Canine Behaviour Foundation Course
Module 2 - Section - 15 - Resource Guarding
Module 2 - Section - 15 - Resource Guarding
1. Resource Guarding – What is it?
2. Why does this behaviour happen?
3. Modifications – dogs guarding food bowls towards people
4. Modifications – dogs guarding toys/objects towards people
5. Modifications – dogs guarding food bowls/objects towards other dogs
6. Other things that can be done
7. Resource Guarding of People
2. Why does this behaviour happen?
3. Modifications – dogs guarding food bowls towards people
4. Modifications – dogs guarding toys/objects towards people
5. Modifications – dogs guarding food bowls/objects towards other dogs
6. Other things that can be done
7. Resource Guarding of People
1. Resource Guarding – What is it?
When one thinks of Resource Guarding, in most people’s minds the first thing they think of will be a dog who is aggressive over its food bowl, a bone etc and shows it teeth, growls, air snaps or in some cases even bites.
However, Resource Guarding has many aspects and also varying degrees of objection from the dog. You can have Resource Guarding of food bowls, bones, toys, certain objects such as beds and a dog can even Resource Guard a person – none of these are unusual.
The degrees can also vary greatly, from a dog that may stiffen as you approach its bowl, turning of the head to stare at you (often ears go back at the same time), the head can lower and the tail can become stiff, the dog may start to eat quicker, may turn its body more towards you to guard the food, and/or place its body in such a way as to block your approach– virtually each and every dog will exhibit the above in varying degrees, and also a combination of the above behaviour.
Where toys and objects are concerned, the dog may try to block its person or another dog from the object, may place its paw on top of the object– right through to a dog that will growl, raise its lip or even attempt to bite, to one that will bite. Obviously the earlier the resource guarding is addressed, the quicker and easier it will be to change.
As in the 5 F’s of behaviour, the initial behaviour could have been very mild and then gradually escalated. Very often, as owners are not always aware of what their dog’s body language means, it is ignored and can very quickly get out of hand if not dealt with. This can result in bites, especially towards children and the poor dog is blamed for this, meanwhile the signs of this becoming a serious problem will probably have been evident for some time to somebody who knows dogs – this is why it is so important to provide education to owners – it could even save a dog’s life.
2. Why does this behaviour happen?
We, as our dog’s ‘people’ may see their behaviour of staring, growling, snarling/lunging etc towards another dog that comes close to its food or a treasured toy as unacceptable, undesirable and even dangerous behaviour, but is it unnatural or unexpected? We may teach our children to share with their siblings and friends - sister – this is something we should all learn to do, but in reality, especially in a dog’s world, this is not how it works. When one dog lunges towards another dog learning takes place - you do this and look what happens - the other dog learns to back off on average.
Guarding resources is a natural behaviour which humans and dogs (and many other warm blooded animals) engage in all the time. We keep our possessions under lock and key, put money in the bank for safe keeping, and even pay security firms to guard our properties – we are definitely not always sharing our own resources – yet we often seem surprised when our dog attempts to guard its own resources!
Our dog’s natural inclination to guard its food stems back from their original descendants where if they did not guard their food and shared with all, the odds are that they would die from starvation. Just because our dogs are now far removed from their origin and we offer plenty of ‘free’ food does not mean automatically that the dog will share – one of its main resources is being challenged and in the case of a dog that has shared food, attention or resources in a shelter environment, or one that had to struggle to gets its share in a big litter, resource guarding will be even more likely to occur.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, there are dogs that do indeed seem to share their food and resources, so it does not automatically mean that all dogs are resource guarders, however here we are discussing dog that are exhibiting resource guarding behaviour.
Dogs that come from large litters and rescue dogs seem to be more prone to this behaviour. Adult dogs that did not attend puppy school and where owner did not bring in preventative measures to ensure this behaviour does not happen are also prone to develop this behaviour - the dogs own personality has to be brought into account as well, with some dogs being worse resource guarders than others or more prone to it.
We, as humans often inadvertently reinforce the behaviour simply because we take things away from our dogs all the times, especially as pups – no wonder the dog does not give us objects! The swap exercise for pups as well as older dogs is one of the best ways of teaching a dog to release objects when resource guarding towards humans is a problem.
There does not seem to be a genetic component and I have failed to find research into same, but her excellent book “The Other End of the Leash’, Patricia McConnell says
“PhD behaviour-geneticist Steven Sazwistorski and PhD psychologist John C. Wright reminded me of some of the literature that might relate in some way. Remember the early behavioural genetics studies done at the Jackson laboratory by Scott and Fuller? Steve and John directed me to some of the early papers that might relate. Pawlowski & Scott (1956) did some of the early work on priority access to a valued item (which is the correct definition of “dominance”, by the way) among 4 breeds (Basenjis, Beagles, Wire-Haired Fox Terriers and American Cocker Spaniels) and summarized their results: “It is concluded that these differences are the result of genetic inheritance, which probably acts through physiological mechanisms which affect the threshold of stimulation”
It is not unusual that resource guarding is the only unacceptable behaviour that is exhibited by a dog - on average there is some element of break down in the relationship between dog and owner and other behaviours could be in place.
