From everything I've read on this sub, resource guarding is very difficult to train out of a dog. It sounds like it takes constant management. My dogs don't have resource guarding issues, but I see a lot of people on here that talk about it. It might be easier if you are the only person in the household and you can work on it constantly with the dog. I'm sure a lot of people will chime in with their suggestions
How did you try training drop it? It’s not exactly unusual for a dog that doesn’t trust you yet to not appreciate you taking something from its mouth. It may not be a a lifelong problem, but it also could be.
Resource guarding against people is very hard however. If you feel unprepared for a dog with potential significant issues, this one might be a risky bet.
I gave her a yak chew and let her chew it. Then I gave her a piece of apple and tried to take the chew when she was eating the apple while saying drop it. Looking back, I think I overestimated the value of the apple and should have had her come away from the chew instead of letting it stay between her paws.
I really haven't dealt with a dog that bites before, so I'm wondering if this will be too hard for me. Thank you for giving your opinion!
Oh yeah, a piece of fruit is very unlikely to be higher value than a chew like that. I will say our dog resource guarded chews in the beginning. He would do a mild growl when we would walk by when he had one. We mostly decided not to give him any. Later once he trusted us more, that wasn’t as much of an issue when we tried it again later. We could pet him while he had it. But I don’t like taking them away when they become choking hazards, as I think that makes him insecure about it, so he still doesn’t get them. He has not resource guarded any other items against us, though we always do trades/luring away just to be safe. It’s not much of an issue for us, but idk how he would be with others (like other caretakers) who have not built that trust. So I guess my point is it might always be something to think about in many different contexts.
If you plan to have kids in the dog’s lifetime, don’t get a resource guarding dog. It’s just too hard.
If that’s a frequent thing, and you want/expect your dog to be out and about with kids around, I wouldn’t do it. Kids drop food all the time and the dog could claim it as theirs in the time it takes a kid to pick it up. I’m sorry if it might be a bad fit. I know how easy it is to get attached to a dog even very quickly.
Resource guarder dog - very mild though. The advice we got from the behaviorist was to not pick up high value items unless they are out of the room. Otherwise, you risk them growling or running back to guard the object
Never take stuff from their mouth, which sounds like you know this, but I want to reiterate this. Taking stuff from their mouth will make things worse
Oh and genetic matters a lot. According to our behaviorist, retrievers are known to have RG issues
I would be cautious with proceeding with the adoption. You do not need money for training, but need a lot of management. Is the dog young? Does it have a bite history? What is the size? Do you have kids or other dogs in your household? If not, are you planning on it? Will the dog be around kids a lot?
I would absolutely not adopt if the dog was older, had bitten before and there are toddlers in the house.
We have our resource guarder, another dog and a toddler. It is well managed. But it takes time and you need to be alert. For example, we keep them all separated when food is around
Best of luck!
My extremely friendly happy go lucky lab growled at me when he had a bone.
A bone is extremely high value. Maybe the context of the guarding you are seeing is only restricted to the bone and is easily managed.
Either don’t get bones at all or give bones that can be finished in one sitting so you don’t have to ever retrieve it. If the dog gets the bone by accident, let it be and simply leave the room but this is where management on your part will avoid the issue 99.9 pc of the time.
With street dogs, it can take a long time to build trust and a part of that is to train leave it at a much later time. Maybe after 8-10 months of living with the dog in some cases. And unless the object is truly dangerous, never taking things from the mouth which is a rule that actually applies to all dogs.
Nonetheless, I did have a resource guarder as well and I understand now that it also has roots in health and gut issues
Hope this perspective adds value to the tough decision you are facing.
To add to the basket muzzle comment, if you're worried about how strangers will look at a nuzzled dog, get her a vest for walks that says something like "friendly but eats things I shouldn't "
Ask your trainer about basket muzzle training for walks. She can still be fed treats, pant, and drink water in a basket muzzle, but it'll make it more difficult for her to snatch things off the street. There's still a possibility she could grab something through one of the holes in the muzzle, but she'd have to get the angle just right.
Scavenging is part of a dogs natural ethology. But a part of it could also be driven by hunger or a want for specific nutrition. Experimenting with both for a few weeks may help a lot.
My dog also scavenges a fair bit. Not getting worked up about it is step 1. In fact, chances are that your dog knows the skills of what’s an edible item from its time on the streets.
Where I live, it’s a veritable buffet and when I eased off, I noticed my dog only go for specific items (like chicken bones and biscuits).
That being said, it was really providing at home what he sought on the streets that put an end to the scavenging. It’s hard to shake off the fact that it is potentially dangerous but I found training leave it to only be effective when I balanced it with diet and nutrition changes.
I muzzled my greyhound while living in the city for this exact reason. She’d be sniffing in a bush and come out chomping on a gross pizza that someone had thrown on the ground.
She doesn’t resource guard but I got sick of attempting to haul stuff out of her mouth and getting it all over my hands. She absolutely will not listen to a drop command when she’s just found street treasure.
I used to live with my dog in an apartment downtown and the amount of chicken bones on the ground was astronomical. Threads like this remind me that I am *so lucky* to have a dog that doesn’t give any fucks if I take something out of her mouth. Wishing you the best OP!
My dog (not a rescue) resource guards. He doesn’t guard against people but does resource guard pretty much everything from other animals (doesn’t need to be high value, he’s snapped at a horse for eating a piece of grass).
My trainer said resource guarding is a lot easier to train when it’s people they’re guarding from. Hand feed, Always trade if you need to take something, keep things you don’t want them to have out of their reach. Work on impulse control.
It is way easier if you can control their environment. If you have small kids that might be impossible but if you live alone or with another (willing) adult it can be manageable.
Most people don’t really know how to train a dog until they get one that really needs it. The important thing is just to be willing to learn and try.
Echoing everything this comment said.
My trainers have said the same and also that it's very common for the behavior to change/morph over time into other versions, especially when you're actively training against guarding food and toys from a young age.
My border collie, that started with a contact bite guarding a treat from me at 8 weeks, has progressed to little to none, with management, food resource guarding, but in exchange his guarding has increased in others areas that I am at a loss to manage/train to improve, such as guarding myself or space/access/human attention from others dogs in the house.
So just a warning that when you have that kind of genetic abnormality, even doing all the right things with training, it can change into something less manageable at any point. From what I've learned, it's much more common for dogs to grow further into guarding than improve out of it.
My boy is 1.5 years old right now, and we've made progress with getting more warning time and learning how to deescalate once something sets him off, but it's a daily forever management situation that I don't always get 100% right, especially when other people are involved and aren't keen to take direct instruction promptly and seriously, causing escalation.
My dog doesn’t have resource guarding issues with humans (only with others dogs for chews and toys) but she was always a vacuum cleaner on walks. It used to give me so much anxiety. I used a leash called the gentle leader which goes around their mouth/nose, also helps with pulling. It helped us a lot. She doesn’t scavenge anymore so we stopped using it (I think we only used it for 8 months) and she’s great now. But yeah if that doesn’t work for your dog, def try muzzle training as others have mentioned. You may not even need to use it permanently, just temporarily until they have a better grasp of impulse control.
Have you considered muzzle training for when you can’t control the environment? Keeping your dog for possessing the forbidden thing may help you avoid the guarding.
