How to Stop Resource Guarding
Do you have a dog who acts out aggressively when they are around certain things like food, treats, toys, or even yourself? You may be dealing with resource guarding. Our goal in this article is to teach you about the ins and outs of resource guarding and how you can prevent it.
Resource guarding is also known as possessive aggression. This happens when your dog shows overly protective behavior like growling or biting over a resource, or something that they consider to be high value. Did you know that resource guarding served an important role in the animal’s evolutionary success? However, this is not an excuse for dogs to continue with this behavior. It should be conditioned out of dogs if they are showing aggression to you or other pets.
What are the causes? Keep in mind that possessive aggression can occur at any point in a dog’s life. Sometimes it is worse if the dog is abandoned, abused, or mistreated. Aggression may come with growling, snarling, and biting. However, there are other warning signs that you should look out for:
- Barking
- Lowered head with body over the item
- Stiffening or rigged stance
- Getting in between object and approaching person/dog
- Always running away with object with refusal to drop
- Rapid eating/chewing
- Showing teeth
It’s time to put resource guarding to a stop. Follow our steps below for help on doing so.
- Desensitize – Stand just outside their “reaction zone” which is the area that they are resource guarding. Your goal is to get them used to the fact that you will not take their food and to reinforce that you are their friend.
- High-Quality Treats – Feeding high-quality treats will help your dog associate you with good feelings of being fed when you are near. Stand outside the dog’s reaction zone and toss the treat in their direction. When your dog is finally comfortable with this, walk slowly toward them and drop the treats directly in front of them.
- Increasing Intensity – Your goal in this step is to alter your dog’s emotional response to you coming closer to the possession. You want your dog to act positively instead of out of anger or fear. Choose a time when your dog is enjoying a meal. Slowly approach their reaction zone. It is common for your dog to growl as you are approaching. Wait until this behavior subsides and repeat the process. Reward them with a treat once they stop showing aggression.
To stop resource guarding before it starts, your best chance is to start prevention measures as early as possible. Of course, this is easiest when raising a puppy. Even dogs that don’t show aggression should go through some occasional exercises to avoid negative behaviors in the future. Always stay calm and patient when you are training a dog not to resource guard. Remember that change doesn’t happen overnight!