When one thinks of Resource Guarding, in most people’s minds the first thing they think of will be a dog who is aggressive over its food bowl, a bone etc and shows it teeth, growls, air snaps or in some cases even bites.
However, Resource Guarding has many aspects and also varying degrees of objection from the dog. You can have Resource Guarding of food bowls, bones, toys, certain objects such as beds and a dog can even Resource Guard a person – none of these are unusual.
The degrees can also vary greatly, from a dog that may stiffen as you approach its bowl, turning of the head to stare at you (often ears go back at the same time), the head can lower and the tail can become stiff, the dog may start to eat quicker, may turn its body more towards you to guard the food, and/or place its body in such a way as to block your approach– virtually each and every dog will exhibit the above in varying degrees, and also a combination of the above behaviour.
Where toys and objects are concerned, the dog may try to block its person or another dog from the object, may place its paw on top of the object– right through to a dog that will growl, raise its lip or even attempt to bite, to one that will bite. Obviously the earlier the resource guarding is addressed, the quicker and easier it will be to change.
As in the 5 F’s of behaviour, the initial behaviour could have been very mild and then gradually escalated. Very often, as owners are not always aware of what their dog’s body language means, it is ignored and can very quickly get out of hand if not dealt with. This can result in bites, especially towards children and the poor dog is blamed for this, meanwhile the signs of this becoming a serious problem will probably have been evident for some time to somebody who knows dogs – this is why it is so important to provide education to owners – it could even save a dog’s life.
2. Why does this behaviour happen?
We, as our dog’s ‘people’ may see their behaviour of staring, growling, snarling/lunging etc towards another dog that comes close to its food or a treasured toy as unacceptable, undesirable and even dangerous behaviour, but is it unnatural or unexpected? We may teach our children to share with their siblings and friends - sister – this is something we should all learn to do, but in reality, especially in a dog’s world, this is not how it works. When one dog lunges towards another dog learning takes place - you do this and look what happens - the other dog learns to back off on average.
Guarding resources is a natural behaviour which humans and dogs (and many other warm blooded animals) engage in all the time. We keep our possessions under lock and key, put money in the bank for safe keeping, and even pay security firms to guard our properties – we are definitely not always sharing our own resources – yet we often seem surprised when our dog attempts to guard its own resources!
Our dog’s natural inclination to guard its food stems back from their original descendants where if they did not guard their food and shared with all, the odds are that they would die from starvation. Just because our dogs are now far removed from their origin and we offer plenty of ‘free’ food does not mean automatically that the dog will share – one of its main resources is being challenged and in the case of a dog that has shared food, attention or resources in a shelter environment, or one that had to struggle to gets its share in a big litter, resource guarding will be even more likely to occur.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, there are dogs that do indeed seem to share their food and resources, so it does not automatically mean that all dogs are resource guarders, however here we are discussing dog that are exhibiting resource guarding behaviour.
Dogs that come from large litters and rescue dogs seem to be more prone to this behaviour. Adult dogs that did not attend puppy school and where owner did not bring in preventative measures to ensure this behaviour does not happen are also prone to develop this behaviour - the dogs own personality has to be brought into account as well, with some dogs being worse resource guarders than others or more prone to it.
We, as humans often inadvertently reinforce the behaviour simply because we take things away from our dogs all the times, especially as pups – no wonder the dog does not give us objects! The swap exercise for pups as well as older dogs is one of the best ways of teaching a dog to release objects when resource guarding towards humans is a problem.
There does not seem to be a genetic component and I have failed to find research into same, but her excellent book “The Other End of the Leash’, Patricia McConnell says
“PhD behaviour-geneticist Steven Sazwistorski and PhD psychologist John C. Wright reminded me of some of the literature that might relate in some way. Remember the early behavioural genetics studies done at the Jackson laboratory by Scott and Fuller? Steve and John directed me to some of the early papers that might relate. Pawlowski & Scott (1956) did some of the early work on priority access to a valued item (which is the correct definition of “dominance”, by the way) among 4 breeds (Basenjis, Beagles, Wire-Haired Fox Terriers and American Cocker Spaniels) and summarized their results: “It is concluded that these differences are the result of genetic inheritance, which probably acts through physiological mechanisms which affect the threshold of stimulation”
It is not unusual that resource guarding is the only unacceptable behaviour that is exhibited by a dog - on average there is some element of break down in the relationship between dog and owner and other behaviours could be in place.