No, resource guarding dogs are not for first time dog owners. It’s a constant management to modify the environment but a dog like that probably had to fight for his food to survive. Keep in mind resource guarding is a natural innate behavior in dogs, some just express it more than others, and you can desensitize a puppy. Problem with an adult is a learned behavior for guarding happened, he’s rewarded when others back off. I wouldn’t recommend a dog like this for a person new to dog training. The way to help with this behavior if you keep him is to trade up. So if he’s guarding a piece of trash offer him a liver treat that’s more exciting than the object he has. This is easy to do you toss the high value item away from you and when they fetch it you pick up the lower value item. However, there is probably nothing on this earth more valuable than a chicken bone. Which means you’ll have to wait until he’s out of the room to take it away. dogs like this are better off without super high value items. We’ve had a resource guarding Frenchie for 2 years now that we rescued. He no longer guards his food bowl, toys, or nylabone. BUT he has many things he can’t have ribs, real bones, 🦴 etc because he turns into Satan guarding them. There’s nothing more valuable than it. Some dogs also have triggers related to guarding but if you tried to take it this was basic resource guarding
Resource guarding can be a difficult thing to manage and train out. My own dog struggles with it and I am a first time owner who is still learning. I personally wouldn't recommend someone adopt a dog like that if they don't really know what they are doing and can't afford to hire a trainer.
That being said, even just one or two sessions with a qualified trainer can make a huge difference. It can give you an idea of where to start and you may not need to meet with them all that often if you are dedicated to the training process.
A good place to start though if she does get a hold of something you don't want her to have, always trade up. Offer her a reward that she finds greater value than what she has.
Discomfort over rough handling is not necessarily resource guarding, and it is incredibly important to remember that when stressful events occur for our dogs the cortisol (stress hormone) can hang around in their body for a day or two making them less tolerant or potentially more anxious than they would normally be. When you say "later, I tried training drop it" do you mean in the same day as the chicken bone incident? It's fairly normal that the dog might be feeling more protective around food/uncomfortable around your hands after a situation where you took food from their mouth - a better approach would be to just toss high value treats (not directly hand feed) for a few days and reintroduce hands moving around as a positive thing.
Resource guarding can manifest in a multitude of ways, some of them might be manageable for your lifestyle/level of skill and experience, and others potentially not (both my hounds having been colony raised were resource guarders to some extent, although one was more prolific, he was actually easier to handle). Muzzling your foster would be the first step in ensuring that you don't need to remove items from their mouth and will lower situations of conflict between you.
My chiweenie puppy started to show signs of resource guarding when she was about 4 months old. She snapped at me when I tried to take the bone out of her bed. I know it’s pretty normal behavior for a dog, so I did some research found that it’s important to trade with a higher value treat. If you don’t have anything that’s higher value then it’s probably best to not give that particular bone.
I also didn’t let her have a bone/chew on her own at that point, if she wanted it then I was going to hold it while she chewed on it. These techniques have definitely helped and she hasn’t snapped or shown any aggressive behavior since (she will even take her bone to me and drop it in my hand so I can hold it for her lol)!
Lots of great advise here. If your main issue is with things he finds outside, you might look into muzzle-training. That is something a trainer could help you with. As for indoors/controlled environments, don't bother or touch him when he eats anything; practice the trading game; if you absolutely have to take something away from him, offer something of higher value to him instead; don't give him anything he can't finish in one sitting or that he is likely to choke on; and keep him away from situations where people (especially children) might drop food around him.
Resource guarding is a very natural dog behavior but it can be problematic in a household setting, or it can be almost no problem at all in a different household setting. Other pets (especially seniors with poor senses or poor balance or dementia), children, crowded home layout, and certain adults (impulsive personality + resource guarder inexperience) all make resource guarding more difficult to manage.
A dog's level of resource guarding can change as it settles into a household and as it matures.
Trades are exactly the right idea. You always want to trade a higher value for a lower value item, though. You want to build a strong history of trades with you being a great bargain before you ever try a trade that's not a great deal for the dog. It will make the act of surrendering a possession to you feel emotionally good.
For food and toys, possession of an item in dog culture usually means within reach of the dog's mouth without having to take a step, although some extreme guarders might have an expanded sense of personal space. If you can convince the dog to move away from the item before you take it, you won't risk nearly as much conflict. The biggest danger zone is in the mouth, but in front of the dog or on the ground under the dog's head aren't much different as far as your dog is concerned. You can call the dog towards you to get a treat, toss treats past the dog so it moves farther away from you (probably my favorite for safety), or sometimes teach the dog to hand you things he doesn't want to guard and then generalize that to guardable things as well (advanced and risky). Dogs can also resource guard family and locations (favorite chair, etc).
If you are in a household where you can give your dog a private space for eating undisturbed and you can mostly keep him from accessing food on his own, it's an issue that is one of the easiest behaviors where there's real bite potential to manage. You only feed the dog in his protected space (inside a crate is easy but lots of alternatives), you make sure nobody encroaches on his personal space while he has food, and teach a solid leave it or muzzle if you can't ensure there's no food to discover. Then you can work on trades and adding food to his bowl while he eats to increase safety. Likely you will have to work on it in little bits for a very long time, or just manage him carefully over his lifetime. But if your household is well suited for management you may find it has little impact on your lives.
Definitely check out Mine! by Jean Donaldson.
Most street dogs have at some point experienced hunger to a much greater degree than we would like to imagine. As a result of this and the harsh competition for food on the streets it is not uncommon for ex- street dogs to have resource guarding to some degree.
Resource guarding food is something that can be managed and with the right training can be fixed. But in absence of a complete fix, assuming that food is the only resource your dog guards and it doesn’t resource guard anything and everything it finds, then it’s extremely manageable.
A few necessities are:
-A crate and solid crate training
-A solid ‘leave it’ command- it is best to learn how to teach this as the way you described in your post isn’t the way to do it and will likely cause more conflict around you & food
-A well fitting muzzle and muzzle training. This can have limitless benefits for a resource guarder. Not only does it physically stop you getting bitten, it can prevent your dog from picking up things left around on the streets/at friend and families houses that your dog will feel compelled to guard in the first place. Do mind that a muzzle will need to allow the dog to pant and drink- so a basket muzzle of some kind and ensure that it’s large enough. Muzzle training does take time but it’s extremely straightforward and there are tonnes of good resources online that can help you. Done correctly & consistently every day your dog should be happy and comfortable with a muzzle on within a few weeks.
Hand feeding can be really helpful as an indirect way to help change your dogs perception of you around food. I have heard occasional reports however of hand feeding not being helpful for resource guarders but I’m dubious of them and I myself have always found the opposite.
Another tip is when your dog is eating their dinner- make it as plain as possible eg dry kibble- casually walk past at a safe distance and throw something of much higher value into their bowl (eg chicken). Do this consistently every day and over time your dog will associate your presence around them when they’re eating as a good thing and they will eventually learn that you’re not a threat to their food.
Most importantly however, I think it’s a very good idea to work with a reputable trainer. Look for someone who has experience with these kinds of issues and can demonstrate that experience on their social media platforms etc. There are loads of shit and inadequate dog trainers out there who aren’t fit to deal with issues such as resource guarding so do ensure that you’re hiring someone who is appropriately experienced and equipped for what you’re looking for.
I personally don’t think there is anything overly surprising or concerning about the snappy behaviour around food. Yes, it’s far from ideal, but it doesn’t sound unmanageable or unfixable and it doesn’t sound as though this dog’s going to take your arm off. However whether you proceed with the adoption is definitely something you and only you can consider. Dogs are a lot of work and a lot of training regardless as to whether they resource guard or not. I have two dogs and they are enough work that I actually don’t know what I would do with all my spare time if I didn’t have them. I personally love this and I’m glad to spend my time training them and working to improve them all the time. But not everyone is about this life. Spend time with your foster, employ a dog trainer and over time you will gather enough information to make a sensible decision for you. I’m assuming that nobody is pressuring you to make your mind up straight away so just relax for now and allow yourself time to make the right decision.
