Do you know what resource guarding is? It can be a big problem!

Just as humans are protective of the people and things they love (particularly children who have yet to learn how to ‘share’), dogs can become very protective of their belongings – this is commonly referred to as ‘resource guarding’.

Dogs will often growl, lunge or bite if you come near them whilst they are resource guarding items they consider valuable – this can range from food, their favourite toy, or even bedding.

The reaction is their warning system and a way to tell us to back off. It is an instinctual behaviour that has been passed down from their Wolf ancestry and was used as a means to survive on limited resources in the wild.

If you’re a seasoned dog owner, you will know that you shouldn’t disturb a dog while they’re eating or engrossed in playing with their favourite toy. It's likely that you've come to learn this the hard way because you've experienced resource guarding first-hand.

If you’re a new dog owner or have recently brought a new dog into the house, it’s important to recognise the signs of resource guarding. This includes stiffening of the body over an object (eg. a bone or toy), a hard stare, suddenly seeing the whites of their eyes, lifting of lips, growling and baring teeth.

When dogs are resource guarding, they cannot differentiate between those who are going to take an item away from them or those who are simply walking by. They are responding to the perceived threat rather than the real action.

It’s important to ensure you don’t yell, hit or punish your dog as this will only make the situation worse. If your dog learns that growling results in the loss of their treasured item, next time they will likely skip the ‘warning’ altogether and simply go in for a bite.

Here are our tips to minimise the effects of resource guarding:

·       Set up a separate space for your dog to feed during meal times – particularly if you have multiple pets in the same household. All pets should have their designated feeding area which should be adhered to for all meals.

·       If you have young children living or visiting the home, block off the area during meal times so that no one can enter their space

·       Give them a safe space to consume chew toys or treats that require a long time to devour so that they can enjoy them in peace

·       Teach them to ‘drop it and leave it’. Drop it will get them to let go of whatever is in their mouth, leave it will get them to turn away from the item. It’s critical that you reward this behaviour with a treat as it will reinforce that they will receive something of equal or better value by obeying your command

·       Teach your dog to come when called as this will allow you to call them away from the item they have rather than having to approach them to remove the item (which is particularly helpful in public environments)

·       Teach them to go to a ‘place’ in your home that is their safe spot. This is particularly helpful when your dog is guarding a spot (eg. the couch or bed), and will signal that they need to move to another place where they won’t be disturbed.

Older dogs may be more difficult to train if this behaviour has been ingrained. In this instance, we would recommend engaging a dog trainer or behavioural specialist to meet the specific needs of your pooch.