My dog growls at guests over chews. How to stop resource guarding?

Hi there! I would recommend getting a really special, tasty treat (something like chicken or roast beef, for example). Let him see that you have it, and toss it on the floor a little distance away from where he is. If the treat is exciting enough, he should leave the bully stick to go and eat the treat. Toss him a whole handful if needed to keep him busy while you pick up the bully stick. Alternatively, if you don't *need* him to come out of the conference room right now, just leave him alone until he's finished. Either way, this is probably something that you want to work on, so I would recommend getting in touch with a good reward-based trainer who can help you put together a plan to improve this behavior. Treatment for resource guarding is based on teaching the dog to associate good things with having you approach them, so they don't have any reason to guard their treats or food from you. You can search for a qualified trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org I also highly recommend reading the book "Mine!" by Jean Donaldson - it's a great resource for understanding and working with dogs who have resource guarding issues.

Hi there. Many dogs will freeze and growl, snarl, or snap if they have something valuable (like a bone or bully stick) and they're afraid you might take it away. This is actually quite a normal behavior for dogs, and is just their way of trying to protect their stuff :) To help Sam learn that you're not a threat, you can try walking by and casually tossing him a treat occasionally while he's chewing on his bone. This way, he learns that good things happen when you approach - so no need to growl! NEVER reprimand him for growling, and never try to forcibly take the bone away, as this will only teach him that he was right to be wary of you approaching and is likely to make the problem worse. If you want more detailed information about how to work on this problem, I highly recommend the book "Mine!" by Jean Donaldson.

Good for you for wanting to work on this behavior now, while Jax is young. Resource guarding is a common behavior in dogs. He acts this way because he's afraid you are going to take away his food or bone, and feels that he has to protect his stuff from you. Treatment for this problem is focused on changing the dog's emotional reaction to having you approach. Essentially, you want to teach him that great things happen when you come near - so there's no need to get upset and growl or snarl. You can start by standing at a distance and tossing treats to him while he's eating or chewing on a bone. From there, as long as he's comfortable, you can progress to walking by and dropping treats on the floor or into his bowl. Eventually, it's possible to work up to touching his bone or food bowl, praising and giving a handful of tasty treats, and walking away again. NEVER try to deal with this problem by punishing Jax or taking away his things, as this will only make him more tense and defensive around you in the future. If you have difficulty with this training plan or if you are not seeing improvement within a few weeks, I would recommend consulting with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can help you in person. I also highly recommend the book "Mine!" by Jean Donaldson - it's an excellent guide to dealing successfully with resource guarding in dogs. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here (www.dacvb.org) or a qualified trainer here (www.ccpdt.org)

Hi there. Resource guarding is a very common (and normal, to some extent!) behavior in dogs. Do not try to take high-value treats away from her while she is chewing them, as this will only teach her to be anxious and on guard whenever you approach. Instead, leave her alone to chew them in peace. You can also practice walking up to her while she is chewing on something, dropping a tasty treat like a piece of cheese or a hot dog slice, and walking away without bothering her. This way, she learns that having you approach her when she has a "treasure" is a good thing, and not a threat! If this behavior escalates over time instead of getting better, then I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can evaluate her in person and help you put together a training plan to address it. Play growling during tug of war is normal, and it not typically a cause for concern.

Hi there. I would recommend getting Jean Donaldson's book "Mine!" for a detailed guide to how to deal with resource guarding in dogs. Basically, you need to work with the dog to show him that you are not a threat, and that good things happen when you come near his food or toys. If you have any qualified trainers in your area that could work with you in person, this would also be highly recommended as it can be challenging to deal with these issues yourself if you don't have experience.

This is not unusual behavior as they are trying to work things out. I recommend to always supervise them together until you know there is not chance of a fight. Some dogs are more possessive of toys or food or their person and thats just how they are. Certainly not leaving toys down and only giving them toys when you are home to supervise will help. Do not allow them to steal each other's toys. Also, both dogs will likely think ALL the toys belong to themselves and not the other dog. If you cannot supervise then, you may separate them during chew times with their toys. Heavy daily exercise will help to get some of the energy out and this can help to decrease aggression. I also recommend to pick up some books about dog behavior so that you can recognize what the dogs are saying to each other. Lastly, there are several different training methods out there. You may opt to find a trainer who can come to your house and show you how to modify the dogs' behavior. Find a trainer who's style works with yours. This will take some time to condition the dogs and yourself. I hope this at least points you in the right direction. Please post again with any further questions.

It's good you are trying to get control of this issue while Bruno is still young. Food guarding or resource guarding can be a serious issue. 1st make sure no children or other pets are around as you try to control this. You can't leave the food or food bowl out for Bruno. This gives him something to guard. Only put it down at meal times and put it down while empty then walk away. Then come back and give him 1-3 pieces In the bowl. Continue to do this so he associates you approaching the food bowl as putting food in not taking it away. Here are some articles with good info. This is a serious behavior issue so if these exercises don't help please seek out a behaviorist who can help with Bruno. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1740 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1462&S=1&SourceID=47 http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/resource-guarding-treatment-and-prevention