.3.Modifications – dogs guarding food bowls towards people
Management – at no time is the dog’s bowl left on the floor (or whatever the dog resource guards) – even if empty. Change the location where the dog is fed – with some dogs you even need to change the place where the food is kept, as they can start the guarding behaviour as soon as owner takes the food out the bag, or brings the bag to the kitchen to feed.
Avalon Pure - here we would suggest the Extreme Anxiety which is very helpful where this type of behaviour is concerned.
House Rules – an absolute must to establish balance in the human/canine hierarchy. I would bring in – Ignoring, Attention on your terms, NRM, Work to Earn – General and especially Specific, and a lot of food bowl exercises.
Are the dogs needs being met? Is the dog receiving sufficient food of a good quality? Is the dog only fed once a day? Are the feeding times irregular? Do all dogs eat together? Who feeds the dog?
These are aspects that need to be addressed, ensuring the dog is receiving sufficient food. Remember that the recommendations on the back of a bag of dog food are just that – recommendations. The daily natural behaviour needs to be looked at – if an OTT dog, or highly energetic, the dog may require more food. If the dog receives a lot of exercise, it may require more food.
Does the dog receive food at a regular time daily? Twice a day is the best option, not food left around in a bowl or a single feed. If the owner is at home during the day or if somebody else can feed the dog, then further meals can be brought in - about 3 - 4 per day. This does not mean increase the dogs food, rather divide it during the day. If the owner does not have set times for feeding, the dog may become even more anxious over guarding its food, especially if a rescue where it may have had to fight for food and there could have been a lack of food. Very often, just bringing in set times and changing from once a day (if applicable) to twice a day or more, will greatly help this behaviour – it will have less importance – not with all dogs however!
What about mental stimulation? Is the dog left alone and bored all day? If so then varied chew toys need to be brought in to stimulate the dog during the day. If the dog will not release an item, then the Swap exercise to be taught – with a dog that resource guards food, this is normally necessary, but do leave until the basic exercises have been done as it will then be much easier to achieve. A lot of behaviourists bring in the use of the Leave cue – personally I do not use the Leave cue with a resource guarding dog as my belief is that forbidding a dog to have a desired object tends to reinforce the resource guarding – I find that the Swaps awards better results.
What about physical stimulation? Is the dog receiving regular walks outside the property? You may ask why the above two points are important and think of it this way – a dog that has more than his food to look forward to daily will start to place less importance of the resource.
Work to Earn – standard and specific - using daily ration of food - Before starting modifications below, bring in House Rules and at the same time start the owner and dog on the Work to Earn exercise. Each and every dog is different and especially with Resource Guarding, so you may find yourself doing variations of the modifications depending on the circumstances.
Owner takes control of the whole day’s food allowance and will call the dog, ask for a sit and then offer only one piece of food. Owner walks all over the house doing this exercise and especially in the area where the dog used to be fed. I will not carry on with the rest of the modifications until this area has been achieved, so in a severe case of resource guarding you may need two sessions.
You may also find that a Resource Guarding dog will have a very hard bite – don’t worry about this now - Bite Inhibition can be taught at a later stage – rather tell owner to offer food with palm open until the dog starts to relax more and bite becomes softer – not always easy to achieve with kibble initially.
Food Bowl Exercise - Bring in the food bowl exercise where the dogs has to sit and wait and the owner eats first as in your puppy notes Module 1 Section 13 Prevention
Who is feeding the dog? – An important factor. This needs to be done by each and every member of the family to raise all higher in the combined human/canine social structure. Remember with children always under supervision and only when the existing resource guarding has been dealt with. Start with the owner (unless dog is resource guarding the owner) and then other members in the family and the children as above.
Further Training - At the same time the owner is bringing in House rules, and once these are in place, and the dog is successful with above – then further training can start.
- The first thing that happens is that the dog is fed in a different location and the bowl is changed as well. Here we do not mean a different coloured bowl, rather if dog currently using a metal bowl, change to plastic and visa versa. Also change the time when the dog is normally fed and make feeding time up to an hour earlier so that the dog will not be as hungry and you change the anticipation of the normal meal which will help to reduce tension (this will, of course, depend on the owners schedule, but even 5 minutes can help). This will stop the dog anticipating food time and the exercise will be easier to achieve.
- Another thing that may need to be changed apart from the time of day above, is the owners own routine before feeding – do they perhaps start preparations for their own supper? Do the dogs always get walked an hour before feeding etc. Small things like these can impact especially when owner has a routine in place, so always check and if any routines in place, change. I find that if the dog is not being walked before a meal that even a short walk with a lot of scenting can help. The dog is then mentally stimulated, slightly tired and the normal anticipation of food seems to be reduced.
- Bring in the Swap exercise starting with low value and building up.
- Bring in the Leave exercise, but only after the Swap has been taught.
