Getting Started With Resource Guarding
Resource guarding is no joke. But it doesn’t make your dog bad. In fact, it’s natural for an animal to want to retain possession of something they find valuable. That applies to humans too (seriously...stick a spoon in my ice cream and watch what happens). While it’s normal, it’s important to pay attention since it can lead to dangerous aggression. Technically speaking, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) defines resource guarding as “the use of avoidance, threatening, or aggressive behaviors by a dog to retain control of food or non-food items in the presence of a person or other animal.” Keep scrolling through our guide for tips related to resource guarding and how to help your dog through management and training.
How To Recognize Resource Guarding Through Your Dog’s Body Language
In the video above, Stanley is drinking from a water bowl at his house (Hana is the visiting dog). Hana approaches and lingers by the bowl. Stanley freezes (this is a HUGE warning sign in dog body language in general) and then snaps. What do we (humans) do? We help Hana move away from Stanley. AKA, we LISTEN to Stanley. We do not correct or scold him. That snap was inhibited. We want our dogs to be “heard” at their lowest level communications, so they don’t have to escalate.
Here are some important takeaways to remember about resource guarding body language:
1. Resource Guarding Body Language/Behavior → There is a huge range of behaviors (from “possession” to serious aggression):
a. This includes Grabbing and running away with resources, freezing, head lowering, stiff body, eyes moving but head still, growling, snarling (teeth shown), snapping, lunging, and biting.
b. If you see these behaviors, it’s a good idea to find a certified dog trainer.
c. We cannot give out specific plans for resource guarding responsibly, but here are a few things to think about (ideally, a trainer will help you create an actual plan):
Identify Resources: Make a list of things that your dog guards/has guarded/might guard (space, food, chews, people, balls, etc.)
Come up with a management plan that prevents rehearsal
Make sure everyone knows the signs and how to listen to your dog (aka give them space the MOMENT you notice any guarding!
Make sure everyone understands how to safely remove objects (e.g. high value treat toss AWAY and then do a couple fun things after the resource is removed) → If dog won’t trade, assess if it's actually that big of a deal for them to have the object
Work on classical conditioning of approach when around resource → build to desired operant behavior when approached around resource
Teach: Leave it, drop it, retrieve (helpful for stolen items)
Remember to be more of a giver than a taker 😎
Why You Should Never Punish Growling in Resource Guarding
It is important to understand that resource guarding is your dog’s emotional response to someone approaching them when they have a resource. This is why correcting your dog for growling is never something you should do. Growling is a normal way that dogs communicate (humans are the ones who have big feelings about it). If you punish growling and suppress it, you’ve not actually changed how your dog feels about someone approaching them when they have a resource -- you’ve simply eliminated the non-violent way that your dog can communicate before potentially having to escalate. It is also important to note that the resources dogs guard vary widely from food or toys and objects to people or spaces.
Resource guarding is complex and can be dangerous, so we can’t responsibly demo how to address it in a single video. In the video above we show you how Sully (a dog who used to resource guard toys from people) looks now when a person approaches her. When Sully was adopted, she would get stiff and then growl and snap if anyone walked within five feet of her when she had a toy (she would get stiff and still if you even looked at her while she had a toy). But now, she gets excited and even brings her toys to people when she sees them approach! When resource guarding is addressed the right way, you should see visible signs that your dog thinks a person approaching them (when they have their resource) is a GOOD thing! This means a dog who is soft, loose, and wiggly (no signs of stress). You will likely see signs of [happy] anticipation because they think that a person approaching them predicts good things! Create an environment where there is plenty to go around. Make people approaching predict the addition of good things, not the removal of things your dog loves.
Why Resource Guarding Has Nothing To Do With Your Dog Being Dominant
Resource Guarding behaviors have nothing to do with an animal being dominant. The function of these behaviors is to retain control of something deemed valuable. It is really critical that we listen to the least aggressive resource guarding behaviors we can spot by creating distance. If we punish the growl by coming closer or administering some sort of correction, guess what? The dog may learn growling doesn’t work. So next time they have something valuable, they may skip right over growling to something that has a history of working (like biting).
Since Sully (featured again in the video above), has a history of resource guarding behaviors when people or dogs come near her while she has something valuable, I have done a lot of work with her on this. It’s rare that she practices resource guarding in our own home now. But I ALWAYS have some management in place (e.g. she only gets chews she can eat in one sitting and she is fed in a separate room by herself if other dogs are around). This video was the result of a management fail (commotion from visiting my sister). I trained a recall away from valuable items (which she offered beautifully) for this EXACT reason (but then I failed to secure the other dogs -- fail on my part again🥴).
The moment when a dog is resource guarding is rarely the training moment (it could potentially be if there is light resource guarding and you work at a distance). First priority should be to create distance!