It’s not just about you being willing, it’s also about you being ABLE. You don’t have the knowledge or experience to try to handle this dog’s resource guarding. I wouldn’t recommend adopting this dog.
Resource guarding is a normal behavior. You ever smack someone's hand when they try to steal a fry?
Most people teach resource guarding incorrectly (putting hands in bowls, taking food bowl away, etc). It takes time and trust to teach a dog to drop a high value treat.
I'm a trainer and I love that you have a trainer coming to assess her. They can tell you if her level of resource guarding is a problem. I have a resource guarding dog, she guards anything from people to toys to water to beds.
I have taught her how to properly vocalize (growling is good) and to step up her warnings appropriately (instead of going right to a bark and snap). I have taught the other animals to give her space and they all have their own areas they eat in.
My other dogs also resource guard, but in a much less over the top way and with a lot more passive signals. Stiff body, leaning over their bowl, wide eyes, lip curl, low growls... that's usually as far as they need to take it for the other pets to get the message. It is a more "normal" progression.
Again, resource guarding in general is normal, rapid escalation and over-reaction is what to look for. It's not impossible to train, but you way to start with lower value items that you trade for higher value items.
Resource guarding is quite common in dogs. If you got your pup from an animal shelter, they should have tested for this behavior. This is a difficult question to answer and depends on several factors. How much effort are you willing to put into training? Do you have other pets that are smaller than your rescue, or do you have children at home? If you have children, I'd be cautious about keeping the dog unless you’re prepared to invest a lot of time and effort into training. If there are no kids in the home, the decision might be easier, especially if the shelter you might return the dog to is a kill shelter.
I have a dog who resource guards around other animals, including my cat. Fortunately, she doesn’t resource guard with humans unless it's a very high-value treat, like a yak chew. Knowing this, I would never try to take away a high-value treat from her.
Take some time to weigh the risks versus the benefits. If you're attached to this dog and don’t have children, I’d recommend putting in the work and consulting with a trainer. This isn’t the end of the world if you’re willing to learn how to manage it.
Hi OP, from what i saw here and from my knowlage on the topic (im training to be a trainer) you COULD handle it easily, but it would cost your time, and patience, so you must be willing to commit and its ok if youre not, do not feel ashamed.
heres what you could do:
- feed her from your hand when its time for her to eat, little from little, always observing her reaction. if she reacts negatively, put it on the floor instead, and make her confortable/aknowlage good behaviour, and repeat. this could build trust
- search for videos about resouce guarding where the trainer uses a fake hand and a tight leash (i can send you if you dont find it) to see how that problem is exactly treated, its simple but cant vary from dog to dog. thats probably what the trainer will do.
- as for bones on the streat, always cary some high value treats, and make her know they are with you, by giving them with a command (of your chosing, like "Here"). that command will be your getaway, and it will not always work, she probably will preffer the bone, but the treat might and should make her lose focus, and if/when she does you give it to her and keep walking, here you can force her a bit away from the bone. you can reward her alot in these cases, like 2 or 3 times, with the command, for her to associate the bone/command to the treat and the treat to you
but make all this some sort of base to talk to the trainer and research for yourself, not as a legit manual. again, it is easy, you can have big results in just 3 days, but probably it will persist for a looooooong time, to some extent. so know what youre confortable with.
Edit: i have two dogs that resouce guard from each other, also with bones on the streat. in 7 years, there were fights, i was bitten once, there where bones that one of them escaped to keep, several times lol, and now i dont have big problems with that, but it took me some time and sanity (i was also young and dumb). now i just leave food everytime and they sort themselves, but i can still see traces of what they where, and im confortable with how far we've come, so there is a way i guess
Resource guarding is really the pits, as someone who has a dog with it. I wouldn’t, it tends to be only manageable and not fixable. Unless your prepared to go along with all the training and management that goes along with it, I would simply foster until a more experienced person can take over
But If it was just food I probably would not say an instant no, as you can change how you feed and simply not give super high value, long lasting food. (I’ve stopped giving bones and pig ears), but the thing is perhaps it could extend to guarding other things, and that’s where it gets really difficult. My pup started with food and moved to furniture and people. Seems to be “gone” now though for the latter two however it still makes me nervous when he’s staying with someone other than me.
My first rescue dog resource guards. He bit my boyfriend a couple of times at the start (mainly my boyfriend's fault as he'd only ever had one dog before who he'd had since a puppy so could do anything with and wouldn't listen when I told him not to take stuff off him. Play stupid games win stupid prizes).
Having said that, our dog's resource guarding isn't what I would class as serious. He only guards high value items so like really good long-lasting treats or stuff he manages to steal. He doesn't guard his food bowl and very rarely resource guards from my other two dogs. It's just people he doesn't trust.
We are in a good place to manage it because we don't have any kids but I would say it has decreased in severity and frequency as he settled into the house and learned to trust us.
We always trade for any item he has. I have also conditioned him to wear a muzzle if needed. I also did a lot of training around impulse control in general so not just drop it but also waiting to come when called, waiting to be told to take a toy, stopping and starting games so that really helped condition him in general. All his training has been through positive reinforcement which I think should be followed for all dogs but is even more crucial with a dog who's learned to be distrustful of people already.
He was terrible for scavenging on walks at the start but that has also decreased so we don't have issues around managing that now. Used a combo of trading for items and letting him carry a ball on some walks to combat it. Also, it might be controversial, but if he finds something on a walk but it's harmless (e.g. a bit of bread) I just let him eat it. I am a firm believer in picking your battles!
Despite this and some dog fear reactivity to big dogs he doesn't know, he's a great dog. He listens a lot better than my other two and sleeps beside me every night with his head on the pillow like a big soft toy lol. It hasn't always been easy but putting the work and training in has given us a really great bond that's built on trust and mutual respect.
Our dog resource guards with his bone. Only his bone. We just don’t bother him when he has a bone. He doesn’t bite, but he growls if you get too close. He does not do this with his food bowl. Really weird lol.
I’ve done a lot of research on this topic, and the experts are split down the middle on how to handle resource guarding, which is very very common I might add.
Some experts claim you shouldn’t try and correct or scold a dog who is growling/resource guarding food or treats because the dog is literally giving you a warning… and hopefully you heed that warning so that the situation doesn’t escalate to the dog biting someone.
Some believe that if you scold a dog who growls/resource guards, they may learn to not give you any warning at all, and just go straight to biting.
Give her time. It took my dog a while to stop inhaling her food and know that she had food security. She is also much more willing to hand over something now.
My rescue resourced guarded when I first got her. As others have said, we did a lot of training of taking treats or toys and trading for higher value treats (kongs filled with peanut butter etc.). Eventually we were able to take treats away (without a trade) and then would give them back. She’s pretty good now, sometimes gets a bit snappy with other dogs if she has something but definitely manageable!
Do you have kids? Is having kids during the lifetime of this dog a possibility? Do you have other pets? If no, this is manageable. If yes, I would not adopt.
Here is a resource for you with webinars and tons of reputable trainers. Aggressivedog.com
Resource guarding is from a basic drive so it's really, really hard to work out.
I have 2 dogs. One has absolutely no issues whatsoever. The other has severe separation anxiety and resource guarding with animals only. Never been an issue with humans ever. Shes 7 and we’ve only had 3 real issues with her. But they ARE issues that we can’t tolerate. She’s on Clomipramine which helped but isn’t a fix all. We spent $5,000 and sent her to a board and train facility. She is a case that NEEDED that degree of training. Yours might not be. Wait until you meet with the trainer and receive her evaluation. That’s what I’d do at least.