Desensitising and counter-conditioning - What we are going to do is change the dog’s emotional response to a person being too close to its food bowl, to a rewarding experience. This is called counter-conditioning. The desensitising is where the dog is exposed to the trigger at a level where there is no emotional response whatsoever from the dog.
Time Period – it really is better to do this exercise often, in short bouts rather than in one long session as this may cause the dogs stress levels to become too high and this relates to all resource guarding regardless of whether toys, food, furniture etc.
These exercises must be done first by the owner until fully and successfully completed, and then by each adult in the home, always starting from the beginning again. If children are in the home, only when there is absolutely no reaction from the dog, does the child get involved with the exercises below, and always with an adult standing next to the child supervising the interaction. I would suggest that the behaviourist is present when this stage is reached in order to observe the dog’s body language and prevent any adverse reaction from the dog.
With a dog that resource guards, it is better to keep exercises such as this in place for the rest of its life and practice often and always be aware that a reaction could be possible in the future – this often happens when stress levels are raised.
I would also suggest that the bowl is changed on a regular basis and the location the dog is fed is also changed about once a week (the same procedure if toys or objects are being resource guarded) – prevention is better than cure and this exercise is only undertaken once the others above have been brought into play – this will increase the likelihood of success.
- The proximity – this is also called the critical distance. The owner will have to establish how close they can go to the food bowl on the floor, with food in it, before the dog reacts to the human presence – and here you have to very carefully watch the dog’s body language for even the slightest change. If you are too far away to worry the resource guarder at all then the exercise is pointless. If you are too close, the dog will react – you are looking for the point where there is the first sign of reaction, often the body stiffening, the ears going back, a tightening of the muzzle, or the dog looking at you approaching. In other words the dog does not react, but is aware that you or the owner is there – as above watching the dog’s body language is critical. If there is a chance of the dog being reactive, call in the services of an accredited animal behaviourist www.animal-behaviour.org.za
- Start about one step large away from the critical distance. Take a handful of really tasty treats (much better than the food that is in the bowl and better to use treats the dog loves and one’s that have a strong odour, such as cheese or biltong). Toss only one treat as close to the bowl as you can get – remember your body language of no staring, body slightly turned away . The dog eats the treat. Repeat, and repeat and repeat! You do not go one step closer to the dog until the dog is no longer showing any signs of reacting to your presence. In the past we would say throw the treat and then take a step away or walk away. After working with one particular dog where the dog took this as a sign that whatever it was thinking/contemplating made the perceived leave and it became reactive, I dropped this step completely and find that the standing still as in the Visitor exercise is the best option. If the dog had been reactive in the past, as a safety measure I would ensure that the dog was on lead and the person holding a good distance away, but close enough to be effective in stopping the dog charging the person throwing the treats.
- Repeat the above, keep the same critical distance but throw the treat from different positions – almost going in a circle around the dog whilst it is eating, changing direction only one step at a time and achieving success in that position before going further.
- You will gradually be able to stand next to the dog and toss treats in the actual bowl. Always make sure that the treats are much higher value than what is in the bowl. It is crucial that you do not go too fast here – make absolutely sure that the dog is happy before going further.
- Now change the scenario. Initially this exercise is not done at normal feeding times – rather let the dog eat about 75% of its daily ration and about 5 minutes after it has eaten, the owner will approach the dog with a different bowl held in their hand. Call the dog and bending down towards the dog (but not over it, lean back slightly) offer the bowl to the dog empty and as the dog sniffs/looks, drop a treat in it (a really nice one) and offer to the dog while still holding the bowl. If the dog reacts, go back to step before. This exercise is repeated over and over until the dog happily accepts nice goodies being placed in the bowl – keep to the same height.
- Next step is to repeat above and very slowly and gradually lower the bowl, repeating as above at each step as the bowl is lowered closer to the floor in stages. When the bowl is on the floor, the owner is still holding it and dropping treats in one by one. This is repeated until there is absolutely no reaction from the dog.
- This will be practised over and over and once the dog is totally happy, then you can do a similar exercise as in the Prevention of Resource Guarding with pups – in that you can lift the bowl, put your hand in while offering treats, gently stroke and praise the dog – however, much much slower and paying close attention to the dogs body language for signs of stress - any signs of reactive behaviour call in a professional.
- As an additional measure, at this stage a good idea to bring in the Food Bowl Exercise as in the House Rules on a daily basis to ensure that the dog see’s the owner as higher in the combined human/canine social structure.
- With a dog like this,it is recommended that even when the problem is a thing of a past that a bit of work is done on the food bowl exercises as above at least three times per week.
Bite Inhibition exercise to be brought in as well as the Swap exercise. The NRM marker can be used when the behaviour has been modified, but if the resource guarding is severe and reactive behaviour is shown, then using the NRM followed by a Time out could result in a confrontation – rather more practise is brought it until the problem has been overcome.
