Addressing Mild Resource Guarding

Determine how close you can get before your dog starts to guard.  Look for the following:

• Stiff Body Posture: The dog’s body becomes tense and rigid, signaling that they are on alert and ready to defend their possession.
• Staring or Fixated Gaze: The dog may stare directly at the person or animal approaching the item, maintaining intense eye contact as a warning.
• Growling or Snarling: Audible growling, often accompanied by bared teeth, serves as a clear sign that the dog is warning others to stay away.
• Raised Hackles (Piloerection): The fur along the dog’s back or neck may stand up, signaling that the dog feels threatened and is prepared to defend its resource.
• Lunging or Snapping: In more extreme cases, the dog may lunge toward or snap at the intruder to assert dominance over the resource.
• Mouth Clamping:  The dog may hold the object firmly in their mouth with a tight grip, especially when someone approaches it.
• Blocking or Covering the Item: The dog may position itself between the object and any potential threat, or even use its body to cover or shield the resource.
• Lip Licking or Sniffing: Some dogs may lick their lips nervously or repeatedly sniff the item, especially if they feel conflicted or stressed about guarding it.
• Barking or Whining: Barking or whining could occur as an attempt to alert others to stay away, or to communicate distress over the perceived threat.
• Tail Position:  The tail may be raised and stiff, held upright. A tail that is wagging in a stiff, rapid motion may also indicate excitement or agitation linked to guarding.
• Snapping:  The dog may snap their jaws in the air as a warning to stay away, even without physically contacting the intruder.

Working outside this threshold, perform the following steps:

• Enter the room.  Do  not walk directly towards your dog.
• Toss your dog a treat.  Do the best you can to get it close to your dog.
• Walk out of the room.
• Repeat this about five times.
• Next time you enter the room, get a little closer to your dog and repeat the steps.  A little closer means inches, not feet!  Continue to work so you are not making a direct approach.  Walk parallel to your dog moving in a few inches as you move.
• Practice this for about five minutes and then leave  your dog alone to finish his treat if possible.

Create safe spaces for your dog to enjoy the things he guards:

For the time being, try to create an environment where  your dog can enjoy treats undisturbed when you’re not working with him.  We want to avoid allowing him to practice the behavior.  This may mean he chews his bones in his crate or in a back room alone.  Your choices will be entirely dependent on what you have to work with and what is best for your particular dog.

If you absolutely must take the object away:

• Toss a handful of the highest value treats you can come up with five to ten feet from your dog, making sure he sees what you’ve done.
• When he gets up and starts “vacuuming”, go and retrieve the object and put it where he can no longer reach it.