced stage of resource guarding would be willing to bite or attack in order to protect their resources.
Resource guarding is not the problem. Your dog’s willingness to hurt you in the process is the problem.
Common things that trigger resource guarding-
- Food
- Food bowls
- Toys
- Beds and other resting spaces
- Bones and chews
- Owner/ handler
EARLY SIGNS OF RESOURCE GUARDING BEHAVIOR IN YOUR DOG
- Picking up objects and refusing to give it up
- Swallowing objects instead of dropping as soon as the human approaches
- Stealing and running away
- Preference to enjoy bones, treats, favorite toys etc in isolation
- Laying down in a way to lean over the object in order to protect it
- Turning away with the resource or avoidance as soon as the human approaches
- Protective behavior over the owner (this could have multiple meanings)
ADVANCING STAGES OF RESOURCE GUARDING BEHAVIOR IN DOGS
- Growing
- Snapping
- Biting
- Attacking anyone who comes near the resource
- Attacking without provocation
- Displaying possessive and/or protective aggression towards owner/ handler
WHY IS YOUR DOG RESOURCE GUARDING?
This behaviour could be the result of multiple factors.
Instinctive behavior – Some dogs like Dobermans were initially bred are still largely used as guard dogs. Whether it is a home or a person or a resource, guarding comes more naturally to these breeds than others. Please note, the word “guarding” is not synonymous to aggression. In multiple breeds, resource guarding has a lot to do with instinct rather than the environment they grow up in
Past experience – No dog decides to get up one day and bite. There is ALWAYS a series of warning signs and communication that precedes the bite. These warning signs are typically running away with object, growling, snapping, avoidance, etc. In the dog’s mind, when none of these warning signs seem to work in keeping the ‘snatcher’ away, his last resort is to hurt.
When a dog grows up in an environment where people are constantly snatching things away from his mouth, the dog gets habituated to protecting and guarding all his resources.
Born and raised in a competitive environment – When a litter of puppies is born, it’s imperative for the breeder to make sure that the pups are fed in different bowls and are individually provided with toys and resources to play with. When puppies are made to ‘share’ resources with littermates or are fed in one large bowl instead of different bowls, they start competing with each other to win.
This competition often creates a lot of insecurity in a pup’s mind and he grows up being overprotective and possessive of anything he comes in contact with. What a puppy experiences at this tender age often decides the kind of personality he ends up having even as an adult dog.
The same can be said about a multi-animal household too. When raising a dog with other dogs or animals, it’s vital to provide a safe, secure, non-competitive environment for each and every animal. When you fail to resolve issues, the dogs take matters into their own hands, the end result of which is usually a fight.
REMEMBER THIS WHEN DEALING WITH A RESOURCE GUARDING DOG
1. Control and management
The first step to tackling any behavioural issue with a dog is to control and manage his surroundings. This means making sure that your dog doesn’t find himself in situations where he needs to guard.
The starting point of control and management is to remove all possible triggers and Not do anything which provokes an aggressive reaction from your dog. Some of them being avoiding snatching anything from your dog’s mouth, providing ample resources to each and every animal in the house along with a safe space to play away from each other, keeping objects that cause resource guarding behavior away from your dog and basically everything in your power to ensure the dog doesn’t feel the need to guard.
2. Knowing your dog’s threshold
- Level of the behavior – As mentioned above, different dogs guard with different intensities. Recognizing the level of aggression is important before learning how to tackle it. If the behavior is at a preliminary stage, it can be carefully dealt with obedience training, trust-building and some routine changes. But, if the behavior is at an advanced stage where the dog doesn’t think twice before attacking, you might want to involve a professional trainer or a behaviorist.
- Knowing the Triggers – Every dog has some triggers. Whether your dog has just started to show signs of resource guarding or whether your dog is a seasoned biter, there is always a trigger to the behavior. In some cases it could be someone approaching when the dog is interacting with a particular resource, in some cases, it could be physical meddling by the humans with the object the dog is engaged with it, whereas in some cases, even someone passing by could set off a dog. Know these triggers and start by removing them as far as possible.
3. Starting at a level that your DOG is comfortable with
When dealing with any behavioral issue in a dog – simple or complex, it’s imperative to take things at the dog’s pace and not as per the owner or trainer’s timelines. Rushing into things will only mean setting your dog and yourself up for failure. When you take things at a pace that your dog is comfortable with, you’re not only teaching him better but also building trust in his mind towards you. This can be a game-changer in your relationship with him.