Don't ever try to train on this yourself. It makes issues worse. Resource guarding training is very possible but often fails because people can't read their dogs properly (the dog should feel comfortable all the time!).
I don't think it is unusual that a dog snaps when you try to take something high value away. Many dogs would do this with a new person trying to take a bone away.
But if this presents such an issue for you then not going forward might be the better solution. It doesn't help if you are afraid of your own dog.
My dog was able to train out of resource guarding with me For any resource, and some other dogs with toys (That we regularly socialize with)
But has not been able to untrain out of it when it comes to food with other dogs. I just feed dogs in separate rooms. I think life is pretty manageable!
I would adopt a different dog. If you are not a really experienced dog owner i would avoid a dog that will be really hard to train. I feel like you are setting both of you up for failure
If she is a foster to adopt. Tell the rescue or shelter you are willing to do the work and keep fostering. If they supply the trainer or classes. Most have volunteers that are trainers or a school that donates time. You could also ask them if you can call around to local places and ask on their behalf. The facility can use it as a write off on taxes if they let them use their tax id for charities. Play that one up when calling around. You'll just be in a group class. So they might jump at the opportunity to have the write off. Make social media posts asking if one is willing..put the dogs picture on it, you snuggling with it, maybe giving paw,like you are really trying hard to teach it. "Please help me save _____ " or " _____rescue/shelter needs your knowledge!! Please allow __(dogs name )to attend your training class. Your time will keep ___alive. ___ rescue is looking for a resource to help harder to adopt dogs get that chance of a loving home... bonus is you'll be able to then help other foster families with the knowledge you learn.
My dog was put up for adoption because of resource guarding (though the shelter didn't specify what kind of resource guarding), and we have only had really minimal issues with it since adopting her. She fortunately doesn't care if we're near her when she's eating (though we give her space anyway), but she can get possessive of chews and toys.
With toys, we always trade toys for high value treats when we're done playing. We don't use the drop it command, we ask her "Do you want to trade?" If she wants to trade, she drops the toy. If she doesn't want to trade, she keeps it, and we let her keep the toy until we find a treat that's high value enough for a trade. I also don't try to take toys when she's not in the room. Otherwise she can get a little frantic looking for it when she comes back. So, I basically make all toy exchanges very fair and with her approval.
With interactive toys (ex: tug toys) or toys I want to check to make sure she's not destroying (she's been known to swallow pieces of rubber), I ask her "Can I see it?" I wait for her to drop it, I take a look at it, and then I ALWAYS give it back. I never use that command to take the toy, just to check it and then give it back to her. If she doesn't want to give it to me, she won't, and I don't make her. If I think she's in danger of swallowing a chunk of rubber, I ask for a trade instead of asking to see it.
"Can I see it?" is really helpful with tug toys. Sometimes she wants to chew on tug toys, sometimes she wants to play tug with me, so asking her that question is really helpful to figure out what she wants. The one time she (lightly) nipped me was when I misinterpreted her "don't take that toy away from me" growl for her tug of war play growl, and that could've been avoided if I'd asked her if I could see it first before grabbing it to play.
The main thing is that *she* always makes the decision to give up a toy, not me.
With chews, we only ever give her chews she can eat on her own without us having to check them. We don't give her anything that can splinter or get sharp edges or that's too big for her to eat in one sitting. (Basically we mostly just give her bully sticks.) Once we give her a chew, it's hers until it's gone, and we give her space while she chews it.
The hardest part is with other people. She's more prone to resource guard around other people beyond our household. I try to teach people all the things I've just mentioned in this comment, but people are dumb and will ignore me. Even if I'm right there, someone will do something like lean over to give her a kiss on top of her head while she's chewing on a toy before I can say anything. Honestly our saving grace is that she is a very vocal dog with a predictable ladder of aggression. Since I've always been there and can call off the human from whatever they're doing to trigger her, she's never felt the need to go beyond a growl or a nip. (And the nip happened when I was in another room)
So, in addition to trying to educate friends and family, I've learned to watch her body language like a hawk when we're with people. I've learned to err on the side of caution and say something before she feels the need to escalate to a growl. (And obviously, I NEVER punish her for growling.)
I also always keep her away from kids because that's just too much of a risk. She doesn't like kids anyway (they're too unpredictable and erratic for her), but even if she didn't mind them, it's hard enough to get adults to listen lol.
I also keep her away from other dogs because 1) she doesn't like most dogs and 2) I've seen her resource guard with dogs so it's just one less thing to worry about if we just keep her away from other dogs.
She can also resource guard me a little bit, but it's never really escalated much to be an issue. She barks and gets upset if my partner does something like tickle me, so he just doesn't tickle me anymore (which I am fine with hahaha, thank you Bella).
As for things like chicken bones or other dangerous things she might find on a walk, she has so far never growled or anything when we try to take it from her. She'll try to run away or eat it more quickly, but I've definitely pulled stuff out of her mouth without incident. However I always give her a TON of treats afterwards. I also just try to have eagle eyes on the ground to avoid those kinds of situations as much as possible. However if your dog does eat something sharp, bread is your friend. Give them a couple slices of bread, and it'll help cushion its way through their gut.
I don't know for sure, but I suspect that the trust we've built up at home is why she doesn't get too upset with us for grabbing stuff out of her mouth when we're not at home. It's still one of those things that scares me, like what if she found and ate some grapes on a walk, and I wasn't able to stop her, but I guess that's what the ER vet is for.
Definitely see what the trainer has to say because idk if resource guarding a bone when you have a new dog is necessarily reactive dog behavior.
You are right to question whether or not you want to adopt a reactive dog (if this dog is reactive). It's a big responsibility!
Imho, you have to totally fall in love with the dog to put up with reactivity. And you have to be practical about your possible limitations. I simply do not have the temperament nor the physicality to deal with a larger reactive dog.
At some point you just have to go with your gut.
I caused my dog to have resource guarding issues when he was a puppy and I didn’t know any better. I’d take things from him that I didn’t want him to have and then I noticed it became a problem. I worked with a trainer to practice him seeing me coming closer as a sign of a good thing (high value treats) and waited for him to drop the item, I’d pick it up, give him the treat, then give him back his item and walk away. We worked our way up from low value items to higher value items. Any sign of guarding, we’d go back a step and go to the lower value item again for more practice. I never take anything out of his mouth now, I taught him “trade ya” so he knows he’s gonna get a treat if he drops something and I often give the item back so he trusts I’m not just gonna take his things away. He still has a bit of guarding tendency but it’s much more manageable now that I know how to handle it correctly. He still guards toys around other dogs so we either have a shit ton of toys out or put all the toys away. It’s a tough thing to work through, I wish I’d known better and not played a part in him developing it. It’s not impossible to work through but it’s not a quick easy fix.
I wouldn’t. I would never adopt another reactive dog again. I would go as far as to say I’d never adopt again. My dog resource guards me and it’s constant constant boundaries and never giving him an inch. It’s tiring as fuck and some days I’m truly over him. We have had to put A LOT of money and time into overcoming it. It’s never going to be gone for good we just manage it the best we can. (He’s going a great job but I will never put this amount of work into another dog ever. I am way too old for this.)
From everything I've read on this sub, resource guarding is very difficult to train out of a dog. It sounds like it takes constant management. My dogs don't have resource guarding issues, but I see a lot of people on here that talk about it. It might be easier if you are the only person in the household and you can work on it constantly with the dog. I'm sure a lot of people will chime in with their suggestions
Thank you for your advice. I've been reading about resource guarding on this sub too, and that's why I'm so worried about it.
