Protecting what’s important to you – I think we can all relate to that. Whether it’s family, a treasured keepsake, or even something as simple as your favorite snack.
This is precisely what resource guarding is in dogs. They are trying to protect that which is close to them, but sometimes they can take things a little too far.
Resource guarding, also known as “possessive aggression”, occurs when your dog shows excessively protective behaviors, such as snarling, biting, baring teeth or growling, towards a resource. A resource can be anything the dog deems as being of high value.
This behavior can range in intensity from a low growl to a loud powerful growl or possibly even biting.
Resource guarding served an important function in the evolution of canines and their success: dogs are opportunistic feeders, meaning they will eat as much as they can whenever they get a chance (because these chances could be few and far between). So they had to guard what was theirs or risk starving.
While this is an evolutionary trait, it doesn’t mean we can’t train our dogs to reduce and control this behavior. We aren’t out in the wilds anymore!
Before getting into the training, it’s important to understand that resource guarding is a natural behavior in dogs and is very normal.
Most dogs will show this behavior to a degree, but of course every dog is different.
Just like you would protect something that is important and valuable to you, so will your dog to items they find essential in their lives. It’s only when this resource guarding starts to get out of control that we need to take action.
What Does Resource Guarding Look Like?
Resource guarding doesn’t always involve obvious signs like barking, lunging or biting, in the earlier stages there are often other, more subtle clues that a dog is guarding something.
These include behaviors like:
- Freezing in place
- Baring teeth or showing gums
- Moving to another location with an item
- “Blocking” the item with their body
- Ears laid flat against the head
Oftentimes we don’t notice these signs, but a certified dog trainer or behaviorist can recognize these signs in the body language of dogs before the possessive aggression becomes more obvious.
This behavior can become very annoying when you are trying to walk your dog around the neighborhood and they keep going crazy when other people come around, or if your dog turns into a barking demon when a guest comes into your home.
Why Dogs Resource Guard Humans
Oftentimes resource guarding refers to a favorite toy or bed, but sometimes it can even refer to a human! Humans are certainly something a dog finds very valuable, they put food in their bowls, take them out for walks, give them love and affection and a place to live.
If your dog feels like someone or something is threatening their human, they can get very aggressive, even when it seems like to us the behavior is totally unwarranted.
I would argue that resource guarding people is actually one of the most common forms of possessive aggression, even though many people don’t realize it. This is because the guarding is misinterpreted as protection.
Additionally, many times people don’t realize their dogs are resource guarding, or the extent of their aggressiveness, until another dog or person enters the home and things go crazy.
I’ve noticed that cocker spaniels do a lot of resource guarding, and of course they are notorious for their temperamental nature. Really though, it’s not just one breed of dog, most breeds display this behavior to an extent.
From some of the research that has been done, it seems like resource guarding has a genetic component, but how much is inherited and how much is due to environment and experience is hard to tell.
Regardless, the behavior is here and we need to learn to deal with it.
Signs You Need To Take Action
So how do you know if your dog is showing possessive aggression towards you or just being a little protective?
The answer is probably subjective – it’s going to be when you decide the behavior is too much. If you start to notice this behavior and it’s becoming more obvious, it’s often best to nip it in the bud.
It’s very unlikely the resource guarding will resolve on its own, and more times than not the behavior will escalate over time if it’s not addressed.
Remember what was stated earlier: possessive aggression is normal in dogs and happens to varying degrees in most dogs.
But if you notice the behavior becoming a bit too common or intense, it is wise to start training your pup and reducing or eliminating the behavior as soon as possible.
How To Stop This Behavior
The first thing you need to address before getting into specific types of training is good general canine training. You need to have this foundation first and your dog needs to be used to listening to you and taking instructions.
If you are looking for a good start, we suggest Brain Training for Dogs, an online course where mentally enriching “brain games” are used to help stimulate your dog’s intelligence and help to curb bad behavior. Plus, they are fun for both you and your dog!
The common response to resource guarding is one that also happens to be completely wrong: using punishment and negative feedback tactics is not the proper response and can lead to more of this behavior!
What You Can Do
Many times, it has a lot to do with the actions the person is taking who is being guarded that are causing your dog to react the way they are. Yes, I know, I’m sorry, it always feels like the issue comes back to you! But don’t fret, we can make some changes and get things working right in the household!
A general method is that you need to use more of a pay to play logic in life. You should try and make your pet “pay” for the resources and the things he or she finds valuable. For example, instead of letting your pet instantly snuggle with you on the couch, make them first jump on the couch and then invite them to cuddle with you.
The end result is that you want to become the gatekeeper for your dog. You will be the one that decides what actions are OK for your dog to do and which ones are restricted.
This will take some time and can be a bit tough for you and your dog, but the end result will be worth it.
In addition, here are some more targeted training exercises you should try to reduce possessive aggression and restore the pecking order in your household.
Method One: Treat Association
For this method, you will need another person who can help you with training, as well as another dog who can assist. This dog should be a relaxed, even keeled dog who doesn’t mind if they are barked at or lunged at.
If you do not have another person who can help, you can also use something like a Treat and Train to assist.
First, have the owner (the person who is being resource guarded) sit about 5 to 10 feet away from the dog who is receiving training. Now, have the helper dog approach the owner, the resource, and then immediately begin giving the dog who is being trained high value treats.
These high value treats should be something your dog really loves, like bits of cheese, meat, peanut butter, etc.
Then have the helper dog retreat, and as they begin to move away stop feeding the working dog treats. This will work to build a positive association between someone approaching their owner and receiving a tasty treat!
Now continue this process until the dog sees the helper dog approach and immediately looks to the trainer for treats. This will show that your dog is starting to build the positive association in their mind when another dog or person approaches their owner.
Method Two
If you’re dog barks when they perceive a threat coming near, such as when you’re on a walk and someone is walking towards you (or anything is approaching they consider a threat) it can sometimes be a good idea to try some abandonment training. Of course, we will only be using a very small amount of this type of training, but if used carefully it can be very helpful.
You will need another person to help with this type of training as well, preferably someone trusted or a professional dog trainer. Have this person holding your dog on a long leash while you are on a walk. You should then also be holding them on a short leash as well and begin walking normally.
As soon as your dog begins to react to a threat, immediately drop the shorter leash and walk in the opposite direction as your dog. If your dog calms quickly, you can rejoin your dog and pick up your leash as you continue the walk.
Don’t stay mad at your dog! As soon as they have changed to better behavior make sure to love them and give them praise.
When trying to curb possessive aggression in your dogs, it’s important to take on a one piece at a time mindset. Don’t rush through the process and know that it may take multiple training sessions before you can satisfactorily reduce or remove the behavior. The end result will be worth it!
Work With a Certified Trainer
It can be hard to properly diagnose and provide training methods to each individual case of resource guarding, as the environment plays a huge part in what is going on. If you are still having trouble after trying our tips above, it might be time to call in a professional. They will be able to see exactly what is going on in the home and how to properly treat it.
A good place to start is to look for an APDT certified trainer near you and set up appointments with them. This direction can be expensive as some trainers can run you hundreds of dollars an hour, but sometimes you need the personal touch.
If you are unable to find one to your satisfaction we also recommend a few online dog training programs, including Doggy Dan whose program has a whole section on resource guarding.
In Conclusion
Thank you for reading our guide to identifying and stopping resource guarding of humans in your pet.
We hope it has been useful, and if you have more questions please leave a comment below.