4. Modifications – dogs guarding toys/objects towards people
If a couch or bed is involved, I also suggest that the owner ‘claims’ ownership of same, and multiple exercises of inviting the dog on and requesting an ‘off’ are done.
If, at any stage a standoff results where the dog will not move off the bed/couch, then simply entice the dog off the object with food and take the dog to another area, have a break, then go back a few stages and start again – odds are you went too fast.
In my own experience, as I mentioned initially I have never come across a dog where the only unacceptable behaviour that is exhibited is resource guarding. On average there is some element of break down in the relationship between dog and owner and you would do well to improve their everyday interaction – this point is worth repeating.
It is not uncommon for a dog that Resource Guards to object to having its collar or neck touched, especially when this has been used to try to remove the dog from a couch, bed or similar. If this is an issue, then desensitize the dog to collar grabbing, but only after the RG behaviour has been extinguished.
If the Resource Guarding has resulted in aggression towards humans then the use of a muzzle such as the Baskerville Ultra where treats can be given must be used. I would also suggest in a situation such as this that you contact an accredited behaviourist to get help with this situation – all aggression should only be handled by people with experience as it can be dangerous.
- House Rules including work to earn as above and use the guarded item for a swap while doing work to earn. If the RG is very bad, then objects of less important may have to be used first.
- Ensure needs being met as above.
- Owner to determine which objects the dog resource guards and takes control of all the valued objects and puts them away where possible. If a couch or bed is the object the dog is guarding – not so easy to put them in a cupboard! Either restrict the dog’s access to same or in the case of a couch or chair in a room that the dog has access too – place boxes, pots pans on the couch to discourage to dog going there. Brown paper that crinkles or foil can also be placed on the chair/couch.
- The level of resource guarding here may change and you work accordingly. The dog may guard the object when the owner approaches or may only guard it when it is holding or sitting on the object – it will then drop it and show reactive behaviour.
- If the dog is guarding a toy at a distance, then the same procedure as used in food guarding as above is brought in, starting at the critical distance and tossing treats and gradually making the way until you can stand next to the dog.
- If the item being guarded is the dog’s bed, then change the bed and the area where it is kept. If it is a bed or a couch, the start with the food bowl exercise routine above and instead of the bowl, the bed/couch is the item being guarded.
- Once the owner can stand next to the dog, or if the dog is only reactive when the owner tries to take the object from the dog, then the Swap exercise can be brought in – remember this would have to have been practiced repeatedly and the dog proofed in it first.
- When doing the swap ensure that it is not a favourite object and I often suggest that two new objects, such as balls or pull toys are purchased that are identical. Crucial to do as much practice on this as possible.
- You can either use the method of swapping the item for a treat if the dog is food motivated, or use the other identical item to swap. Do the swapping over and over and do not progress to more valuable items to the dog until the dog is swapping happily at each and every stage.
- You will gradually work up until the dogs favourite object can be swapped – remember that what you use for the swap has to be of higher value than the favourite object. Where a dog that is guarding a bone is concerned – you will work in the same manner, and eventually swap with two bones.
- At the end of the exercise, the owner to say ‘finished’ and take the object away completely. With dogs like this I always suggest that the object is only given as a special reward and that the swap exercises is repeated as much as possible with the owner inviting the dog to have a game of throwing the ball or similar – the object is put away at the end of the play session.
If a couch or bed is involved, I also suggest that the owner ‘claims’ ownership of same, and multiple exercises of inviting the dog on and requesting an ‘off’ are done.
If, at any stage a standoff results where the dog will not move off the bed/couch, then simply entice the dog off the object with food and take the dog to another area, have a break, then go back a few stages and start again – odds are you went too fast.
In my own experience, as I mentioned initially I have never come across a dog where the only unacceptable behaviour that is exhibited is resource guarding. On average there is some element of break down in the relationship between dog and owner and you would do well to improve their everyday interaction – this point is worth repeating.
It is not uncommon for a dog that Resource Guards to object to having its collar or neck touched, especially when this has been used to try to remove the dog from a couch, bed or similar. If this is an issue, then desensitize the dog to collar grabbing, but only after the RG behaviour has been extinguished.
If the Resource Guarding has resulted in aggression towards humans then the use of a muzzle such as the Baskerville Ultra where treats can be given must be used. I would also suggest in a situation such as this that you contact an accredited behaviourist to get help with this situation – all aggression should only be handled by people with experience as it can be dangerous.
5. Modifications – dogs guarding food bowls/objects towards other dogs
Dogs on average should be allowed to sort out their own problems with the minimum of interference from us, their people. Dogs ‘speak’ a language of their own using their bodies and vocalization to get that information across to other dogs, and as long as their own language of getting the message across does not increase, or become extreme, they should be allowed to sort out situations themselves as much as possible.