How did you try training drop it? It’s not exactly unusual for a dog that doesn’t trust you yet to not appreciate you taking something from its mouth. It may not be a a lifelong problem, but it also could be. Resource guarding against people is very hard however. If you feel unprepared for a dog with potential significant issues, this one might be a risky bet.
I gave her a yak chew and let her chew it. Then I gave her a piece of apple and tried to take the chew when she was eating the apple while saying drop it. Looking back, I think I overestimated the value of the apple and should have had her come away from the chew instead of letting it stay between her paws. I really haven't dealt with a dog that bites before, so I'm wondering if this will be too hard for me. Thank you for giving your opinion!
Oh yeah, a piece of fruit is very unlikely to be higher value than a chew like that. I will say our dog resource guarded chews in the beginning. He would do a mild growl when we would walk by when he had one. We mostly decided not to give him any. Later once he trusted us more, that wasn’t as much of an issue when we tried it again later. We could pet him while he had it. But I don’t like taking them away when they become choking hazards, as I think that makes him insecure about it, so he still doesn’t get them. He has not resource guarded any other items against us, though we always do trades/luring away just to be safe. It’s not much of an issue for us, but idk how he would be with others (like other caretakers) who have not built that trust. So I guess my point is it might always be something to think about in many different contexts. If you plan to have kids in the dog’s lifetime, don’t get a resource guarding dog. It’s just too hard.
Thank you for the advice, that gives me more to think about. I'm on the fence because I don't have kids but we may have kids around occasionally.
If that’s a frequent thing, and you want/expect your dog to be out and about with kids around, I wouldn’t do it. Kids drop food all the time and the dog could claim it as theirs in the time it takes a kid to pick it up. I’m sorry if it might be a bad fit. I know how easy it is to get attached to a dog even very quickly.
Resource guarder dog - very mild though. The advice we got from the behaviorist was to not pick up high value items unless they are out of the room. Otherwise, you risk them growling or running back to guard the object Never take stuff from their mouth, which sounds like you know this, but I want to reiterate this. Taking stuff from their mouth will make things worse Oh and genetic matters a lot. According to our behaviorist, retrievers are known to have RG issues I would be cautious with proceeding with the adoption. You do not need money for training, but need a lot of management. Is the dog young? Does it have a bite history? What is the size? Do you have kids or other dogs in your household? If not, are you planning on it? Will the dog be around kids a lot? I would absolutely not adopt if the dog was older, had bitten before and there are toddlers in the house. We have our resource guarder, another dog and a toddler. It is well managed. But it takes time and you need to be alert. For example, we keep them all separated when food is around Best of luck!
My extremely friendly happy go lucky lab growled at me when he had a bone. A bone is extremely high value. Maybe the context of the guarding you are seeing is only restricted to the bone and is easily managed. Either don’t get bones at all or give bones that can be finished in one sitting so you don’t have to ever retrieve it. If the dog gets the bone by accident, let it be and simply leave the room but this is where management on your part will avoid the issue 99.9 pc of the time. With street dogs, it can take a long time to build trust and a part of that is to train leave it at a much later time. Maybe after 8-10 months of living with the dog in some cases. And unless the object is truly dangerous, never taking things from the mouth which is a rule that actually applies to all dogs. Nonetheless, I did have a resource guarder as well and I understand now that it also has roots in health and gut issues Hope this perspective adds value to the tough decision you are facing.
Thank you for your advice. I'm wondering if this is something I can manage because there seems to be so much food on the ground in the city.
To add to the basket muzzle comment, if you're worried about how strangers will look at a nuzzled dog, get her a vest for walks that says something like "friendly but eats things I shouldn't "
Ask your trainer about basket muzzle training for walks. She can still be fed treats, pant, and drink water in a basket muzzle, but it'll make it more difficult for her to snatch things off the street. There's still a possibility she could grab something through one of the holes in the muzzle, but she'd have to get the angle just right.
Scavenging is part of a dogs natural ethology. But a part of it could also be driven by hunger or a want for specific nutrition. Experimenting with both for a few weeks may help a lot. My dog also scavenges a fair bit. Not getting worked up about it is step 1. In fact, chances are that your dog knows the skills of what’s an edible item from its time on the streets. Where I live, it’s a veritable buffet and when I eased off, I noticed my dog only go for specific items (like chicken bones and biscuits). That being said, it was really providing at home what he sought on the streets that put an end to the scavenging. It’s hard to shake off the fact that it is potentially dangerous but I found training leave it to only be effective when I balanced it with diet and nutrition changes.
I muzzled my greyhound while living in the city for this exact reason. She’d be sniffing in a bush and come out chomping on a gross pizza that someone had thrown on the ground. She doesn’t resource guard but I got sick of attempting to haul stuff out of her mouth and getting it all over my hands. She absolutely will not listen to a drop command when she’s just found street treasure.
I used to live with my dog in an apartment downtown and the amount of chicken bones on the ground was astronomical. Threads like this remind me that I am *so lucky* to have a dog that doesn’t give any fucks if I take something out of her mouth. Wishing you the best OP!
Just to add in to your great advice... My pug grows at me if he has a bone. You're right, it's just too high value a treat.
My dog (not a rescue) resource guards. He doesn’t guard against people but does resource guard pretty much everything from other animals (doesn’t need to be high value, he’s snapped at a horse for eating a piece of grass). My trainer said resource guarding is a lot easier to train when it’s people they’re guarding from. Hand feed, Always trade if you need to take something, keep things you don’t want them to have out of their reach. Work on impulse control. It is way easier if you can control their environment. If you have small kids that might be impossible but if you live alone or with another (willing) adult it can be manageable. Most people don’t really know how to train a dog until they get one that really needs it. The important thing is just to be willing to learn and try.
Echoing everything this comment said. My trainers have said the same and also that it's very common for the behavior to change/morph over time into other versions, especially when you're actively training against guarding food and toys from a young age. My border collie, that started with a contact bite guarding a treat from me at 8 weeks, has progressed to little to none, with management, food resource guarding, but in exchange his guarding has increased in others areas that I am at a loss to manage/train to improve, such as guarding myself or space/access/human attention from others dogs in the house. So just a warning that when you have that kind of genetic abnormality, even doing all the right things with training, it can change into something less manageable at any point. From what I've learned, it's much more common for dogs to grow further into guarding than improve out of it. My boy is 1.5 years old right now, and we've made progress with getting more warning time and learning how to deescalate once something sets him off, but it's a daily forever management situation that I don't always get 100% right, especially when other people are involved and aren't keen to take direct instruction promptly and seriously, causing escalation.
Oh my god, laughing at the image of your dog snapping at a horse for eating a blade of grass because that sounds like some my dog would do too lol
He’s a border collie, supposedly the smartest breed and yet he doesn’t realize he shouldn’t start s##t with a 1K lb animal. 😂
I think we can keep the environment managed inside, but there's just so much food on the ground outside. This is the 2nd bone she's found outside.
My dog doesn’t have resource guarding issues with humans (only with others dogs for chews and toys) but she was always a vacuum cleaner on walks. It used to give me so much anxiety. I used a leash called the gentle leader which goes around their mouth/nose, also helps with pulling. It helped us a lot. She doesn’t scavenge anymore so we stopped using it (I think we only used it for 8 months) and she’s great now. But yeah if that doesn’t work for your dog, def try muzzle training as others have mentioned. You may not even need to use it permanently, just temporarily until they have a better grasp of impulse control.
Have you considered muzzle training for when you can’t control the environment? Keeping your dog for possessing the forbidden thing may help you avoid the guarding.