4. Start with low-value resources, moving your way up to high-value resources
High-value resources are the ones your dog is most likely to guard. Low-value resources, as the name suggests, don’t hold as much value to your dog. If your dog is habituated to guarding Bully sticks and tends to get aggressive in the process, it’s not wise to start training exercises with Bully Sticks. Start with low-value items like a rope toy.
Once your dog starts getting comfortable sharing low value items with you, move your way up to high-value items.
5. Be prepared to invest several weeks or months in the process, depending on the level of aggression
The first step towards dealing with resource guarding is trust-building. Your dog is resource guarding and maybe acting aggressively towards you or someone else because he doesn’t trust anyone near the object he is guarding. So the first thing to do here is to establish yourself as someone who’s not a threat.
This trust-building can have a trickling effect on the overall resource guarding behavior. Once your dog trusts you around his resources, he feels less and less need to guard it.
Depending on how long the dog has been practicing the behaviour, the time to train him out of it varies accordingly. The intensity of the behavior is also a huge deciding factor. For eg- Training an 8-month-old dog who has been biting in the process of resource guarding may take a lot more time than training a 2-year-old dog who is just stealing things and running away.
10 PRACTICES TO EFFECTIVELY DEAL WITH YOUR DOG’S RESOURCE GUARDING BEHAVIOR
1. The Tradeoff
Alright, let’s put this into perspective. Have you ever gone to a store with a product you want to return and come back home with neither the money back, neither the exchange, nor the original product in hand? If you’re ‘dropping’ the product at the store, you gotta get something in return. Or else why would you drop it in the 1st place?
Now look at it from your dog’s perspective. The shoe that he picked up in his mouth from your rack, belongs to him in his head. If he needs to give it back to you, you need to first give something to him as a viable trade off. It could be another shoe, toy, treat anything that holds equal amount of value in your dog’s mind.
2. If you don’t want your dog to reach for the shoe, make sure the shoe is not reachable to your dog.
This is the 1st step of the Control and Management stage of training. As lucid as the header is, keep important stuff out of reach of children and dogs. Your home is the easiest place for you to control. Make sure you puppy proof your house before your puppy proves himself.
Making things your dog can get possessive about unreachable to him gives him one chance less to practice aggression and get better at it.
3. Pay attention when puppy is playing with his own toys
Puppies learn to steal human items because that’s exactly what gets them attention and some action. If they get that for playing with their own toys, they would have no reason to rob yours.
Not only give them attention for playing with their own toys, but also make it fun. Sit with them, teach them to share, play fetch and tug with their toys so that they change their preference to their toys from yours.
Further Reads: What experienced trainers and blogger want you to know about raising a puppy
4. Never chase the dog down
If you know your dog even a little, you would be well versed with his love for chasing games. So, when you’re chasing him as he steals your stuff, you’re technically teaching him to run away from you with the stuff in his mouth. Over time, your dog perceives you approaching him as a cue to run away from you.
5. Never put up a fight –
Snatching things away from the dog’s mouth, hitting the dog, forcefully opening the dog’s mouth and taking something out of it, cornering the dog after he steals something are all examples of putting up a fight with the dog. As a pet parent, you’re not coming across as the alpha here, but more of a bully.
Furthermore, the dog will trust you less and your relationship with him will only go south.
6. Master the fetch
Fetch is one of the best games your dog can learn. It not only is a good way to keep your dog mentally and physically stimulated, but also teaches him to share his toys with you while making it fun at the same time.
7. Teaching the Drop it command
Every time you ask your dog to drop something, keep options of other stuff ready in your hand to trade off.
Initially while teaching the command, say the command only once he opens his mouth to drop the object. Not before, not after. As soon as he drops it, reward him with something else. Do this EVERY TIME he picks something up that he’s not supposed to. With consistency, he should be able to grasp the concept of the command.
Quick tip – Here are 3 reasons why your dog is NOT learning to “Drop it”
8. Don’t punish the growl or other warning signs
A growl or a snap is actually your dog’s effort to avoid a bite. Punishing these warning signs will only encourage your dog to advance to the biting stage that much faster.
Respect these warning signs and back off. Don’t think of it as you’ve encouraged the growl. Instead, think of it as you have discouraged the bite.
9. Don’t keep snatching things away from your dog
When a puppy grows up with repeated instances of objects being snatched away from him, he is not learning to drop things. He’s rather learning to guard them better.
When our dog surfs the trash, we look at it as dirt. But he looks at it as a resource he has earned. So, when we snatch it away from him, however pure our intentions might be, it WILL be perceived as a threat by your dog.
