Dog Behavior: Resource Guarding

Resource Guarding is when a dog has an object and wants to protect it from getting taken away. This is most common with food, toys, or bones. In this video, JJ Belcher explains how to properly train your dog so that they don’t feel the need to resource guard.
This video is taken directly out of From the Rescue to the Home; available as an Online Course, Streaming Video, and DVD. You can contact JJ directly at [e-mail]
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[@CamilleGG451]

TYSM for sharing this incredibly reasonable view and approach. I can’t understand why people feel like it's a "pain" to do the feeding by hand when its time you're spending helping your dog and bonding with them... I've done this exact same thing and LOVE doing so bc I know that with each bite, I'm bonding with and helping the dog... Its not hard. Takes more time than throwing it in the bowl, but jeez its like get house plants people if you aren't interested in caring properly for your pets. Thanks again for the excellent info 🙏

[@CamilleGG451]

Fantastic advice! Makes total sense. If you're not already a dad of a human, you'll be a great one! Thanks for your intelligence, your insight, your maturity and your compassion ❤

[@chris9352]

I got my younger Rott when he was already 6 months old, during the first week he displayed resource guarding during feeding time and my 2 older Rotts corrected him when he went a little too crazy regarding me standing next to his food! Since then, he no longer act that way, I can even touch his food during feeding time! He's 9 months old now and a good working dog with intense prey drive and strong temperament just like his cousins, I mean my two older Rotts, 3 and 5 years old ( both trained for police patrol work )

[@alyssa0411]

My 8 month old chihuahua is my shadow. She follows me everywhere in the house. If I sit down, she wants to be right in my lap. The biggest issue is she is now guarding me from my family members. (2 kids and my husband). She gets really upset if they get too close to me or touch me. She even growls and barks at them if I’m on the couch and they come down stairs. It’s amped up over the last couple days where she now lunges at them if they get too close.

[@mercswifejl]

It's also very important to pay attention to the dogs body language. They will typically stiffen up....just get very firm in their stance. Their ears will perk up. Their tails....even stubbies...will raise up and be rigid...or wag very fast but abruptly....keeping a very short range. All/any of this will usually happen before any verbal or physical warning from the dog.

[@wildog47]

yup my dog stretches his neck over the bone and goes.stiff. I always tell him to leave it and then when he does I just give it back to him :)

[@user-gh8sl7iu3y]

How about a video on how to teach a dog to play & share toys. Adopted a rescue who had no interest at all in toys (maybe never had any before). Now, 5-6 mo in, he will pick up a few items but will either guard them when we try to “play” or in the instance of a tug toy he will just give it up to several of us who he trusts rather than play tug. So frustrating.

[@ACruz-kq9di]

What if the "resource" is another dog? My bigger dog acts possessive over my smaller dog when I take them around other dogs.

[@shadowdarottweiler6253]

I’ve been hand feeding for two weeks. Saw some improvements and last night my dog growled at me again after resource guarding a bone.

[@Kaby629]

I've been wondering about this for quite some time. One of my dog's will hustle up, and cut another of my other dog is headed toward something.

[@NuclearOlive]

I was told to hand feed my pup to manage resource guarding, but part of my issue is that he'll growl and eventually lunge at us AFTER we've finished feeding him and have "no more" food. I was bitten once after feeding him. Other than that, he's just overly eager for each handful. He could be laying down and waiting for the next serving, but he's drooling and practically shaking impatiently. :/ We have a trainer coming to evaluate him soon, but the aggression "after" a meal is something I don't see mentioned in many, if any, of these videos.

[@LeerburgDogTraining]

Please submit this question to Cindy via our Ask Cindy Portal on our website. She answers emails daily and will be able to give you specific advice and recommendations. leerburg.com/newcontact.php

[@BackBurnerKitchen]

Thank you for this video Have used Leerburg and Michael Ellis to train botH my Labs. We now have a 13 week old Aussie Shepard puppy with resource guarding issues that we do not know how to deal with. When he guards he will growl very aggressively, snarl, lunge and bite. He has bit down hard enough to break skin and has made me and my wife bleed at separate times. He also displays this behavior if someone tries to pick him up while he’s sleeping. He’s a great dog and taking to training well but we’re in over our heads with this. We have tried being firm and also tried using a leave it command and replacing the dropped item with a treat. PLEASE HELP. Neither our vet or breeder has been able to resolve this issue.

[@jerrymcintyre9727]

THE SAME EXACT THING WITH MY GSD PUPPY!!! I TRIED EVERYTHING

[@BackBurnerKitchen]

cheff Bakery how old is your pup? We have been doing the following and it's helping a lot. He's now 18 weeks old 1) don't give him items that he's obviously guarding. Once you see it remove the item and don't let him have it again. 2) Removing the item at first was a dangerous dance. The simplest thing we did was offered him a trade. We would get close to him with a treat that he could see and he would release the item he was guarding instantly and go for the treat. Then we would simply remove the item. This mellowed out his guarding a lot because we were no longer struggling for the same item. 3) by doing the first two steps we are now able to just say drop it or actually go and remove the item from his mouth. This hasn't been 100 % better but I would comfortably say 85% better. Hope it helps.

[@louisegariepy7697]

Do you know of any method for protection between dogs? I can separate them for food, but one of them is extremely toy protective so that the younger one doesn’t dare to take a toy anymore.

[@LeerburgDogTraining]

Have questions? Check out the largest dog training QA database (3,000+ entries) or submit your question to Ask Cindy! leerburg.com/qa/index.php

[@johnsuechandler478]

My 5 month old male German Sheperd guards things he steals that he knows he's not supposed to take. He'll grab a dish towel from the counter, take it to his crate and give me that look! I will throw him a treat or something to distract him, as other trainers have said to do, but I'm wondering if he's doing this to get a treat! I've never had a dog do this before & I've owned lots of GSD and other breeds.

[@LeerburgDogTraining]

Have a training or equipment question? Reach out to Cindy via our Ask Cindy Portal on our website. She answers emails daily and will be able to give you specific advice and recommendations. leerburg.com/newcontact.php

[@mistym4010]

Right?!?? Dogs are so smart! My dog has learned to steal a toy that my kids are playing with because then he knows the chase is on - let's play!

[@michellep7087]

My dog resource guards me.

[@kanitharkantathavorn4235]

What if you have a paranoid dog? I take my dogs bed to wash it because she has atopic dermatitis. It NEEDS to be washed and free of allergens. Even when the 'trade off' is done, she knows that something has been removed and is unsettled by that. Also, she demolishes toys and tries to eat them, an obvious safety hazard that could result in costly surgery and illness. Moreover, she leaves bones out for long periods of time - pays them no mind. We call it 'summoning the ants', because that's always what happens. So much to the point where we now have ants living in the ceiling of our home and will now need to hire an exterminator because we are overrun with them. I've even tried CBD to help 'calm' her anxious ways (on top of the 30 minute intense play/walks split 3 times per day - not including carpet mill work). Somebody...Anybody - what am I to do next?

[@LeerburgDogTraining]

Have a training question? Ask Cindy! She answers emails daily. leerburg.com/qa/index.php

[@jamiem5364]

Only give bones that are going to be eaten there and then, make sure they are non weight bearing meaty bones. Things like marrow bones are always a bad idea for many reasons like this one and breaking teeth etc! Also make sure the dog is hungry too.