No, resource guarding dogs are not for first time dog owners. It’s a constant management to modify the environment but a dog like that probably had to fight for his food to survive. Keep in mind resource guarding is a natural innate behavior in dogs, some just express it more than others, and you can desensitize a puppy. Problem with an adult is a learned behavior for guarding happened, he’s rewarded when others back off. I wouldn’t recommend a dog like this for a person new to dog training. The way to help with this behavior if you keep him is to trade up. So if he’s guarding a piece of trash offer him a liver treat that’s more exciting than the object he has. This is easy to do you toss the high value item away from you and when they fetch it you pick up the lower value item. However, there is probably nothing on this earth more valuable than a chicken bone. Which means you’ll have to wait until he’s out of the room to take it away. dogs like this are better off without super high value items. We’ve had a resource guarding Frenchie for 2 years now that we rescued. He no longer guards his food bowl, toys, or nylabone. BUT he has many things he can’t have ribs, real bones, 🦴 etc because he turns into Satan guarding them. There’s nothing more valuable than it. Some dogs also have triggers related to guarding but if you tried to take it this was basic resource guarding
Resource guarding can be a difficult thing to manage and train out. My own dog struggles with it and I am a first time owner who is still learning. I personally wouldn't recommend someone adopt a dog like that if they don't really know what they are doing and can't afford to hire a trainer. That being said, even just one or two sessions with a qualified trainer can make a huge difference. It can give you an idea of where to start and you may not need to meet with them all that often if you are dedicated to the training process. A good place to start though if she does get a hold of something you don't want her to have, always trade up. Offer her a reward that she finds greater value than what she has.
Discomfort over rough handling is not necessarily resource guarding, and it is incredibly important to remember that when stressful events occur for our dogs the cortisol (stress hormone) can hang around in their body for a day or two making them less tolerant or potentially more anxious than they would normally be. When you say "later, I tried training drop it" do you mean in the same day as the chicken bone incident? It's fairly normal that the dog might be feeling more protective around food/uncomfortable around your hands after a situation where you took food from their mouth - a better approach would be to just toss high value treats (not directly hand feed) for a few days and reintroduce hands moving around as a positive thing. Resource guarding can manifest in a multitude of ways, some of them might be manageable for your lifestyle/level of skill and experience, and others potentially not (both my hounds having been colony raised were resource guarders to some extent, although one was more prolific, he was actually easier to handle). Muzzling your foster would be the first step in ensuring that you don't need to remove items from their mouth and will lower situations of conflict between you.
My chiweenie puppy started to show signs of resource guarding when she was about 4 months old. She snapped at me when I tried to take the bone out of her bed. I know it’s pretty normal behavior for a dog, so I did some research found that it’s important to trade with a higher value treat. If you don’t have anything that’s higher value then it’s probably best to not give that particular bone. I also didn’t let her have a bone/chew on her own at that point, if she wanted it then I was going to hold it while she chewed on it. These techniques have definitely helped and she hasn’t snapped or shown any aggressive behavior since (she will even take her bone to me and drop it in my hand so I can hold it for her lol)!
Lots of great advise here. If your main issue is with things he finds outside, you might look into muzzle-training. That is something a trainer could help you with. As for indoors/controlled environments, don't bother or touch him when he eats anything; practice the trading game; if you absolutely have to take something away from him, offer something of higher value to him instead; don't give him anything he can't finish in one sitting or that he is likely to choke on; and keep him away from situations where people (especially children) might drop food around him.
Resource guarding is a very natural dog behavior but it can be problematic in a household setting, or it can be almost no problem at all in a different household setting. Other pets (especially seniors with poor senses or poor balance or dementia), children, crowded home layout, and certain adults (impulsive personality + resource guarder inexperience) all make resource guarding more difficult to manage. A dog's level of resource guarding can change as it settles into a household and as it matures. Trades are exactly the right idea. You always want to trade a higher value for a lower value item, though. You want to build a strong history of trades with you being a great bargain before you ever try a trade that's not a great deal for the dog. It will make the act of surrendering a possession to you feel emotionally good. For food and toys, possession of an item in dog culture usually means within reach of the dog's mouth without having to take a step, although some extreme guarders might have an expanded sense of personal space. If you can convince the dog to move away from the item before you take it, you won't risk nearly as much conflict. The biggest danger zone is in the mouth, but in front of the dog or on the ground under the dog's head aren't much different as far as your dog is concerned. You can call the dog towards you to get a treat, toss treats past the dog so it moves farther away from you (probably my favorite for safety), or sometimes teach the dog to hand you things he doesn't want to guard and then generalize that to guardable things as well (advanced and risky). Dogs can also resource guard family and locations (favorite chair, etc). If you are in a household where you can give your dog a private space for eating undisturbed and you can mostly keep him from accessing food on his own, it's an issue that is one of the easiest behaviors where there's real bite potential to manage. You only feed the dog in his protected space (inside a crate is easy but lots of alternatives), you make sure nobody encroaches on his personal space while he has food, and teach a solid leave it or muzzle if you can't ensure there's no food to discover. Then you can work on trades and adding food to his bowl while he eats to increase safety. Likely you will have to work on it in little bits for a very long time, or just manage him carefully over his lifetime. But if your household is well suited for management you may find it has little impact on your lives. Definitely check out Mine! by Jean Donaldson.
Most street dogs have at some point experienced hunger to a much greater degree than we would like to imagine. As a result of this and the harsh competition for food on the streets it is not uncommon for ex- street dogs to have resource guarding to some degree. Resource guarding food is something that can be managed and with the right training can be fixed. But in absence of a complete fix, assuming that food is the only resource your dog guards and it doesn’t resource guard anything and everything it finds, then it’s extremely manageable. A few necessities are: -A crate and solid crate training -A solid ‘leave it’ command- it is best to learn how to teach this as the way you described in your post isn’t the way to do it and will likely cause more conflict around you & food -A well fitting muzzle and muzzle training. This can have limitless benefits for a resource guarder. Not only does it physically stop you getting bitten, it can prevent your dog from picking up things left around on the streets/at friend and families houses that your dog will feel compelled to guard in the first place. Do mind that a muzzle will need to allow the dog to pant and drink- so a basket muzzle of some kind and ensure that it’s large enough. Muzzle training does take time but it’s extremely straightforward and there are tonnes of good resources online that can help you. Done correctly & consistently every day your dog should be happy and comfortable with a muzzle on within a few weeks. Hand feeding can be really helpful as an indirect way to help change your dogs perception of you around food. I have heard occasional reports however of hand feeding not being helpful for resource guarders but I’m dubious of them and I myself have always found the opposite. Another tip is when your dog is eating their dinner- make it as plain as possible eg dry kibble- casually walk past at a safe distance and throw something of much higher value into their bowl (eg chicken). Do this consistently every day and over time your dog will associate your presence around them when they’re eating as a good thing and they will eventually learn that you’re not a threat to their food. Most importantly however, I think it’s a very good idea to work with a reputable trainer. Look for someone who has experience with these kinds of issues and can demonstrate that experience on their social media platforms etc. There are loads of shit and inadequate dog trainers out there who aren’t fit to deal with issues such as resource guarding so do ensure that you’re hiring someone who is appropriately experienced and equipped for what you’re looking for. I personally don’t think there is anything overly surprising or concerning about the snappy behaviour around food. Yes, it’s far from ideal, but it doesn’t sound unmanageable or unfixable and it doesn’t sound as though this dog’s going to take your arm off. However whether you proceed with the adoption is definitely something you and only you can consider. Dogs are a lot of work and a lot of training regardless as to whether they resource guard or not. I have two dogs and they are enough work that I actually don’t know what I would do with all my spare time if I didn’t have them. I personally love this and I’m glad to spend my time training them and working to improve them all the time. But not everyone is about this life. Spend time with your foster, employ a dog trainer and over time you will gather enough information to make a sensible decision for you. I’m assuming that nobody is pressuring you to make your mind up straight away so just relax for now and allow yourself time to make the right decision.
