On Guard

Dogs protect resources that they believe
are scarce and valuable, like a lap.

Our culture puts a high value on owning things and 9/10s of our laws relate to possession.  So, is it any wonder that our canine friends share our point of view?

Dogs will protect their “valuables” by growling, freezing (standing very still close to the object), covering (placing a chin or paw over something), or by positioning themselves between the object and potential usurpers.  Dogs will also collect, hide, or even swallow important objects to prevent others from getting them and to avoid conflict.  Because the preventative actions can happen quickly, we might miss that the dog is guarding.

In dog training vocabulary, protecting a possession is called “resource guarding.”  Dogs can protect their resources from other dogs/animals, people, or both.  Most people are familiar with dogs guarding bones, but dogs can also guard areas, food, toys, found objects, and even people.  The extent to which a dog will protect a resource depends on the value the dog places on the resource.  Because the value of a resource might not make sense to people, unpredictable conflicts can arise.

People usually expect dogs to guard their food.  In multiple dog households, feeding dogs separately not only eliminates the need to guard food from other dogs, but also allows the dogs to eat at their own pace and allows owners to more closely monitor what each dog is eating as well as the amount.  On the other hand, because a management plan is in place “just in case,” many people might not know if their dogs are food guarders or not.  It is usually safest to assume that they are, and to practice non-resource guarding training.

Usually “resource guarding” results from a perceived shortage of the resource.  Therefore two ways to prevent resource guarding are to either create a perception of plenty or to eliminate the resource altogether.  Having more “valuables” than there are dogs (pig ears, chew toys, balls, etc.) can help prevent resource guarding mostly because there is no need to challenge the dog “in possession.”  I always recommend teaching swapping to dogs: asking the dog to give something up in exchange for something of equal or better value.  This often happens when puppies are teething.  People take away the tennis shoe and replace it with an appropriate chew toy for example, but swapping is also something that should be done with all new dogs, just be sure to start with something that’s extra low value, which might even be an empty bowl.  The idea being created is that the item in possession will lose value because something much better will take its place.  Dogs will even eagerly relinquish things if they’ve learned this is the case.

However, when the dog is guarding a person or location, it becomes more complicated to create value, especially when we want our dogs to see us as “the best thing ever.”  In such cases, the resource becomes a reward which can be removed for inappropriate behavior.  It’s best to remove the resource the moment low level guarding starts to take place (staring or freezing if someone/thing approaches).  For people, that means that the person leaves the room and the dog remains in the room. To “restore” the resource, the dog needs to show appropriate, non-guarding behavior.  It’s also possible to lower our “value” by refusing to interact w/ the dog and having another person bestow the desired attention.  The use of the resource can also be conditional:  the dog can receive attention only if the other dog is receiving attention as well.  Swapping can also be used if there is a reward that is comparable to the chosen person’s attention.  Dogs can be given the “alternate reward,” if they relinquish or share the person’s attention. 

Playing tug teaches dogs that sharing a resource can be fun.

It is important to know that dogs that resource guard will often return to that behavior if a new valuable resource appears or if they aren’t constantly being reinforced for relinquishing an item.  If there are multiple dogs, heavily rewarding a dog for not trying to take a resource from the other can also prevent conflict.  In some instances, letting the dog eat a rare resource, such as a piece of dead squirrel, is acceptable, so long as the dog isn’t using threatening behavior to keep you or others away.

It pays to be aware of resource guarding behavior to prevent accidental bites.  Any dog that seems to be “covering” or freezes when approached should be treated with caution and children should be taught to avoid a dog when it is in this state.  However, as our dogs learn that no resource is better than the one you can offer, resource guarding can be significantly diminished.