A way of preventing Resource Guarding developing to a degree is to have your dogs sitting in a line or around you and simply give them a treat one at a time in random order, first saying the dogs name and then offering the treat. If one dog tries to push in, use your NRM gently and if this does not work, step forward to block the dog. If the dog backs off, then quickly call it forward, Sit, and offer the treat. If the dog does not comply then the treat is given very quickly to the next dog. An ideal way is to use part of the dogs daily food allowance and practice daily.
Another aspect we would definitely suggest is any form of impulse control, such as lots of Wait exercises, especially where food bowls are concerned.
In the excellent article by Suzanne Clothier ‘Learning about punishment from dogs themselves – Lessons from the Masters’ she describes how her own dog, Ruby, showed the puppy by way of using her body language that the behaviour of trying to jump up onto her couch was unacceptable – first came the hard stare, then the lift of the lip, then the snarl and finally the air bite. It is, with the majority of dogs, when the initial warnings are ignored by other dogs, or if the dog’s reaction escalates (normally due to previous warnings being ignored), that problems develop, and this is when we need to step in.
Rather go the management route and if you are going to give your dog a lovely chewy bone, the separate the dogs to completely different areas and allow them to chew in peace.
If you have a dog that resource guards its bowl when other dogs around and do not have the time to do the exercises on a specific day, then rather separate the dogs completely so that resource guarding cannot happen. Wash and put the bowl away after dog has eaten and I always suggest changing the location of where the dog is fed so that RG does not build up in that particular area.
It is my own personal belief that all dogs should eat in separate areas so that they are allowed to eat and enjoy its food in peace, rather than constantly watching to see if another dog is coming close.
Ensure that any objects that cause resource guarding are never left out unattended – these are only used for the exercises.
Exercises for Resource Guarding – Although the following can be achieved with a really good and reliable sit/stay the odds that the dog you are working with will not have this ability – rather have two people working on this exercise.
Both people have the dog’s food bowls in their hand full of the lovely treats. Ask the food guarding dog for a Watch and then treat (taking the treat out of the dogs bowl) and the other person does the same with the non-guarding dog immediately after the Watch/Treat is done with the resource guarding dog. Do this several times until resource guarding dog is totally relaxed in this situation Should you start to see resource guarding dog looking expectantly when non-resource guarding dog is asked for a Watch and then receives the treat, this will give you the information that the resource guarding dog has made the association that when the other dog gets the treat, his turn is next. It is important here to keep on working at this stage until the resource guarding dog is completely relaxed and exhibits no indication of concern at all.
Exercise Two
To reinforce the dog’s perception that having another dog around food is a rewarding experience, this exercise can also be brought in. Pay attention to the critical distance here as well carefully observing the body language.
Dogs on average should be allowed to sort out their own problems with the minimum of interference from us, their people. Dogs ‘speak’ a language of their own using their bodies and vocalization to get that information across to other dogs, and as long as their own language of getting the message across does not increase, or become extreme, they should be allowed to sort out situations themselves as much as possible.
A way of preventing Resource Guarding developing to a degree is to have your dogs sitting in a line or around you and simply give them a treat one at a time in random order, first saying the dogs name and then offering the treat. If one dog tries to push in, use your NRM gently and if this does not work, step forward to block the dog. If the dog backs off, then quickly call it forward, Sit, and offer the treat. If the dog does not comply then the treat is given very quickly to the next dog. An ideal way is to use part of the dogs daily food allowance and practice daily.
Another aspect we would definitely suggest is any form of impulse control, such as lots of Wait exercises, especially where food bowls are concerned.
In the excellent article by Suzanne Clothier ‘Learning about punishment from dogs themselves – Lessons from the Masters’ she describes how her own dog, Ruby, showed the puppy by way of using her body language that the behaviour of trying to jump up onto her couch was unacceptable – first came the hard stare, then the lift of the lip, then the snarl and finally the air bite. It is, with the majority of dogs, when the initial warnings are ignored by other dogs, or if the dog’s reaction escalates (normally due to previous warnings being ignored), that problems develop, and this is when we need to step in.
- Bring in House Rules for all dogs in the family – no exceptions. This will help to ensure that the dogs see the owners as being in charge in the combined human/canine social structure.
- Ensure that the dog’s needs are being met as in modifications above.
- Management – you know that you have a dog that is prone to resource guard and each and every time the dog gets away with this behaviour, the behaviour will be reinforced and if the warnings that are currently being exhibited are ignored, the behaviour from the resource guarding dog will intensify.
Rather go the management route and if you are going to give your dog a lovely chewy bone, the separate the dogs to completely different areas and allow them to chew in peace.
If you have a dog that resource guards its bowl when other dogs around and do not have the time to do the exercises on a specific day, then rather separate the dogs completely so that resource guarding cannot happen. Wash and put the bowl away after dog has eaten and I always suggest changing the location of where the dog is fed so that RG does not build up in that particular area.