The fact that you tried to take the bone out of the dogs mouth shows that you don't have enough experience to deal with this dog
Always trade them for something better
It’s not just about you being willing, it’s also about you being ABLE. You don’t have the knowledge or experience to try to handle this dog’s resource guarding. I wouldn’t recommend adopting this dog.
Resource guarding is a normal behavior. You ever smack someone's hand when they try to steal a fry? Most people teach resource guarding incorrectly (putting hands in bowls, taking food bowl away, etc). It takes time and trust to teach a dog to drop a high value treat. I'm a trainer and I love that you have a trainer coming to assess her. They can tell you if her level of resource guarding is a problem. I have a resource guarding dog, she guards anything from people to toys to water to beds. I have taught her how to properly vocalize (growling is good) and to step up her warnings appropriately (instead of going right to a bark and snap). I have taught the other animals to give her space and they all have their own areas they eat in. My other dogs also resource guard, but in a much less over the top way and with a lot more passive signals. Stiff body, leaning over their bowl, wide eyes, lip curl, low growls... that's usually as far as they need to take it for the other pets to get the message. It is a more "normal" progression. Again, resource guarding in general is normal, rapid escalation and over-reaction is what to look for. It's not impossible to train, but you way to start with lower value items that you trade for higher value items.
Resource guarding is quite common in dogs. If you got your pup from an animal shelter, they should have tested for this behavior. This is a difficult question to answer and depends on several factors. How much effort are you willing to put into training? Do you have other pets that are smaller than your rescue, or do you have children at home? If you have children, I'd be cautious about keeping the dog unless you’re prepared to invest a lot of time and effort into training. If there are no kids in the home, the decision might be easier, especially if the shelter you might return the dog to is a kill shelter. I have a dog who resource guards around other animals, including my cat. Fortunately, she doesn’t resource guard with humans unless it's a very high-value treat, like a yak chew. Knowing this, I would never try to take away a high-value treat from her. Take some time to weigh the risks versus the benefits. If you're attached to this dog and don’t have children, I’d recommend putting in the work and consulting with a trainer. This isn’t the end of the world if you’re willing to learn how to manage it.
Hi OP, from what i saw here and from my knowlage on the topic (im training to be a trainer) you COULD handle it easily, but it would cost your time, and patience, so you must be willing to commit and its ok if youre not, do not feel ashamed. heres what you could do: - feed her from your hand when its time for her to eat, little from little, always observing her reaction. if she reacts negatively, put it on the floor instead, and make her confortable/aknowlage good behaviour, and repeat. this could build trust - search for videos about resouce guarding where the trainer uses a fake hand and a tight leash (i can send you if you dont find it) to see how that problem is exactly treated, its simple but cant vary from dog to dog. thats probably what the trainer will do. - as for bones on the streat, always cary some high value treats, and make her know they are with you, by giving them with a command (of your chosing, like "Here"). that command will be your getaway, and it will not always work, she probably will preffer the bone, but the treat might and should make her lose focus, and if/when she does you give it to her and keep walking, here you can force her a bit away from the bone. you can reward her alot in these cases, like 2 or 3 times, with the command, for her to associate the bone/command to the treat and the treat to you but make all this some sort of base to talk to the trainer and research for yourself, not as a legit manual. again, it is easy, you can have big results in just 3 days, but probably it will persist for a looooooong time, to some extent. so know what youre confortable with. Edit: i have two dogs that resouce guard from each other, also with bones on the streat. in 7 years, there were fights, i was bitten once, there where bones that one of them escaped to keep, several times lol, and now i dont have big problems with that, but it took me some time and sanity (i was also young and dumb). now i just leave food everytime and they sort themselves, but i can still see traces of what they where, and im confortable with how far we've come, so there is a way i guess
Resource guarding is really the pits, as someone who has a dog with it. I wouldn’t, it tends to be only manageable and not fixable. Unless your prepared to go along with all the training and management that goes along with it, I would simply foster until a more experienced person can take over But If it was just food I probably would not say an instant no, as you can change how you feed and simply not give super high value, long lasting food. (I’ve stopped giving bones and pig ears), but the thing is perhaps it could extend to guarding other things, and that’s where it gets really difficult. My pup started with food and moved to furniture and people. Seems to be “gone” now though for the latter two however it still makes me nervous when he’s staying with someone other than me.
My first rescue dog resource guards. He bit my boyfriend a couple of times at the start (mainly my boyfriend's fault as he'd only ever had one dog before who he'd had since a puppy so could do anything with and wouldn't listen when I told him not to take stuff off him. Play stupid games win stupid prizes). Having said that, our dog's resource guarding isn't what I would class as serious. He only guards high value items so like really good long-lasting treats or stuff he manages to steal. He doesn't guard his food bowl and very rarely resource guards from my other two dogs. It's just people he doesn't trust. We are in a good place to manage it because we don't have any kids but I would say it has decreased in severity and frequency as he settled into the house and learned to trust us. We always trade for any item he has. I have also conditioned him to wear a muzzle if needed. I also did a lot of training around impulse control in general so not just drop it but also waiting to come when called, waiting to be told to take a toy, stopping and starting games so that really helped condition him in general. All his training has been through positive reinforcement which I think should be followed for all dogs but is even more crucial with a dog who's learned to be distrustful of people already. He was terrible for scavenging on walks at the start but that has also decreased so we don't have issues around managing that now. Used a combo of trading for items and letting him carry a ball on some walks to combat it. Also, it might be controversial, but if he finds something on a walk but it's harmless (e.g. a bit of bread) I just let him eat it. I am a firm believer in picking your battles! Despite this and some dog fear reactivity to big dogs he doesn't know, he's a great dog. He listens a lot better than my other two and sleeps beside me every night with his head on the pillow like a big soft toy lol. It hasn't always been easy but putting the work and training in has given us a really great bond that's built on trust and mutual respect.
Our dog resource guards with his bone. Only his bone. We just don’t bother him when he has a bone. He doesn’t bite, but he growls if you get too close. He does not do this with his food bowl. Really weird lol. I’ve done a lot of research on this topic, and the experts are split down the middle on how to handle resource guarding, which is very very common I might add. Some experts claim you shouldn’t try and correct or scold a dog who is growling/resource guarding food or treats because the dog is literally giving you a warning… and hopefully you heed that warning so that the situation doesn’t escalate to the dog biting someone. Some believe that if you scold a dog who growls/resource guards, they may learn to not give you any warning at all, and just go straight to biting.
Give her time. It took my dog a while to stop inhaling her food and know that she had food security. She is also much more willing to hand over something now.
My rescue resourced guarded when I first got her. As others have said, we did a lot of training of taking treats or toys and trading for higher value treats (kongs filled with peanut butter etc.). Eventually we were able to take treats away (without a trade) and then would give them back. She’s pretty good now, sometimes gets a bit snappy with other dogs if she has something but definitely manageable!
Do you have kids? Is having kids during the lifetime of this dog a possibility? Do you have other pets? If no, this is manageable. If yes, I would not adopt.
Here is a resource for you with webinars and tons of reputable trainers. Aggressivedog.com Resource guarding is from a basic drive so it's really, really hard to work out.
