Tips To Avoid Resource Guarding
Teaching types to avoid resource guarding
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The common but very dangerous believe is that human beings should take away the dog’s food or toys and show the dog that the human being is boss and we can take resources as they please. This can and often does set up a resource guarding issue with a dog.
It would be no different if you had just sat down to a lovely meal and someone came by and took it from you. You would not be very happy with the person and when they approached the next timeyou would likely guard your food.
However if that same person had offered you more food or a tasty dessert rather than take your food, you would feel better towards that person and would not feel the need to guard your food from them.
It is no different for your dog. So here are some tips to avoid setting your dog up to start resource guarding.
- If you give a high value item like a bone, bully stick or filled Kong that belongs to the dog until they have finished with it. Do not take it away unless absolutely necessary (ie. choking potential) and when you do toss some very high value food like chicken and when the dog moves away from the bone/bully stick then remove it.
- Leave the dog alone when he is eating (especially children)
- Do not take the dog’s food bowl or put your hands in it to show you are the leader. You are not showing leadership, you are showing your dog that you are unpredictable and unfair and potentially setting your dog up to feel that he needs to guard his food.
- Instead as you walk past while the dog is eating, toss something better than what he is eating to show that you are no threat at all and in fact pretty good things happen when you walk past.
- Examine the environment that your dog lives in. Is there there anything that your dog has shown interest in such as shoes or children's toys, the TV remote? If so find ways to protect these items (put them away) or to prevent your dog from gaining access to them (close doors, or use an exercise pen).
- If your dog does get an item ask yourself if this is the hill that I am prepared to die on? In other words is the item valuable enough that you cannot risk it being damaged or will the item hurt your dog? If the answer is yes, then you obviously need to get it away from your dog. You can feign interest in a toy (a squeaky toy usually does the trick) that your dog loves and when your dog comes to you, give them the toy (and a yummy treat) and then pick up the item, or if that fails get a super high value food item and trade it with your dog for the item.
- Try to do the super high value food trade as little as possible or it may teach your dog to take items to get food.
- If the answer was no to the "hill" question posed above, example a kleenex that will not hurt your dog if consumed (depending on his size) then ignore the situation. Do not give that Kleenex any value, just move on with life.
- Note: If your dog at any time gets an item, go back to looking at the environment how you can avoid your dog getting that item or another one again.
- Finally, teach a solid Drop It.
- If your dog is already resource guarding contact us for a private training session or if you want to learn how to train a solid Drop It, register for one of our classes.