10. Consult a professional before the behavior escalates
Having said all of the above, dealing with resource guarding in a dog can be a challenge. It has to be done very cautiously as even a small mistake can have lasting effects.
Irrespective of the stage of resource guarding your dog is at, it’s wise to consult a professional to tackle it. Look at it as an investment you’re making to avoid serious repercussions in future.
RESOURCE GUARDING IN MULTI DOG HOUSEHOLD
Any dog is likely to develop resource guarding issues in a multi-dog or a multi-animal household where there is no clear boundary establishment. When you have multiple animals in the house and dogs are a part of it, you can take the following steps to ensure peaceful co-existence.
1. Be mindful of body language and communication between your dogs and/or other animals –
Your dog is constantly communicating, whether you’re looking or not. If you’ve ever carefully observed your dog, you’ll know that Subtlety is his strongest suit. Take out a day and just sit and observe your dog. You’ll notice how your dog beautifully communicates with your and other animals throughout the day in different situations. Understanding this is the key to establishing boundaries in your house as you’ll be in a better position to know what your dog is comfortable and uncomfortable with.
2. Provide ample resources
Sometimes, the solution is as simple as providing your dog with more of what he’s possessive about. If there is just one plush toy between 2 dogs, they’re bound to fight for it. But if they have seven plush toys lying on the floor, you’re giving them one reason less to fight about.
3. Make sure they’re playing/ eating in different places
Proximity can be unsafe if your dog is a resource guarder. If you’re aware of your dog’s triggers, it’s best to provide him with a safe haven when he’s interacting with his favorite resources. Interacting with objects in isolation will ensure your dogs are not competing with each other, thereby avoiding a potential fight. This is a great way to control and manage the situation. By doing so, you’re making sure to cut off his triggers.
Putting up a baby gate between your animals is a simple, yet effective solution.
4. Avoid escalation by creating distance before it’s too late
Sometimes, animals have the ability to sort and avoid a fight amongst themselves through body language and communication. But when your pets have a history of getting into fights and hurting each other, it’s not wise to let them figure it out on their own.
In such cases, you have to intervene to avoid escalation. After all, you’re the pack leader, right? The dogs have to listen to you over anything or anyone else. Moreover, when your dogs repeatedly keep getting in fights in your presence, they soon start believing that you’re incapable of sorting it out, which is when, they take matters in their own hands.
How to prevent resource guarding in puppies
As discussed above, guarding comes naturally to a dog. It’s only a problem when they decide to hurt you in the process. Hence, your job as a dog parent is to teach your puppy to trust you around his resources. What he learns as a puppy decides the kind of dog he will grow up to be. Remember this when raising a puppy –
- Teach your pup to share everything with you. This does not mean expecting him to be okay with taking things away from him. Rather, spend time with playing with objects together. Play more games like tug of war(with rules), fetch, etc that ensure human involvement.
- Trade with objects of similar value instead of snatching things away from him
- Master the Take it, Drop it and leave it commands and make sure your dog enjoys them
- The human hand approaching the dog must ALWAYS be for good stuff. I’ve seen countless people stick their hands inside a dog’s bowl and taking it away when they’re eating under the pretext of training them. WHY do you think it’s okay to do that? Would you like it if someone did that while you’re eating? The next time, when you stick your hand in your dog’s food, instead of taking it away, put some treats into it and back off. This will make your puppy have a positive association with you approaching him when he’s eating.
- Your puppy should be absolutely comfortable being touched when he’s engaged with any object. However, don’t snatch things or annoy your dog under the pretext of showing “who’s the boss”. You’ll just be creating a resource guarder by doing so.
Living with resource guarding
To deal with possessive aggression, it’s important to understand why the dog is doing what he’s doing in the first place. Guarding is instinctive to a dog. The aggression that follows the resource guarding behaviour is an attempt by your dog to keep his resources safe. When a dog confidently attacks and fatally bites, it is clear that the relationship between the pet parent and the dog has been irreversibly affected. Living with a dog that is a seasoned attacker can and will be dangerous to human lives. In such cases, a pet parent’s decision to give up on a dog is not a sign of weakness, but a matter of making an obvious choice of saving a human life.
Dealing with a complex behaviour issue like resource guarding in dogs requires emotional and time investment on the part of the owners. This is something one has to accept. If your dog is at a stage of resource guarding that is still trainable and transformable, make sure you take efforts in that direction. And, if you cannot, your dog deserves to go to someone who would.