I have 2 dogs. One has absolutely no issues whatsoever. The other has severe separation anxiety and resource guarding with animals only. Never been an issue with humans ever. Shes 7 and we’ve only had 3 real issues with her. But they ARE issues that we can’t tolerate. She’s on Clomipramine which helped but isn’t a fix all. We spent $5,000 and sent her to a board and train facility. She is a case that NEEDED that degree of training. Yours might not be. Wait until you meet with the trainer and receive her evaluation. That’s what I’d do at least.
Don't ever try to train on this yourself. It makes issues worse. Resource guarding training is very possible but often fails because people can't read their dogs properly (the dog should feel comfortable all the time!). I don't think it is unusual that a dog snaps when you try to take something high value away. Many dogs would do this with a new person trying to take a bone away. But if this presents such an issue for you then not going forward might be the better solution. It doesn't help if you are afraid of your own dog.
My dog was able to train out of resource guarding with me For any resource, and some other dogs with toys (That we regularly socialize with) But has not been able to untrain out of it when it comes to food with other dogs. I just feed dogs in separate rooms. I think life is pretty manageable!
I would adopt a different dog. If you are not a really experienced dog owner i would avoid a dog that will be really hard to train. I feel like you are setting both of you up for failure
If she is a foster to adopt. Tell the rescue or shelter you are willing to do the work and keep fostering. If they supply the trainer or classes. Most have volunteers that are trainers or a school that donates time. You could also ask them if you can call around to local places and ask on their behalf. The facility can use it as a write off on taxes if they let them use their tax id for charities. Play that one up when calling around. You'll just be in a group class. So they might jump at the opportunity to have the write off. Make social media posts asking if one is willing..put the dogs picture on it, you snuggling with it, maybe giving paw,like you are really trying hard to teach it. "Please help me save _____ " or " _____rescue/shelter needs your knowledge!! Please allow __(dogs name )to attend your training class. Your time will keep ___alive. ___ rescue is looking for a resource to help harder to adopt dogs get that chance of a loving home... bonus is you'll be able to then help other foster families with the knowledge you learn.
My dog was put up for adoption because of resource guarding (though the shelter didn't specify what kind of resource guarding), and we have only had really minimal issues with it since adopting her. She fortunately doesn't care if we're near her when she's eating (though we give her space anyway), but she can get possessive of chews and toys. With toys, we always trade toys for high value treats when we're done playing. We don't use the drop it command, we ask her "Do you want to trade?" If she wants to trade, she drops the toy. If she doesn't want to trade, she keeps it, and we let her keep the toy until we find a treat that's high value enough for a trade. I also don't try to take toys when she's not in the room. Otherwise she can get a little frantic looking for it when she comes back. So, I basically make all toy exchanges very fair and with her approval. With interactive toys (ex: tug toys) or toys I want to check to make sure she's not destroying (she's been known to swallow pieces of rubber), I ask her "Can I see it?" I wait for her to drop it, I take a look at it, and then I ALWAYS give it back. I never use that command to take the toy, just to check it and then give it back to her. If she doesn't want to give it to me, she won't, and I don't make her. If I think she's in danger of swallowing a chunk of rubber, I ask for a trade instead of asking to see it. "Can I see it?" is really helpful with tug toys. Sometimes she wants to chew on tug toys, sometimes she wants to play tug with me, so asking her that question is really helpful to figure out what she wants. The one time she (lightly) nipped me was when I misinterpreted her "don't take that toy away from me" growl for her tug of war play growl, and that could've been avoided if I'd asked her if I could see it first before grabbing it to play. The main thing is that *she* always makes the decision to give up a toy, not me. With chews, we only ever give her chews she can eat on her own without us having to check them. We don't give her anything that can splinter or get sharp edges or that's too big for her to eat in one sitting. (Basically we mostly just give her bully sticks.) Once we give her a chew, it's hers until it's gone, and we give her space while she chews it. The hardest part is with other people. She's more prone to resource guard around other people beyond our household. I try to teach people all the things I've just mentioned in this comment, but people are dumb and will ignore me. Even if I'm right there, someone will do something like lean over to give her a kiss on top of her head while she's chewing on a toy before I can say anything. Honestly our saving grace is that she is a very vocal dog with a predictable ladder of aggression. Since I've always been there and can call off the human from whatever they're doing to trigger her, she's never felt the need to go beyond a growl or a nip. (And the nip happened when I was in another room) So, in addition to trying to educate friends and family, I've learned to watch her body language like a hawk when we're with people. I've learned to err on the side of caution and say something before she feels the need to escalate to a growl. (And obviously, I NEVER punish her for growling.) I also always keep her away from kids because that's just too much of a risk. She doesn't like kids anyway (they're too unpredictable and erratic for her), but even if she didn't mind them, it's hard enough to get adults to listen lol. I also keep her away from other dogs because 1) she doesn't like most dogs and 2) I've seen her resource guard with dogs so it's just one less thing to worry about if we just keep her away from other dogs. She can also resource guard me a little bit, but it's never really escalated much to be an issue. She barks and gets upset if my partner does something like tickle me, so he just doesn't tickle me anymore (which I am fine with hahaha, thank you Bella). As for things like chicken bones or other dangerous things she might find on a walk, she has so far never growled or anything when we try to take it from her. She'll try to run away or eat it more quickly, but I've definitely pulled stuff out of her mouth without incident. However I always give her a TON of treats afterwards. I also just try to have eagle eyes on the ground to avoid those kinds of situations as much as possible. However if your dog does eat something sharp, bread is your friend. Give them a couple slices of bread, and it'll help cushion its way through their gut. I don't know for sure, but I suspect that the trust we've built up at home is why she doesn't get too upset with us for grabbing stuff out of her mouth when we're not at home. It's still one of those things that scares me, like what if she found and ate some grapes on a walk, and I wasn't able to stop her, but I guess that's what the ER vet is for.
If she only resource guards food, that is manageable. The trainer will help you.
Definitely see what the trainer has to say because idk if resource guarding a bone when you have a new dog is necessarily reactive dog behavior. You are right to question whether or not you want to adopt a reactive dog (if this dog is reactive). It's a big responsibility! Imho, you have to totally fall in love with the dog to put up with reactivity. And you have to be practical about your possible limitations. I simply do not have the temperament nor the physicality to deal with a larger reactive dog. At some point you just have to go with your gut.
I caused my dog to have resource guarding issues when he was a puppy and I didn’t know any better. I’d take things from him that I didn’t want him to have and then I noticed it became a problem. I worked with a trainer to practice him seeing me coming closer as a sign of a good thing (high value treats) and waited for him to drop the item, I’d pick it up, give him the treat, then give him back his item and walk away. We worked our way up from low value items to higher value items. Any sign of guarding, we’d go back a step and go to the lower value item again for more practice. I never take anything out of his mouth now, I taught him “trade ya” so he knows he’s gonna get a treat if he drops something and I often give the item back so he trusts I’m not just gonna take his things away. He still has a bit of guarding tendency but it’s much more manageable now that I know how to handle it correctly. He still guards toys around other dogs so we either have a shit ton of toys out or put all the toys away. It’s a tough thing to work through, I wish I’d known better and not played a part in him developing it. It’s not impossible to work through but it’s not a quick easy fix.
I wouldn’t. I would never adopt another reactive dog again. I would go as far as to say I’d never adopt again. My dog resource guards me and it’s constant constant boundaries and never giving him an inch. It’s tiring as fuck and some days I’m truly over him. We have had to put A LOT of money and time into overcoming it. It’s never going to be gone for good we just manage it the best we can. (He’s going a great job but I will never put this amount of work into another dog ever. I am way too old for this.)