It is my own personal belief that all dogs should eat in separate areas so that they are allowed to eat and enjoy its food in peace, rather than constantly watching to see if another dog is coming close.
Ensure that any objects that cause resource guarding are never left out unattended – these are only used for the exercises.
Exercises for Resource Guarding – Although the following can be achieved with a really good and reliable sit/stay the odds that the dog you are working with will not have this ability – rather have two people working on this exercise.
- Start this exercise in a room that has not been used for feeding the dogs – this lowers expectation of food becoming available and also change the time totally – such as the middle of the day when no food is expected. Again by changing locations, times, etc, we are immediately changing the circumstances and the results should be better.
- The dog must not be too hungry so ensure that the dog has had enough of a meal to satisfy it before doing this exercise.
- The treats used must be high value and with a strong odor.
- Bring in the Watch exercise and make sure the dog is proficient before going further. The use of same in this exercise is invaluable.
- With the second person assisting, have the resource guarding dog on lead with a handful of high quality treats available which the person holds. The assistant and the 2nd dog should be at the other side of the room with this dog on lead as well. Work out the critical distance as in exercises above.
Both people have the dog’s food bowls in their hand full of the lovely treats. Ask the food guarding dog for a Watch and then treat (taking the treat out of the dogs bowl) and the other person does the same with the non-guarding dog immediately after the Watch/Treat is done with the resource guarding dog. Do this several times until resource guarding dog is totally relaxed in this situation Should you start to see resource guarding dog looking expectantly when non-resource guarding dog is asked for a Watch and then receives the treat, this will give you the information that the resource guarding dog has made the association that when the other dog gets the treat, his turn is next. It is important here to keep on working at this stage until the resource guarding dog is completely relaxed and exhibits no indication of concern at all.
- Next step is move the resource guarding dog one step closer to the other dog and repeat over and over as above. We suggest not to go further at this stage, but practice several times a day until the resource guarding dog is comfortable at this specific distance.
- As in the food bowl exercise, this is practiced repeatedly (at different times of the day), gradually going a step closer to the other dog until they are a few feet apart from each other with no reaction. Each and every dog will progress at its own pace and this must be respected. When you have gotten to this stage, the whole exercise is practiced again in different room and different locations.
- Your final step will be practicing this exercise in the location where the resource guarding first occurred and at meal times.
- After the above is achieved, the whole exercise is undertaken again but this time the bowl of the resource guarding dog is placed on the floor (the other dog gets feed as above) and the treats are dropped into the bowl.
Exercise Two
To reinforce the dog’s perception that having another dog around food is a rewarding experience, this exercise can also be brought in. Pay attention to the critical distance here as well carefully observing the body language.
- Have the resource guarding dog in a room with you, and on lead with a bowl of lovely treats in your hand. Totally ignore the dog for a period of time and when it is sitting/lying down and relaxed, ask the assistant to bring the non-resource guarding into the room on lead. The assistant also has a bowl of treats with them.
- Ask both dogs to sit, request a Watch – then give one treat to the non-guarding dog, and then do the same for the resource guarding dog, but instead of only giving one treat, ask for another watch, treat immediately, repeat at least 10 times and all the treats the dog gets are taken from its bowl. The other dog has only received the one treat and just sits at a distance away.
- Now remove the non-guarding dog from the room and now ALL treats stop. What we are doing is building up the dog’s perception that good things happen when another dog is around where food is concerned. Keep an eye for the look of anticipation that comes from the resourcing dog when the second dog enters the room. The anticipation of treats will then be there – when this happens, you can now work as the other exercises and reduce the distance between the dogs.
- Please remember these exercises not to be rushed – it is vital you work ‘where the dog is at’ as we say in TTouch. You are putting the foundations in place for the dog’s future reaction where food is concerned and it is so important to cement solid foundations to ensure success.
- Also bear in mind that these exercises are not done in any one place – they have to be practiced as much as possible in all areas and do the last session of practice in the area where the resource guarding first happened. There after practice needs to be done on a regular basis to keep the new behaviour in place.
Guarding toys from other dogs
While undergoing modifications, all toys are taken away so that there can be no reactive behaviour and only put back if exercise totally successful. Rather dogs are separated and receive their own toys for stimulation purposes – prevention is always better than cure.
Where dogs that guard toys are concerned, a variation of this exercise can be done. Determine the critical distance, have both dogs on lead and have the resource guarding dog at a distance with the toy/s around it. Owner stands next to the dog with a handful of treats.
Other dog’s stops at the critical distance, Watches are done as before and with the non-resource guarding dog being treated first and then the guarding dog. You gradually work the way closer to the resource guarding dog and when the exercise is finished, this time both the toys and the treats are taken away. Both dogs are on lead.
Here it is important that the resource guarding dog only get this toy when the other dog is around and with the exercises above are done. Always start with a low value and build your way up. With some dogs this may have to be done with each and every toy/object – it will depend on the severity of the resource guarding.
When this has been successfully achieved, then start again with this exercise with the dogs off lead and in an enclosed room – if you are still concerned about the resource guarding dog, then leave the lead on, but drop it on the floor – this way you can stand on it or grab at it is the resource guarding dog reacts. I find that this is a very good stage to bring in especially if the owner is nervous. A toy of very low value is brought out and is given to the resource guarding dog. Let the dogs interact normally and if any sign of resource guarding is exhibited from resource guarding, a loud NRM of “UHUH!” is given by the owner and if the dog stops the behaviour, non-comitial ‘good dog’ is given and owner leads the resource guarding dog a distance away. Do this over and over and gradually increase the value of the toy.
With an exercise such as above. I normally take the resource guarding dog outside alone and a good game ensues with the toy with the dog being on its own. At the end of the game, owner takes possession of the toy again and the play is stopped.
With dogs that resource guard toys and bones, we do suggest that they need some alone time with the bone or toy so that they can enjoy it – so do consider this aspect.
6. Other things that can be done
As stress is a major factor, anything that can help to reduce the stress should be looked at to see if it is an option.
7. Dogs Resource Guarding People
This aspect is beyond the scope of this course as very often reactive behaviour is already in place. Please contact an accredited canine behaviour consultant.
Assignment:
While undergoing modifications, all toys are taken away so that there can be no reactive behaviour and only put back if exercise totally successful. Rather dogs are separated and receive their own toys for stimulation purposes – prevention is always better than cure.
Where dogs that guard toys are concerned, a variation of this exercise can be done. Determine the critical distance, have both dogs on lead and have the resource guarding dog at a distance with the toy/s around it. Owner stands next to the dog with a handful of treats.
Other dog’s stops at the critical distance, Watches are done as before and with the non-resource guarding dog being treated first and then the guarding dog. You gradually work the way closer to the resource guarding dog and when the exercise is finished, this time both the toys and the treats are taken away. Both dogs are on lead.
Here it is important that the resource guarding dog only get this toy when the other dog is around and with the exercises above are done. Always start with a low value and build your way up. With some dogs this may have to be done with each and every toy/object – it will depend on the severity of the resource guarding.
When this has been successfully achieved, then start again with this exercise with the dogs off lead and in an enclosed room – if you are still concerned about the resource guarding dog, then leave the lead on, but drop it on the floor – this way you can stand on it or grab at it is the resource guarding dog reacts. I find that this is a very good stage to bring in especially if the owner is nervous. A toy of very low value is brought out and is given to the resource guarding dog. Let the dogs interact normally and if any sign of resource guarding is exhibited from resource guarding, a loud NRM of “UHUH!” is given by the owner and if the dog stops the behaviour, non-comitial ‘good dog’ is given and owner leads the resource guarding dog a distance away. Do this over and over and gradually increase the value of the toy.
With an exercise such as above. I normally take the resource guarding dog outside alone and a good game ensues with the toy with the dog being on its own. At the end of the game, owner takes possession of the toy again and the play is stopped.
With dogs that resource guard toys and bones, we do suggest that they need some alone time with the bone or toy so that they can enjoy it – so do consider this aspect.
6. Other things that can be done
As stress is a major factor, anything that can help to reduce the stress should be looked at to see if it is an option.
- Avalon Pure Spray. Here we would suggest the Extreme Anxiety Spray.
- Vet Help – if the behaviour is very severe it may be an option to discuss same with vet to see if meds such as Clomicalm should be brought in. I have not yet come across a case where this was necessary, but it there are other areas of concern, such as reactive behaviour in other areas, then I would consider the use of same.
- TTouch – a wonderful way of reducing stress and also building the bond with the owner. I find this especially helpful as the owner is engaging in so many exercises and modifications where they need to keep the ‘upper hand’ that just sitting with the dog and doing some TTouch can lower stress with both the owner and the dog. In addition to the other TTouches, Mouth work is very important.
- Pheromone Collar. This mimics the pheromones that a dog gives off at birth and these serve to lower stress levels and increase bonding – the collar lasts a month and dogs recognize these pheromones and react to them throughout their lives.
7. Dogs Resource Guarding People
This aspect is beyond the scope of this course as very often reactive behaviour is already in place. Please contact an accredited canine behaviour consultant.
Assignment:
- Give 3 reasons why resource guarding may occur
- What basic exercises would you recommend are brought in to prevent resource guarding against humans with a pup?
- Which exercise would you recommend to get an object out of a dog’s mouth? Explain how you would tell a client to do this.
- Where resource guarding between dogs is concerned what is the first question you would ask the client?